Elmer Book Review-Kuester, Tasha GLST 290 D04
odt
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Liberty University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
290
Subject
Arts Humanities
Date
May 24, 2024
Type
odt
Pages
6
Uploaded by BailiffBear3599
Elmer Book Review:
Cross-Cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility
Tasha Kuester
GLST 290: Cultural Anthropology
November 15, 2021
2
Introduction
Servanthood is a burden and a challenge because it is culturally defined
1
. This means that all who wish to serve must be sensitive to the culture in order to be an effective servant. Cross-Cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility provides direction for the Christian servant who is committed to serving and being served. Elmer’s (2006) book was written with the desire to spare cross-cultural servants from making the same mistakes he made, which he generously shared. He reminded us that servanthood is unnatural because humanity is subconsciously ethnocentric and so we use our own cultural frame of reference to serve others; this is often perceived as superiority or neocolonialism
2
. Elmer reminded his readers to follow the Christ model of servanthood which is the humble serving role not the savior role
3
. He gives the readers six steps to becoming a servant. First, a servant must open themselves to other people who are different than themselves, in a culturally appropriate way, to make them feel welcome and safe
4
. Second, a servant must accept people in the same manner that Jesus accepts everyone in love
5
. This can
be done by communicating respect and showing dignity to everyone because they bear the image of God. Third, a servant must build trust with the people they serve so that both parties understand they are working with each others best interests at heart
6
. Fourth, a servant must continue to learn from the host culture and avoid becoming infected by the virus of pride
7
. To do this a servant must continually learn about others, from others, and with others. In the fifth step the pieces of the cultural puzzle come 1 Duane Elmer,
Cross-cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility
(Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2006), Chapter 1: Servanthood
2 Ibid., Chapter 1: Servanthood
3 Ibid., Chapter 1: Servanthood
4 Duane Elmer,
Cross-cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility
(Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2006), Chapter 4: Openness 5 Duane Elmer,
Cross-cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility
(Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2006), Chapter 5: Acceptance
6 Duane Elmer,
Cross-cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility
(Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2006), Chapter 6: Trust
7 Duane Elmer,
Cross-cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility
(Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2006), Chapter 7: Learning
3
together when the servant begins to understand the new culture
8
. Once a servant is able to identify patterns of behavior within the culture, the servant can then start to see the world through the eyes of someone from within that culture and a mutual understanding is developed. The final step is when all the previous steps come together and a servant is able to relate to people in a way that affirms their dignity and empowers them
9
. At this step the servant has everything he/she will need to model the servanthood displayed by Christ. The final section of Cross-Cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility warns the servant of the pitfalls of leadership and power and reminds that life is filled with mystery but the servant should always walk in dignity and faithfulness
10
. The concept of leadership as opposed to servanthood is incredibly significant to cross-cultural engagement. In order to serve a community or organization, one needs to first understand its culture. A good leader does not make decisions without first consulting those around them who have previous experience and possibly a deeper understanding of the community’s needs. Many authoritarian leaders impose their own ideologies and rules on their people and never truly understand their role as a servant of the people. A good leader serves his/her people by listening to them and working with them to solve problems. This type of leader does not attempt to correct but instead attempts to understand. This becomes an effective tool when the people in the community feel heard and respected. Elmer used the analogy of a traditional tribal chief to explain the characteristics of a good leader
11
. The tribal leader listens to his people and joins them as equals to solve problems together
12
. The tribal leader’s job was 8 Duane Elmer,
Cross-cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility
(Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2006), Chapter 9: Understanding
9 Duane Elmer,
Cross-cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility
(Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2006), Chapter 10: Serving
10
Duane Elmer,
Cross-cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility
(Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2006), Chapter 13: The Servant and Mystery
11
Duane Elmer,
Cross-cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility
(Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2006), Chapter 11: The Servant and Leadership
12
Ibid., Chapter 11: The Servant and Leadership
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
4
to announce the choice that accurately represented the group as a whole
13
. When this type of leader makes a decision that is based on the thoughts and concerns of their people, real change can begin because the people can stand behind the decision and take ownership. In order to achieve personal or professional goals, one needs to be able to develop mutual understanding with people from different cultures. Building relationships with people is not only a social goal; it helps get the work done. The material presented in Cross-Cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility is relevant to Christian cross-cultural engagement. One should be able to engage people from a variety of cultures different from their own and Christians should serve God wherever He leads. When Christians are called to serve God’s people, in a different culture than their own, they are encouraged to display humility because this shows proper respect for oneself, others, and God
14
. Without humility, it would be nearly impossible hear the wisdom of God through His people
15
. “You can’t serve someone you don’t understand”
16
. Jesus had to make the cultural transition to Earth and live
among God’s children before he could minister to them. He needed to understand the burden of sin so that he could truly empathize with humanity. Jesus did this by being a humble servant. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (
Holy Bible:NIV:New International Version.
2016, Mark 10:45). By using this model of servanthood in Christ, Christians can aim to serve others without seeking praise or recognition for themselves. The concept of “the monkey serves the fish” is one that I will certainly incorporate into my interactions with people from different cultures whether socially or within my field of study. The idea that a desire to serve can be misinterpreted as arrogance is one that I often forget. When the monkey saw the fish swimming against the current he scooped the fish out of the water and placed it onto safe, 13 Duane Elmer,
Cross-cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility
(Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2006), Chapter 11: The Servant and Leadership
14 Duane Elmer,
Cross-cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility
(Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2006), Chapter 1: Servanthood
15 Ibid., Chapter 1: Servanthood
16 Ibid., Chapter 1: Servanthood
5
dry land. The monkey had good intentions but he never stopped to consider that what is good for monkeys may not be good for fish. Often, good intentions can be perceived as arrogance when we don’t take culture into account. When we base our interactions solely on our own cultural interpretations, we can unintentionally hurt those we are trying to help. It is a strong reminder to remain
humble and open to the idea that there is more than one way to solve a problem.
6
Bibliography
Elmer, Duane. 2006.
Cross-Cultural Servanthood : Serving the World in Christlike Humility
. Downers Grove, Ill.: Ivp Books. Holy Bible : NIV : New International Version.
2016. Durbanville: Christian Media Bibles.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help