Orality Journal Volume 3, Number 1, 2014 | Page 38

36 Orality Journal, Volume 3, Number 1, 2014

and behavior in the culture and/
or your willingness as the teacher
to enter into the discovery process
with your learners during the
course of the teaching.
Third, do not assume that their
understanding of terms used in the
exchange of ideas is the same as your
understanding. Seek to understand
those terms from their perspective,

and then where needed, guide them
to discover other possibilities.
Fourth, ask questions and
entertain their questions even
when they seem irrelevant to the
topic at hand. Then, rather than
give answers, work with them to
discover culturally appropriate
answers by applying God’s word
to those questions. An example of
this process occurred as I worked
with Samburu pastors in Kenya.

Phil Thornton

Several questions arose in our
conversation about which I had
little or no knowledge (e.g., Is it
okay for the Samburu to drink
blood—a common custom among
the nomadic herders?). Rather
than offer an answer (or even an
op inion), I had the pastors launch
into a discover process as a group
(constructivist learning). After
some time working on the problem,

they came forth with the following
which would be applied to such
practices:
•
•
•
•

What does the Bible say?
What is the Spirit saying to us?
What do the elders say?
Does it do harm to the individual
or the community?

This “discovery” was much more
powerful and on target than any
answer I might have given.