CONTEXTUALIZING WORSHIP IN THE ANDES
USING RELEVANCE THEORY
AND THE CORPUS CHRISTI FESTIVAL:
A CASE STUDY IN EL-TINGO, ECUADOR
Alan D. Gordon
October 2009
PART I – INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Chapter 1 - Introduction: Evangelical worship the rural Andes of Ecuador
Chapter 1 – Contextualization theory: which paradigm?
Chapter 2 - Communication theory: cognitive environment
Chapter 3 - Ethnomusicological theory: the music ritual
Chapter 4 - Epistemology: phenomenology in academic research
Summary: Contextualization of worship must take place at the deep level, by
understanding the Indian's cognitive environment. Music ritual is one method
to discover cognitive environment. Phenomenology will be the epistemology.
CONTEXTUALIZING MUSIC-WORSHIP
Traditional route
Change the form of our music ritual to theirs
Evangelical
worship
Indigenous
festivals
Proposed route
Adopt their cognitive
environment
Leave our cognitive environment
Change our
understanding
to that of their
music ritual
MUSIC-WORSHIP COMMUNICATES
Evangelical
worship
Evangelical
worship
Evangelical
worship
Is not understood by the
indigenous folk
Must change
Is now understood by the
indigenous folk
?
Indigenous folk
Evangelical
worship
Indigenous folk
Chapter 2
The Principle Theory for the Dissertation: (Relevance Theory)
Cognitive
Environment
Cognitive
Environment
Context
Context
Intent
Evidence
Meaning
Context
Context
Context
Context
COMMUNICATOR
RECEIVER
Cross-cultural communication: the communicator must adapt/convert to a
new context in order to communicate effectively.
Chapter 3
The Secondary Theory for the Dissertation: (Ethnomusicological Theory)
1
Music-Ritual
2
Beliefs
Extract
Ethnomusicological theory: music ritual is one way to
discover deep-level beliefs.
Chapter 5 - Methodology: The structure of the research
THE THEORY
Cross-cultural communication: the communicator must adapt/convert to a
new context in order to communicate effectively.
THE MISSIOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE THEORY
In order to adapt/convert, the communicator must FIRST understand:
BOTH the receptor’s cognitive environment
AND his/her own cognitive environment.
But just how does one go about doing this?
MY PROPOSAL
To discover cognitive environments through music-ritual (EM theory).
EM theory proposes that deep-level beliefs produce the music-ritual.
I propose using the reverse process.
Assume: “cognitive environment” = “deep-level beliefs”
The following is a diagram of my research:
(My dissertation has only reached step #3.)
Chapter 5
1
3
Music-Ritual
Music-Ritual
2
Beliefs
New forms
Extract
Beliefs
4
Beliefs Beliefs
5
New forms
Evangelicals
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Rural folk
Use music-ritual to discover one’s own beliefs.
Extract these from one’s cultural context.
Participate with rural folk in their music-ritual to discover, with them, their beliefs.
Dialogue with them about their beliefs and one’s own.
Create new forms of music-ritual.
Chapter 6 – Data Collection and Analysis
Context
1. Compare evangelical and
2006
1. The two are very different!
indigenous music-rituals.
S
2007
2. Their mentality is concrete,
R
2. Focus on one indigenous festival.
T
communal, and identity based.
E
2008
R
S
3. Personal reflection as a
3. My mentality is abstract,
A
U
20-year veteran missionary. individual, and proposition based.
T
L
E
T
G
Y
Analysis
Conclusion: a North-American missionary may need to change from an abstract, individualistic, proposition-based
mentality to a concrete, communal, identity-based mentality in order to effectively communicate the gospel in the
rural Andes of Ecuador. (The Evangelical Church in Ecuador may need to do the same!)