I was talking to a couple of colleagues at seminary recently who were speaking of how a major university near us in Baguio City, Philippines, is really focusing on "Decolonization" as it pertains to Anthropology, among many other things. My immediate response was to be pretty skeptical. I think this is largely because of my …
Continue reading What Would a “Decolonization” of Missions Anthropology Look Like?
<The following is actually some guidance for my students in Cultural Anthropology class. But others can read it if they want.> Cultural Anthropology has been called Missions Anthropology by some, and when Cultural Anthropology is used by missionaries for solutions to ministry questions, the term Missions Anthropology is quite appropriate. One of the goals of …
A few weeks ago a friend of mine who teaches at a small missions school asked me what is the most valuable way to teach missions anthropology. I suppose the most valuable way to teach missions anthropology is to do missions anthropology. However, the question was given in the context of a course taught in …
Part #1 looked at perspective regarding culture. Instead of rehashing... please READ IT. Now let's apply this to Theology. Theology is a system of symbols and concepts shared (typically) by a group. So while theology may not constitute a culture, it certainly constitutes a major aspect of a culture (or sub-culture). Like culture, theology is …
This next term I will be teaching two classes. One of them is Missions History. I will be teaching that at a seminary here in the Philippines. At the same time, at a different school, I will be facilitating (hate to use the word “teaching” since it is doctoral level) a class in Cultural Anthropology. …
Continue reading Why Should Christians Study Cultural Anthropology?