new church life: march/april 2015
Community – People are not just individuals; they are members of bigger
units, such as families, tribes or nations. These units are important institutions
of society, more than just the sum of their parts and more important than single
ind ividuals. Societies that emphasize this theme stress that the institutions
should be respected and protected, and develop moral concepts such as duty,
hierarchy, respect and patriotism.
Divinity – People aren’t just autonomous individuals or members of
groups but vessels holding a divine spark. Societies that emphasize this theme
become concerned with actions that elevate or degrade the vessel of that divine
gift. They develop concepts such as sanctity, sin, purity and pollution.
Each cluster samples from each of these themes but gives priority to
different ones. The result is a variety of systems of morality. The priority in the
West is to protect individual rights. In the Middle East the focus is on families
and groups.
One problem, Greg said, is that people from different cultures and even
subcultures (for example, liberals and conservatives in this country) have
trouble understanding one another because they tend to view their opposites as
“evil and/or stupid.” Our worldview tends to pull from our moral foundations.
He quoted Haidt, whose book was written to get beyond labels, as saying:
“Morality binds and blinds.” (Reflecting back on Thane Glenn’s presentation,
we tend not to hold our differences lightly.)
Day Three focused on an overview of Arab culture. Much of the Arab world
is now urbanized but still is influenced by a “desert culture” – well depicted
in the classic 1962 movie, Lawrence of Arabia. The most important factor
in a desert culture is survival; it dictates a nomadic group-oriented lifestyle
on the Arabian Peninsula, along with the modes of dress and transportation
(the camel). From the emphasis on survival, several cultural elements became
important, such as:
Group Loyalty: People live and move in groups; no one survives alone.
It is a “patri-“ culture – patriarchal, male dominated; patrilineal – genealogy
traced through the father; and patrilocal – when a son marries he and his wife
stay with the father’s group.
Appearance of Strength: Actually being strong would be best, but
appearing to be strong is better than appearing weak. Weak groups are exploited
by strong groups and do not survive. Many sons helps to provide strength and
survival. The importance of avoiding shame might have developed from not
wanting to lose face or appear weak.
Hospitality: A strong group or person can afford to be hospitable and it
bolsters the appearance of strength. Information gained from guests can also
aid the group.
Eloquence: The ability to manipulate language is important, both for its
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