Matters of the Heart: Orality, Story and Cultural Transformation—The Critical Role of Storytelling in Affecting Worldview

Abstract

A. STEVEN EVANSCultures are dynamic and are always in flux. What happens, however; when cultural changes are not goodwhen there is evidence of an eroding values system ? Can N particular culture's worldview intentionally and sihstantiully change .? It is unarguable that one's worldview, culture, and values are entrenched and that t o injuence the alteration of these is d@cult. However, affecting one's worldview, culture, and values to the point of change is not impossible. There are certain catalysts aflecting cultural change that can be harnessed f o r the propagation of the gospel, with special attention given to the role o f oral tradition and the impact it has on cultural transformation. What this article proposes is that worldviews, cultures, and values can indeed be changed, resulting in not only the transformation of an individual's lijb, but an entire culture as well. Storytelling in particular is a catulyst that can bring about substantial changes in worldview, culture, and values. A. Steven Evans is a senior research fellow and communications specialist affiliated with the International Center for Ethnographic Studies in Atlanta-USA, specializing in both crosscultural communication and oral cultures. In addition to numerous articles on orality and biblical storytelling, he has authored book chapters in Understanding und Using the Bible (Wright and Lamb, eds.), Coniniunicuting Christ Through Stor?/ and Song: Orulity in Buddhist Cultures (De Neui, ed.), and A Vision of' the Possible (Sinclair). He serves as the co-chair of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization's orality special interest group and lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, with his wife. He may be contacted at sevan.s@suedge.org. Downloaded from A. Steven Evanshowever, since it usually takes place without change-of-heart "metamorphosis" among the affected peoples.To be addressed here is not the transitioning of a local culture to one of a Western perspective. What is to be considered is the idea of biblical worldview impacting the hearts and worldviews of individuals, one at a time, leading to changed lives and ultimately to a changed or transformed culture.Cultures are dynamic and are always in flux. They might be equated with languages, in that a static, unchanging language becomes a classical language, no longer living but only studied within the halls of academia. Language is dynamic; it changes over time or else it dies. That is why there are differing versions of Portuguese in Portugal, Brazil, and the Portuguese-speaking nations of Africa. Likewise, the English of Britain differs considerably from the English of Australia or America. Just as languages change, over time, cultures change; they are not static.So, is the idea of intentionally affecting cultural transformation an unattainable dream? Can, in fact, worldviews change substantially, and, if so, how'? As this paper will show, what cultural anthropologists say about the entrenchment of one's worldview, culture, and values is unarguable. To influence the alteration or chan...

Conceptions of Students at Risk on Behavior Modification Program Create: A Story of One Public School in the Philippines

“…That enabling activities develop behavior was supported in the study of Bessant, Caffyn, and Gallagher (2001), where they suggest that variation of enablers can be used to achieve the same ends of behavior development. (Evans, 2010). In the study of Johansson (2011), group discussion is considered the most prominent approach to teaching and transmitting moral values.…”

“…On the biblical view. Evans (2010) relates that what is to be considered is the idea of biblical worldview impacting the hearts and worldviews of individuals, one at a time, leading to changed lives and ultimately to a changed or transformed culture.…”