Why is inculturation in Catholic theology difficult to operationalize?

Vivencio O. Ballano
{"title":"Why is inculturation in Catholic theology difficult to operationalize?","authors":"Vivencio O. Ballano","doi":"10.1177/00918296241236728","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"This article attempts to explain sociologically why the Catholic Church’s popular theological concept of inculturation is difficult to operationalize or provide empirical indicators in order to make it more observable and measurable for social scientists, missionaries, and inculturation practitioners. Using some secondary data and peer-reviewed literature, it explores how the following major hurdles inhibit the clear conceptualization and operationalization of inculturation projects, namely: the (1) lack of unified definition in the Church for culture, (2) plurality of the meaning of inculturation, (3) ambiguity of the extent of the cultural change in inculturation that results in unsettled levels and units of analysis in measuring it, as well as (4) lack of social science training and expertise of Catholic theologians, clerics, and missiologists, leading to the neglect of empirical studies that operationalize inculturation in the mainstream research. This study recommends intensified social science training for missionaries and clerics in the Catholic Church and active dialogue between inculturationists and social scientists to enhance the empirical dimension of inculturation in research and literature.","PeriodicalId":509845,"journal":{"name":"Missiology: An International Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Missiology: An International Review","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00918296241236728","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0

Abstract

This article attempts to explain sociologically why the Catholic Church’s popular theological concept of inculturation is difficult to operationalize or provide empirical indicators in order to make it more observable and measurable for social scientists, missionaries, and inculturation practitioners. Using some secondary data and peer-reviewed literature, it explores how the following major hurdles inhibit the clear conceptualization and operationalization of inculturation projects, namely: the (1) lack of unified definition in the Church for culture, (2) plurality of the meaning of inculturation, (3) ambiguity of the extent of the cultural change in inculturation that results in unsettled levels and units of analysis in measuring it, as well as (4) lack of social science training and expertise of Catholic theologians, clerics, and missiologists, leading to the neglect of empirical studies that operationalize inculturation in the mainstream research. This study recommends intensified social science training for missionaries and clerics in the Catholic Church and active dialogue between inculturationists and social scientists to enhance the empirical dimension of inculturation in research and literature.
天主教神学中的文化融合为何难以操作?
本文试图从社会学角度解释为什么天主教会流行的神学文化化概念难以操作化或提供实证指标,以使社会科学家、传教士和文化化实践者更容易观察和衡量。本报告利用一些二手数据和同行评议的文献,探讨了以下主要障碍是如何阻碍文化融合项目的明确概念化和可操作性的,即:(1)教会对文化缺乏统一的定义;(2)文化融合的含义多元化;(3)文化融合中文化变化的程度模糊不清,导致衡量文化融合的水平和分析单位不确定;以及(4)天主教神学家、教士和传教士缺乏社会科学培训和专业知识,导致主流研究忽视可操作化文化融合的实证研究。本研究建议加强对天主教会传教士和神职人员的社会科学培训,加强文化融合主义者和社会科学家之间的积极对话,以提高研究和文献中文化融合的实证维度。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
求助全文
约1分钟内获得全文 求助全文
来源期刊
自引率
0.00%
发文量
0
×
引用
GB/T 7714-2015
复制
MLA
复制
APA
复制
导出至
BibTeX EndNote RefMan NoteFirst NoteExpress
×
提示
您的信息不完整,为了账户安全,请先补充。
现在去补充
×
提示
您因"违规操作"
具体请查看互助需知
我知道了
×
提示
确定
请完成安全验证×
copy
已复制链接
快去分享给好友吧!
我知道了
右上角分享
点击右上角分享
0
联系我们:info@booksci.cn Book学术提供免费学术资源搜索服务,方便国内外学者检索中英文文献。致力于提供最便捷和优质的服务体验。 Copyright © 2023 布克学术 All rights reserved.
京ICP备2023020795号-1
ghs 京公网安备 11010802042870号
Book学术文献互助
Book学术文献互助群
群 号:481959085
Book学术官方微信