Recovering and Redeeming Our Culture
By Mary Jones
Dance styles
Each culture has its own styles of dance. The origin of dance is a spiritual one with dance being used along with other forms such as music, word and symbol to communicate with the gods. The ceremonies sought to invoke or appease the supernatural powers in the search for meeting the needs of life (Davies 1984 p.3; Wosien 1974) . Most dance in the western world has become secularised and has been imported around the world. In turn the western world has been influenced by the sacred dance of especially eastern cultures. Many of the early Modern Dance pioneers such as Ruth St. Dennis looked to the East for inspiration for their dances. Christians are usually concerned about using dance styles that have strong spiritual ties with non-Christian religions but there are Christians who have taken these dance forms and redeemed them by changing the music or words or certain movements and by praying over them. Many dancers are not aware that secular dance styles also need to be redeemed as even when used with Christian material they may impart through the choreography or performance more of wordly than Christian values or atmosphere.
Australian Aboriginees
As I have travelled around the world I have been excited to see the great variety of groups that have vision or are developing vision in the area of redeeming culture. My first contact with was in 1979 when I was researching for a paper that was later printed as "Growth of a Dance Movement" and recorded some of the history of sacred dance in Australia before 1978 when the Christian Dance Fellowship of Australia was formed. In "Dust for the Dancers" Beth Dean records a conversation in 1953 with the white minister at Yuendemu in Central Australia in which he admitted that he didn't believe there were any Christians among the Walpiri people at Yuendemu (p.118). Some 25 years later a Christian corroboree was initiated by some of the middle aged men who had become believers and wanted to share the gospel with the older people in a way they would understand. They used the elements of a traditional ceremony including the dance steps, music, body painting and costumes to present the story of the crucifixion and resurrection (Jones, p. 13).
Island Breeze International - Pacific Islands to the World
Island Breeze was founded by Sosene Le'au in 1979 after he had trained with Youth with a Mission (YWAM). He was invited to a luau (polynesian feast) at a major hotel in Honolulu and was upset at the way the dances were trivialized and presented in a very sensual way. He felt God challenging him not to criticize unless he was willing to provide an alternative (Le-au, 1997 p.82). This program ran for many years and was very successful as both an outreach into the community and as a way of providing funds for Island Breeze. Sosene and his wife with a team worked as a part of YWAM in Fiji and then in New Zealand developing the concepts of Island Breeze and saw many attracted to their cultural approach and turn to the Lord. Many became excited by the vision of working within their culture.
In 1989, their 10th anniversary, they were sacked by the hotel in preference for a purely Hawaiian show and one that was more sensual. As they prayed together about what the changes meant they received a prophetic call in the words and movement of a Haka dance (Maori war dance) to expand into the nations (p.110ff). Since then, as an independant ministry under the umbrella of YWAM, they have established ministries in many nations among indigenous peoples. They are now developing training schools in redeeming culture out of their first school that was established in Florida by Sosene as the International Center for Cultural Studies and Development. They teach that God speaks through every culture and through scripture calls us to the task of cultural redemption. They feel it is helpful to focus on the strengths of the culture overcoming evil with good. In establishing a group, prayer and team building are essential - praying for each other and against idols in the lives of members in the group; praying for the culture, taking authority against evil spirits and claiming the land for God, dealing with unforgiveness and prejudice, emphasising unity and diversity.
Christian Communications Institute - Thailand
Allan and Joan Eubank from Texas, USA, served as missionaries in Thailand from 1961. After eight years in church planting and rural development Allan began teaching New Testament at Payap Univeristy in Chiang Mai. In 1981 ,he founded CCI which uses many art forms, both traditional and contemporary, to communicate the gospel and to provide models for positive social and family life. Joan who had had a successful career in singing and acting before she was married wrote dramas and songs for the students and trained singers, actors and directors. The Eubanks are still active in CCI though officially retired. The Institute continues to lead more than 1000 students to Christ each year and performs evangelistic folk dramas in about 25 villages every year.
Traditional Media Unit of the International Christian Media Commission
This ministry was established by New Zealand born Kathleen Nichlls who worked with Interserve beside her husband in India for many years teaching in the area of Drama, English, Speech and Communication at the Union biblical Seminary in Yavatmal, central India and the Theological Research and Communication Institute in New Delhi. ICMC is headquartered in London and the Traditional Media Unit that was pioneered by Kathleen Nicholls encourages the use of traditional arts as an expression of the Christian faith. She has organised consultations for artists of all kinds in Bali, Indonesia, in 1989 and 1994 and has initiated and supported them in several other countries in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe. She and her husband have travelled extensively teaching, encouraging and networking artists. A regular newsletter is produced and their publication "Voices at the Watering Places" includes papers presented at some of the consultations.
World Christian Gathering on Indigenous People
The inaugural WCGIP was held in Rotarua, New Zealand, in 1996, organised predominently by New Zealand's indigenous people, the Maories, who hosted representatives of indigenous cultures around the world as well as other people who were interested or involved in indigenous culture in some way. . Each people group presented their culture in relation to the Christian faith, often through music and dance, and explained many of the problems they faced as indigenous people. There were times of worship, celebration, prayer, workshops and consultations together. Similar gatherings were held in USA in 1998 and in Australia in 2000.
