What is cultural relativism, and is it bad?
In a recent blog, I was called a cultural relativist. This got me to thinking. What the heck is a cultural relativist? Aren't we all culturally relative, depending on our culture? And how is absolute truth related to various cultures? Can absolute truth (i.e. Jesus dies on the cross) survive relative cultural expressions?
For further example: I have heard a mission story in which missionaries entered an unevangelized area where they raised and sacrificed pigs, but had no knowledge of sheep or goats. The missionaries described Jesus as the Lamb of God, but the people did not understand. After spending more time with the tribe, they understood that the people used pigs for their religious sacrifices. The missionaries began to describe Jesus as the "Pig" of God, come to fulfill all their ritual sacrifices that were intended to please the gods. The community understood why Jesus came and listened intently to the full presentation of the Good News about the Pig of God. Many were saved.
Now, this seems like cultural relativism to me, while still affirming and preserving absolute truth. The truth is Jesus came to fulfill sacrificial obligations, whether we describe it as lambs or pigs. I feel a little weird saying Pig of God because of all the other connotations that I have for the term "pig." However, that is my culture, and thus my own limitation, not the Gospel's limitations.
Any thoughts on this topic?
For further example: I have heard a mission story in which missionaries entered an unevangelized area where they raised and sacrificed pigs, but had no knowledge of sheep or goats. The missionaries described Jesus as the Lamb of God, but the people did not understand. After spending more time with the tribe, they understood that the people used pigs for their religious sacrifices. The missionaries began to describe Jesus as the "Pig" of God, come to fulfill all their ritual sacrifices that were intended to please the gods. The community understood why Jesus came and listened intently to the full presentation of the Good News about the Pig of God. Many were saved.
Now, this seems like cultural relativism to me, while still affirming and preserving absolute truth. The truth is Jesus came to fulfill sacrificial obligations, whether we describe it as lambs or pigs. I feel a little weird saying Pig of God because of all the other connotations that I have for the term "pig." However, that is my culture, and thus my own limitation, not the Gospel's limitations.
Any thoughts on this topic?
posted by Randy Rogers at
11:06 AM
3 Comments:
If by cultural relativism we say that God is 'thus and so' because our society and culture views life in 'thus and so' a manner, then it becomes a problem if the 'thus and so' is in actuality in conflict with, say the Big Ten Commands.
On the other hand if we say that God is able to handle whatever situation, and uncover new but always present meaning in our scriptures because our situation has given us a different and hopefully wider or longer perspective, and we do not force the scriptures to be narrowed or widened arbitrarily to match our dsires, then culturally relative is a vibrant and relevant term.
Robert
Thanks Robert. I think you hit the significance of it. God does not change ever. My culture does not dictate God's character. It does, however, affect how I understand and talk about God's character.
So, how do I determine what is absolute about God, and then what is cultural in my expression of God? Where do I draw the line?
I wouod guess that if some thing or another encourages Christlikeness in open and obvious admission of Jesus Christ then it must be meant by God for our culture to use as an icon of meditation. My problem is that I find myself allowing the icon to become the Christology.
Dr. William Roark(ret) Howard Payne Humanities, has some interesting things to say about the 'absolute' God. Namely that He does not exist but rather the 'relative' God. This line of reasoning seems to ignore the mystery of eternity, but perhaps brings God into a knowable personhood.
I was going to cite his page but am unable to find it...
RFR
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