LIBERTY UNIVERSITY

THE ROLE OF CULTURE IN GOSPEL COMMUNICATION

THESIS: THE CONTEXTUALIZATION OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE IN THE VOODOO

CULTURE OF HAITI

A RESEARCH PAPER SUBMITTED TO DR. JONES KALELI

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR

THE COURSE ICST 650

LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

BY

GESNER NOEL

STUDENT ID: L22993758

LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA

FRIDAY, March 12, 2010

 Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
Birth of Voodoo in Haiti..............................................................................................................................4
The Voodoo Belief System..........................................................................................................................5
The Voodoo Spirits.....................................................................................................................................6
Voodoo's role in Haitian culture..................................................................................................................8
Definition of Contextualization...................................................................................................................9
Biblical Basis for Contextualization..........................................................................................................10
The Gospel Message..................................................................................................................................12
Contextualizing the Gospel Message in a Voodoo Culture........................................................................14
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................17
Endnotes....................................................................................................................................................18
Bibliography..............................................................................................................................................18
Introduction

The gospel message is not new to Haiti. Missionaries from all nations, particularly

French, American, and Canadian missionaries have been on the mission field in Haiti many

times and are still trying. However, the Gospel message is not making its way into the Voodoo

culture as fast as expected. The latest CIA statistics1 shows that over 50% of the Haitian

population still practices Voodoo. This number is growing even faster than expected. These

50% and may be more are living in grinding poverty, both material and spiritual poverty. Their

daily routine is one of survival. Needless to say that they all need to hear the Gospel of Jesus

Christ in order to be rescued from this evil practice.

Although the church managed to establish its presence into the voodoo culture, she is still

facing the problem of addressing the real issues of that culture. Do the French, American and

Canadian missionaries fail because they misunderstand the voodoo culture?

This project is an attempt to discuss the problem of contextualizing the Gospel message

into the Voodoo culture of Haiti. It is therefore important to lay out the concepts of Voodoo and

the content of the Gospel message of Jesus Christ then see where the church can succeed in the

contextualization process.
Birth of Voodoo in Haiti

Haiti is a small country in the West Indies. It was the first nation in the new world to

topple the colonial ties that bound it and the first black nation to be independent. It shares the

island of Hispanola with the Dominican Republic. Most of the nation's inhabitants are ancestor

of the slaves the Europeans brought with them from Africa in the 1700's. With the slaves came

African religious traditions and beliefs. Starting with the Yoruba people from Dahomey in West

Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries, the religion of Vodun (Voodoo) migrated west with the

slaves into many parts of the new world, according to Bob Corbett 2. The word Voodoo comes

from an African word meaning spirit. And since its migration west, it has changed form and

evolved a bit differently in each nation the slaves were brought to. In Haiti, all the native people

were killed and only the colonists and the slaves remained. The colonists were primarily Roman

Catholic, and they wanted to make converts of the slaves.

The catholic priests and slave owners of the 1800's forbade the people from practicing

their religion, but did allow some occasional dances. These became the Voodoo services. One

group of slaves could contact another through the message in the drums. These drums connected

the country in 1804 when a violent revolution liberated the people from slavery. The majority

population of slaves rose up and killed or kicked all the whites out of the country. The Vatican

broke ties with Haiti, and the Voodoo priests, the houngans (male) and the mambos (female),

made Voodoo the public religion of the Haitian people.

The Voodoo Belief System

The Voodooist believes that the human being consists of two parts, analogous to the conscious

and the soul, called the ti-bon-ange (little good angel) and the gro-bon-ange (big good angel).

Both parts have some life after death, but the latter aspect of a human has the possibility of

becoming a Loa if that human is revered and connected with a particular ethical value after

death. The ti-bon-ange enters a realm where it can be reused. "Vodun or Voodoo is a belief

system and world view in which every person and everything is sacred and plant, animal, or

mineral--shares basically similar chemical, physical, and/or genetic properties" (Bellegarde-

Smith, 1990: 12) 3. It is a central theme in Voodooism that all of life is connected. People believe

that even matter has a spiritual form, humans are believed to be able to switch back and forth

between their physical and spiritual form. Truth or absolute knowledge as may be seen in a

scientific context, is altered in the Haitian context where the senses are not seen to be ultimately

reliable; "all appearances can be deceiving" for the Haitian villager (Bellegarde-Smith, 1990:

15)4.
The Voodoo Spirits

Voodoo formed from a syncretism of Catholic and African animatism. The Loa, or

mysterious spirits closely resemble the Catholic saints; people who lives were so exemplary on

earth that after death, they watch over specific areas of life. Both religions believe in one all

powerful being, God or Bon Die, and the afterlife. They have rituals focused around "sacrifice

and the consumption of flesh and blood. Followers of Voodoo believe that each person has a met

tet (master of the head) which corresponds to a s patron saint"

(http://web.canlink.com/ocrt/voodoo.htm) 5. One Haitian saying is that 80% of the people in

Haiti are Catholic and 100% of them are Voodoo followers. It is widely accepted that a person

can go to mass and take the holy Catholic Eucharist and participate in a Voodoo ceremony that

evening. By the 1950's the Catholic Church gave up fighting against Voodooism; some of the

Voodoo ritual music was even integrated into Sunday morning services.

Besides the Bon Die (god), there are three categories of spiritual beings not part of what is

comparable to the earthly realm; Loa, the Twins, and the dead. The Twins and the dead are

spirits of the contradicting good and evil and of dead family members who were not accepted by

the family respectively. If honored, these spirits are believed to bring about good fortune. In the

event that calamities occur, they can be explained, a dead relative must have been neglected in

the last religious service. These spirits of the Twins and the dead seem to take a minor role in

Voodooism when compared to the Loa.

In Voodooism, the Loa are in charge of everything that happens. Loa are the spirits of all

the major forces of the universe, encompassing reproduction, evil, good, harvest and a plethora
of others. They are in control of the people's fate and need to be appeased. As a part of Voodoo

dance ceremonies, one or more people dance themselves into either a frenzy or an abnormal

calm. The purpose of the dancing is to call the spirits to make them happy with sacrifices so that

they will provide their callers with a good future. In order to make this contact, a person needs to

become mounted by a Loa. At this point, the person is believed to be no longer there; the spirit

has taken over their body. Through mounting people, the spirits eat and speak to the people. The

blood of a freshly sacrificed animal is a common food fed to the Loa. They are believed to need

the food for taking care of and running the world.

The spirits that the Haitians worship are seen as neither completely good nor wholly

bad. It is believed that they will be kind if they are treated well, with gifts and animal sacrifices.

There are two parts of Voodooism, the Rada and the Petro. Rada makes up the most frequently

practiced rituals while the Petro is a black magic Voodoo; and the Voodoo of angry, mean and

nasty Loa". Such Loa are involved in curses and the making of zombies. 6

Voodoo's role in Haitian culture

 Voodoo provides, like all world religions, a profound spirituality to the Haitian people. It

is a very strong, cohesive social force within the community, and the community extends beyond

the visual community to include the spiritual world. Since Haiti is overwhelmed with poverty,

political instability, and poor health care, oungans and mambos - Vodou priests and priestesses -

are consulted on everything from fertility to serious illness to property disputes and even politics.

Voodoo is entwined with Haiti's culture. Traditional Haitian dancers in bright

costumes often are accompanied by drummers who pound out African-style rhythms to honor

ancestors and specific spirits. Walking down the street, one sees veves, traditional designs meant

to invoke a Voodoo spirit, in buildings and windows. In Haitian painting, green is often a tribute

to Simbi, patron spirit of rain and drinking water, while pink is a reference to Erzulie Dantor, the

patron of love.

There has never been a Haitian president who has not used Voodoo to promote his

program on the Haitian people. Every president has used it to maintain power through

theological language. Former dictator Francois Duvalier A.K.A Papa Doc, president from 1957

until his death in 1971, was notorious for his use of Voodoo. Loyal clergy reputedly performed

rituals to protect his personal paramilitary force, the Tonton Macoutes, from retribution as they

terrorized the Haitian populace.

As a new, shaky government develops in Haiti, Voodoo is emerging from the

underground and being accepted as an established "religion". The Constitution of 1987

guarantees the protection of all religious practices, including Voodoo.

In contrast, former President Jean Bertrand Aristide was the first Haitian president to

formally invite oungans and mambos to the National Palace during his 1991-95 administration,

recognizing the role they play in shaping Haitian society.

 Needless to say that Voodoo is an integral part of the Haitian culture. However, there is

no religion too strong for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The word of God can penetrate anywhere to

save any soul that God has elected to save. Using past methods of contextualization under the

power of the Holy Spirit, all voodoo chains can break loose for the salvation of the people of

Haiti.

Definition of Contextualization

To contextualize means to put into context. The word context is defined as a situation or

circumstances in which a particular event occurs. A text can be correctly and properly

understood if seen from the context. Likewise, contextualization is the task of communicating

the gospel message so that it can be understood by the people within their cultural context and

needs. For instance, a missionary that puts the word of God into the context of the voodoo

culture is contextualizing the message.

The word contextualization began to be used by Shoki Coe and Aharon Sapsezian,

directors of the Theological Education Fund in their report, Ministry and Context, 1972.7

Contextualization takes into account the process of secularity, technology, and the struggle for

human justice, which characterize the historical moment of nations like Haiti.
Biblical Basis for Contextualization

It is true that the word "contextualize" does not appear in the Bible, but the purpose and

concept of contextualization are present. God intended the plan of salvation for the whole world.

That is, not only for the Jews or for the Christian Church but for every nation including Haiti.

Jesus said, " But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." (John

12:32). 8 In both the Old and New and the New Testaments, the idea of revealing God and His

message to the entire world is a recurring theme.

When God called Abram to leave his homeland, he promised to make of him a great

nation, to bless him and make his name great. God declared, " I will bless those who bless you,

and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

(Genesis 12:3). And when he changed his name, he said, "No longer will you be called Abram;

your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. (Genesis 17:5).

Through Abraham, God intended to reveal himself to the world. In the time of the kings, God

planned to reveal himself to other nations through the prosperity and righteousness of his chosen

people. " I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the

ends of the earth." (Isaiah 49:6).

In the New Testament, Jesus made it clear to his disciples that the target of the gospel

commission is the whole world. "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and

Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8). God recruited Paul to his work force to help

realize his plan. Of Paul, Jesus told Ananias, "This man is my chosen instrument to carry my

name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel." (Acts 9:16).

The Church accepts challenge of worldwide proclamation of the gospel in the contexts of

the of the Great Commission: “Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and
on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in

the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey

everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

(Matt 28:18-20).

The consummation of the plan of salvation is portrayed in the vision that John the

Revelator saw. "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could

count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of

the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And

they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the

Lamb." After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from

every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the

Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud

voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!'"(Revelation

7:9-10).

The Gospel Message

Before the contextualization of the gospel message, one must first have a clear understanding of

the content of the message. The word gospel comes from the Greek words eu angelion meaning

good news. The gospel message is good news for the Haitian people and all nations because it

centers on Jesus Christ who gives a solution to the sin problem. Reconciliation and restoration

are only possible through Christ. The following five elements are essential to understand God’s

plan for humanity.

Creation.

The Bible opens with the affirmation that God created the heaven and the earth. It reveals

the original plan of God in creating our first parents. Creation gives us a picture of God as a

Creator and Sovereign Ruler of the Universe. We see him as all-powerful yet caring. Creation

does not only explain to us the origin of life. It points us to the Creator whose "love led Him to

share... one of the greatest gifts that He can confer - existence."9

Fall of Man.

The great controversy, which started with the rebellion of Satan, affected our first

parents. The disobedience of Adam and Eve meant the rejection of God's rule. It led to the

subjection of mankind to Satan, the author of sin. Sin brought conflict and death to man.

"Personal, inter-personal and social breakdowns abound because life is severed from its

source."10 The nature of man became sinful and corrupt. Instead of harmony and tranquility in

God's creation, discord, conflict and confusion marks the creation.

Redemption.

God revealed his plan of ending the great controversy with his declaration to the serpent,

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he

will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." (Genesis 3:15). This prophetic judgment

found fulfillment in the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. The death of Jesus on the cross
vindicated the character of God. Mercy and justice met at the cross. Jesus' death on the cross

showed that love and truth comprise the foundation of God's government. "and through him to

reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace

through his blood, shed on the cross."8 (Colossians 1:20).

Transformation.

Redemption in Christ leads to the transformation of man. It involves the restoration of the

image of God in man. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone,

the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17) 8. The transformation that takes place in man is holistic

in nature. As the old self has been crucified with him (Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20), the new man

lives by the Spirit (Galatians 5:25). His life is no longer under the power of sin. Rather, through

the power of the Holy Spirit, the new man has the freedom to experience dynamic changes in his

life. He will live a fruitfull life of service for the glory of God.

Restoration.

Full restoration will take place in the Second Coming of the Lord. In his letters, Paul

clearly stated that man would be free from corruption of sin and death. When that time comes, "

that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious

freedom of the children of God" (Romans 8:21).

Contextualizing the Gospel Message in a Voodoo Culture

The starting point of contextualization must be the Word of God. The Bible is the norm

and final authority. Wilson W. Chow correctly stressed that the cultural context of the biblical

revelation should be understood and respected. It should not be reduced to the same level of
other cultural contexts as God used the cultural and historical context of the Bible as a vehicle

for revelation. The process of contextualization must therefore involve thorough knowledge of

both the historico-cultural contexts of the Christian message and the given culture. This must

include not only knowledge of the explicit meanings of cultural forms and symbols but also the

implicit theological assumptions upon which they rest.10

In the process of contextualization, the content of the gospel message does not change in

different situations. One illustration is Jesus' explanation of the teachings of the law in his

Sermon on the Mount in the gospel of Matthew. Jesus used the formula "You have heard that it

was said to the men of old.... But I say to you". In the first half of the formula, Jesus referred to

the previous understanding of the law while in the second part; Jesus explains the same law in

his present situation.

For example, in Matthew 5:21, Jesus mentioned the law against murder which has been

interpreted in the legal context of the past. Moving beyond the mere legal interpretation of the

past, Jesus explained the moral and ethical aspects of the same command. However, Jesus did

not abrogate the law. The same message was presented differently to meet different situations.

Other examples include Matthew 5:27, 31, 33, 38, 43. While these examples happened in the

same culture, they illustrate how the content of the message is retained in different situations.

Borge Schantz pointed to the example of Paul's cross-cultural ministry as an illustration

of contextualization. For Paul, the most important is the proclamation of the gospel message. He

wisely made a distinction between the unchanging content of the gospel message and cultural

variables.11 Thus, Paul could say, "To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become
all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of

the gospel, that I may share in its blessings." (1Cor 9:22, 23)

Following the examples of Jesus and Paul, anyone attempting to contextualize the gospel

message in the voodoo culture of Haiti should keep the content of the gospel message intact. But

the ways the gospel may be expressed may vary.12 The cultural context to which the message

would be proclaimed should not be the final authority in determining the limits of the gospel

message. The process of Bible-based contextualization can be done by an individual and by the

Church as a community. .

The religious and cultural diversity of the Haitian culture are overwhelming. No single

method can adequately encompass the challenge of contextualization. However, since culture is

the manifestation of the worldview of the people, a model of contextualization making use of the

worldview is a proposal to the challenge facing the missionaries in Haiti.

This model utilizes the four basic questions that form the base of any worldview.

CONTEXTUALIZATION MODEL USING THE WORLDVIEW

WorldView Voodoo Culture (Haiti) Gospel Message

Who am I? Voodoo Priest, descendant of Member of the family Adam

Erzulie Dantor (a voodoo

spirit)
Where am I? I live in harmony and oneness I live in the world created by

with the loas, spirits of my God, the true and only God.

ancestors
What is wrong? Disharmony occurs when I Sin invaded God's creation;

dishonor the spirits. Death, conflict, confusion

marked human existence.

 What is remedy? Continue to honor the spirits Repentance bring

Redemption and restoration

In this model, a thorough knowledge of the worldview of the Voodoo Haitian Culture

will provide the Christian worker an opportunity to contextualize the gospel message. The

features of the gospel message will be presented to the Voodooist as answer to the basic

questions. Through the working of the Holy Spirit and the tact and competence of the missionary

worker, the haitian voodoo believer will be led to see the teachings of the gospel message as the

answer to the basic questions. In this model, the elements of the gospel message permeate the

evil culture through the worldview of the people. The same knowledge can be obtained using the

culture values model.

Conclusion

The task of contextualizing is imperative and inevitable. While we have "one Lord, one faith,

one baptism, one God and Father of us all," the listeners come from various cultures (Ephesians

4:5,6). The gospel message must not only be proclaimed to the people of diverse cultures, such

as Asia. It must also address the realities of the cultural context and needs of the people.
The contextualization of the gospel message must take the Word of God as the basis and final

authority in its task. The Bible-based Contextualization is the most appropriate method for the

Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Adventist approach involves, therefore, thorough knowledge

of the gospel message and the given cultural context. The use of the worldview of the Asian

culture can serve as a bridge in communicating the gospel message to the people of Asian

culture. Awareness of the Asian values will be helpful in transmitting the gospel message in the

diverse Asian cultures. Likewise, the contemporary needs of the people at various levels must be

addressed.

The use of appropriate method of communicating can facilitate the process of contextualization.

The use of the language of the Asian culture and the use of the Known to Unknown method can

help contextualization be realized.

The worldwide membership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is culturally diverse. And this

diversity will increase when more converts from various people groups will flock to the Church.

The Church can remain united in the midst of diversity only if we continue to have one message

and one Lord.

Endnotes

1. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ha.html

2. Corbett, Bob. Introduction to Voodoo in Haiti. http://www.primenet.com/~rafreid/voodoo.html

3. Bellegarde-Smith. Haiti: The Breached Citadel. 1990.

4.

5. (http://web.canlink.com/ocrt/voodoo.htm
6. (http://www.primenet.com/~rafreid/voodoo.html).

7. Byang H. Kato, "The Gospel, Cultural Context, and Religious Syncretism," in Let the Earth
Hear His Voice, ed. J.D Douglas (Mineapolis, MN: World Wide Pub, 1975), 1217.

8. All bible verses are from the New International Version.

9 Seventh-day Adventists Believe... A Biblical Exposition of 27 Fundamental Beliefs

(Washington, D.C.: Ministerial Association, 1988), 73.

10 Wilson W. Chow, "Biblical Foundation for Evangelical Theology in the Third World" in The
Bible and Theology in Asian Contexts, ed. Bang Rin Ro and Ruth Eshenaur (Taiwan: Asia
Theological Association, 1984), 87.

10 Brian J. Walsh and J. Richard Middleton, The Transforming Vision: Shaping a Christian
World View (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1984), 70.

Donald Leroy Stults, Developing an Asian Evangelical Theology (Manila: OMF Literature,
1989), 151.

Bong Rin Ro, "Contextualization: Asian Theology," in The Bible and Theology in Asian
Contexts: An Evangelical Perspective on Asian Theology, ed. Bong Rin Ro and Ruth Eshenaur
(Taiwan: Asia Theological Association, 1984), 68-73.

Bibliography