ORIGINAL RESEARCH

 

A Christian mission of glocal culture within riven societies in God's world

 

'n Christelike missie van glokale kuituur binne gebroke samelewings in God se wêreld

 

 

C.G. Seerveld

Philosophical Aesthetics, Institute for Christian Studies, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1R4, CANADA. E-mail: calvins@icscanada.edu

 

 

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ABSTRACT

Globalisation today seems to be an implacable force at work trying to homogenise world cultures into the same format. Huntington's well-known thesis sees a clash coming between Christian Western civilisation and the rest of the world.
This article argues against Huntington that civilised cultures with different identities have comparable structural features. Because contrary cultures are all human constructs with good and bad mixed in, they can, like human relatives, learn from and correct one another rather than demonise others.
It is posited that the deepest antagonism disturbing the world is not a Christian West versus the rest, but is largely the struggle between two tyrannical ideologies: a post-Christian capitalistic secularism and a theocratic fundamentalism. A biblical Christian mission of glocal culture formation (global awareness and local action) is offered as an alternative vision for our worsening dilemma.
This biblically-rooted diaconal way to be redemptively busy in salvaging cultural activity proffers concrete hope. The life work of Bennie van der Walt is cited as an example, and a few illustrations of glocal artistry provide evidence that such a Christian mission can be deed as well as talk.

Key concepts: Christian cultural mission, diaconal artwork, globalisation, glocal culture

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OPSOMMING

Globalisering blyk 'n onverbiddelike krag te wees wat wêreldkulture homogeniseer tot dieselfde formaat. Huntington se welbekende hipotese voorspel 'n botsing tussen die Westerse Christelike beskawing en die res van die wêreld.
Hierdie artikel argumenteer teen die siening van Huntington dat beskaafde kulture met verskillende identiteite vergelykbare strukturele eienskappe besit. Omdat teenoorstaande kulture menslike samestellings is, met goeie en slegte eienskappe, kan hulle, soos 'n familie, by mekaar leer en mekaar reghelp, eerder as om mekaar te benadeel.
Dit word hier gestel dat die diepste vyandigheid wat die wêreld bedreig nie dié van die Christelike Weste teen die res is nie, maar grootliks die stryd tussen twee tiranniese ideologieë is, naamlik post-Christelike kapitalistiese sekularisme en 'n teokratiese fundamentalisme. 'n Bybels-Christelike missie van glokale kultuurvorming (globale bewustheid en lokale aksie) word aangebied as 'n alternatiewe visie vir hierdie verslegtende dilemma.
Die Bybels-gefundeerde diakonale manier om bevrydend besig te wees met die bewaring van kuturele aktiwiteite, bied konkrete hoop. Die lewenstaak van Bennie van der Walt word as voorbeeld hiervan voorgehou en 'n paar voorbeelde van glokale kuns voorsien die bewyse dat sodanige Christelike missie woorde sowel as dade kan wees.

Kernbegrippe: Christelike kulturele missie, diakonale kunswerk, globalisering, glokale kultuur

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