Date of Award
2-19-2016
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
Department
Seminary
First Advisor
Leonard Hjalmarson
Second Advisor
Carlos J. Richard
Third Advisor
Jason Clark
Abstract
Globalization has brought about many missiological implications that directly affect missionaries serving in cross-cultural situations. Though globalization may appear to be bringing the world together, cultural differences and cultural diversity continue to persist causing more cultural conflicts as people from different backgrounds continue to collide with one another. Today’s missionaries need a trusted metacultural framework to rapidly adapt and contextualize the Gospel message into the multiplicity of cultural nuances swirling in the kaleidoscope that is globalization.
In Section One, missiological implications due to globalization such as cultural homogenization, hybridization, secularization, consumerism, McDonaldization, migration, and new religious movements, are discussed as just a few of the struggles that cross-cultural missionaries encounter serving overseas.
In Section Two, different assessments and cross-cultural competence courses that currently exist to assist cross-cultural workers in dealing with the variety of cultural values and their own domestic myopia concerning personal cultural perspectives are investigated. Rather than attempt to evaluate all of the available cross-cultural competency assessments and training courses, this section compares a few of the ones currently available.
In Section Three cultural intelligence is introduced as a theoretically grounded and an empirically validated conceptual framework that provides proven detection of cross-cultural capabilities that mirror individual-level intelligence. A theological discussion of the use of cultural intelligence is included in this section. Finally, suggestions for implementing cultural intelligence (CQ) training for the preparation of missionaries is provided.
Section Four and Five contain specific artifact descriptions of a cultural intelligence training seminar suitable for implementing in any missionary training context.
Section Six provides a postscript and suggestions for further research.
Recommended Citation
Arbelaez, John Mitch, "Crossing the Great Divide: Advocating for Cultural Intelligence in the Training of Missionaries to Navigate the Missiological Implications of Globalization" (2016). Doctor of Ministry. 122.
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/dmin/122