SUMMARY
CMM2603 – Intercultural Christian Communication
Table of Contents
ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................................................................. 2
DEFINITIONS ................................................................................................................................................................... 3
STUDY UNIT 1 ................................................................................................................................................................. 4
The person as mystery................................................................................................................................................ 4
STUDY UNIT 2 ................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Culture embodied in the mystery of persons ............................................................................................................. 7
STUDY UNIT 3 ............................................................................................................................................................... 13
Building intercultural relationships .......................................................................................................................... 13
STUDY UNIT 4 ............................................................................................................................................................... 16
The mystery of human communication ................................................................................................................... 16
STUDY UNIT 5 ............................................................................................................................................................... 20
Intercultural competence ......................................................................................................................................... 20
STUDY UNIT 6 ............................................................................................................................................................... 23
The mystery of mission in context............................................................................................................................ 23
CMM2603 | Page 1
,ABBREVIATIONS
ack Acknowledge
Beh Behaviour/s
betw Between
Comm(s) Communicate / Communication
def Definition
edu Education
env Environment
exp Experience
ICC Intercultural Christian Communication
ID Identity
ito In Terms Of
JC Jesus Christ
LHD Living Human Document
Msg(s) Message(s)
ppl People
ST Self-Transcendence
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, DEFINITIONS
Behaviour A manifestation of the underlying values a person has learnt from his/her culture.
It does not say anything about the intrinsic worth of people
Hermeneutical Interpretation Method of interpretation which allows the interpreter to understand a (biblical) text in a particular way
Self-Transcendence [ST] Capacity within us that enables us to reach out to what is good & beautiful in other people and God
Self-Reflection A way in which you gain knowledge about yourself
Hermeneutical Detour Time and space necessary for us to reflect upon the meaning of our lives
[Wilhelm Dithey]
Perception The process by which we look upon people, events and things and evaluate them and give them meaning
Metanoia (Greek) Turning around, turning from and turning to, returning home
*Relating to conversion
Conversion: Affective Concerned with healthy intuitive perceptions of reality that nurtures a sensitivity to the beauty and goodness of life. It
requires dealing with ones deepest feelings and how it related to conscious behaviour.
Conversion: Intellectual Developing sound criteria for the decisions one makes while reflecting critically on reality in the search for truth. It requires
that one consider the consequences of ones beliefs.
Conversion: Personal Moral Orients one toward realities and values that make ethically ultimate and absolute claims: building one’s character and
endowing one with courage. It requires that one acts on the strength of ones convictions and to make ethical decisions
about important matters, realizing that these always impact on social relationships.
Conversion: Socio-Political Highlights the contextual dimension of faith that will not allow social realities to be obscured; brings to light the social
implications of the other forms of conversion. It requires commitment to some cause of universal, human significance that
takes place in the social order
Conversion: Religious Creates a perception of reality that is different than any other human mode; one grasps the connection between ‘what is’
(now) and ‘what might be’ (future) and see their place in God’s reign (i.t.o. Christian faith). It requires an encounter with
God in a way that affects one’s experience of life.
Consolation A sense of being in harmony with the Spirit within us
Desolation Experience of disharmony, distrust, distance and disconnection with ourselves and others
Discernment Seeking to go deeper than just an analysis of external factors (social, historical, economic and political), but reflecting on
internal factors (attitudes and dispositions) of others
Praxis Practice distinguished from theory. Accepted practice/custom
Enculturation The process by which we learn the values, norms and behaviours of our own culture simply through living and assuming
that the way in which we do things are the only and best ways
Immediacy Non-verbal communication as in the whole area of human closeness in all its various forms (channels): voice, gaze, facial
expression, gestures, touch and distance orientation
Nationalism A political ideology in which identification with one's own nation and support for its interests is considered especially to
the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations
Adversarial A court system in which individuals take one another to court to seek compensation when they believe that they have
been wronged
Nepotism The favouring of relatives of friends in job appointments or promotions
Counter-culture A way of life and set of attitudes opposed to or at variance with the prevailing social norm
Power Distance Degree to which power, prestige and wealth are equally distributed
Gender Difference Stereotyped masculine / feminine characteristics are used to describe certain aspects of culture
Uncertainty Avoidance The extent to which members of a culture feel threatened by uncertain / unknown situations which is expressed through
nervous stress and a need for predictability in the form of written or unwritten rules
World-view That characteristic of a culture which holds the most basic beliefs about God, the world, nature and humanity
Foundational Aspects Those aspects that are rooted in a culture’s world-view, myths, symbols and rituals
Myths The symbolic narrative that conveys the origins of a culture. A story that is not true (a fairytale)
Symbols Any reality that direct to another deeper reality by their own inner dynamism, speaking to the imagination and inviting a
cognitive and emotional response
Signs Something which has a clear meaning: traffic light / stop sign
Rituals Regular, repetitive, symbolic behaviour within a specific social context that develops out of and gives expression to any
culture’s fundamental myths
Sub-culture Smaller subgroups that interact within a larger culture which may include the youth, union members, academics, religious
denominations, etc. and which may have their own world-views, myths, symbols and rituals
Cultural Discernment A tool that is used to help deepen the understanding of culture and develop strategies which will contribute to making
interdependence a
Prejudice Preconceived opinion based on inaccurate or insufficient information
Stereotypes Oversimplified and generalized perceptions of beliefs that are based on previously formed opinions shaped within us by
our cultures
Ethnocentrism Viewing of one’s own in-group as superior to others groups, causing the negative evaluation of the other groups
Sexism The assigning of characteristics to persons on their sex
Ageism Negative attitudes against the elderly based on the deep rooted uneasiness about getting old or of feeling threatened by
their experience and/or expertise
Language A set of rules that govern how sounds are made, sentences are formed, what meaning is attached to words and how a
language is used
Symbols Things, actions, behaviours and events that are used to represent something else. Eg A National Flag or Coat of Arms, the
Star of David
Communication The exchange of messages and the creation of meaning thereof, giving significance to the message
Intentions Cognitive constructs of what we think of doing in specific situations
Habits A settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up
Emotions Affective responses to people and events
Forgiveness Intentionally choosing not to return a wrongdoing with a wrongdoing: injury with injury, injustice with injustice, etc. and,
instead, responding in a loving and gracious way
Empathy The ability to feel with others
Proxemics The study which analyses the message system concerned with personal space, distance in comms, seating and furniture
arrangement
Contemplative Expressing or involving prolonged thought
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