Communicative Theology Conference: Fordham, Feb 2008
Hosts: Brad Hinze, Mary Ann Hinsdale, Matthias Scharer, Jochen Hilberath
[Communicative Theology has been developed in Europe by Matthias Scharer and Jochen Hilberath, based upon the earlier work of Ruth Cohn’s Theme Centered Interaction (TCI). Two U.S. theologians, Brad Hinze and Mary Ann Hinsdale, have worked closely with Scharer and Hilberath in organizing research; conferences there were based on the following theoretical model.]
Vocabulary & Models of Communicative Theology &Theme Centered Interaction (TCI)
[The model is pictured with the first three as triangle points, enclosed in a circle - the Globe.]
(Cohn TCI Model) (Scharer/Hilberath Communicative Theology)
I = Individuals with their life and faith history
We = People in groups, communities, with their inter-communication
It (content) = The faith tradition
Globe (environment) = The global reality of society and church
The NYC Conference below was attended by a group of theologians from the U.S. and Europe.
The Challenge and Gift of Intercultural Communication
Conference Overview
Thursday, February 28, 2008
6:00 p.m. Dinner
7:00 p.m. Conference begins: Introduction of the Topic of the Conference
Session Leaders: Brad Hinze and Mary Ann Hinsdale
7:00-7:15 p.m. Brad welcomed everyone and introduced the theme of the Conference: The Challenge and Gift of Intercultural Communication: How will we proceed by using Communicative Theology?
7:15-7:30 p.m. Mary Ann described the group: geographically, institutionally, in terms of generations, in universities, dioceses, parishes, intercultural work and invited everyone to enter groups of three and discuss the following question:
7:30 p.m. Subtopic: What is my relationship with the topic? How are intercultural issues important for you?
7:45 p.m. Matthias Scharer and Jochen Hilberath described how we will work; what our style is; how the content of theology (the “It”) is present throughout our work.
The same small groups were gathered and each individual had an opportunity to offer their answer to the question: Subtopic - When I hear you, Matthias and Jochen, what comes to my mind?
9:00 p.m. Closing Prayer / Latino/Latina
9:36 p.m. Train from Fordham to Grand Central
9:30-10:00 p.m. Small Group Leaders’ Meeting
10:36 p.m. Train Leaves for Grand Central; arrives 10:57 p.m.
Friday February 29th
8:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast at Fordham
9:00 a.m. Morning Prayer / African American tradition
9:15-10:30 a.m. Second Session
9:15-9:20 a.m. Session Leader (Daniela Kästle)
Mary Ann Hinsdale introduced the session by bridging the discussion and experience from the previous evening (taking into account the problems we experienced—e.g., cold blowers, people in second row couldn't see the diagram on the floor, people tired after big meal and traveling.
9:20 a.m. Daniela invited Matthias to say something about the “I” dimension TCI TOPIC: “The “I” and its Theological Significance
The task: “Why it is important to begin with the biographical? (Matthias)
9:25-9:35 a.m. THEME: Cultural Pride, Shame, Conflict: How does it influence my theologizing? (Daniela Kästle)
9:35-9:45 a.m. Small Group Formation—2 or 3 leaders per group
Group Leader Partners: Teresa Peter and Edmund Chia (add 6 more people to the group)
Martina Kraml / Mary Hess (add 6)
Cyril Orji / Daniela Kastle (add 6)
B. Kwame Assenyoh / Pascale Jung / Gemma T.Cruz (add 5)
Gunda Werner / Nancy Pineda-Madrid / Jeremy Cruz (add 5)
Wolfgang Palaver / Maureen O’Connell / Judy Schaefer (add 5)
9:45-10:30 a.m. Small Group Discussion
People were invited to write words or sentences from discussion on flip chart paper, which capture the flow of conversation. At end of discussion paper was posted on a wall in University Commons room.
10:30-11:00 a.m. Coffee Break; during this time people were invited to read the remarks on the word montages.
11:00-12:30 p.m. Third Session
Session Leader: Mary Ann Hinsdale
11:00-11:15 a.m. TCI TOPIC: The Globe and its theological significance (Wolfgang Palaver)
11:15-11:30 a.m. THEME: How to “celebrate diversity” without ignoring the underside of the history of the Globe (Mary Ann Hinsdale)
Mary Ann bridged the discussion of the I-pole with the Globe-pole (contrast of cultural pride and shame at the personal level with global dynamics of celebrating diversity while ignoring the underside of history). Mary Ann introduced the timeline: U.S. History of Cultural Achievements and Exclusion. Everyone was invited to add to the timeline.
11:30-11:50 a.m. What would we want to add to add this timeline?
Everyone was given their own marker and invited to add items to the time- line. There may be individuals who will not have anything to contribute personally or who do not want to contribute anything for one reason or another. This too may be significant.
11:50-12:00 p.m. Review of History, Examination of Conscience:
Discuss in large group: What are the destructive and constructive and dynamic patterns that play a role in this history: exclusion, scapegoating, etc.?
12:00-12:30 p.m. A limited number of comments from willing participants offering their reactions to this process or insights they take from this process.
12:30-2:30 p.m. Lunch
1:00 -1:45 p.m. Planning Team and Group Leaders Meet
1:45-2:30 p.m. Liturgy Planning Group
2:30-4:00 p.m. Fourth Session
Session Leader: Brad Hinze
2:30-2:45 p.m. TCI TOPIC: The “We” and Its Theological Significance (Jochen Hilberath)
2:45-2:55 p.m. THEME: Intercultural challenges: We dramatize scenes of conflict in churches and educational settings (Brad Hinze)
2:55-3:15 p.m. In the plenary group, people were invited to collectively (individually and then collectively), identify instances of intercultural conflict in either a pastoral setting or an academic setting.
(1) First everyone is asked to write down on 8 ½ x 11 sheets an answer to this question: What are instances of intercultural conflict that concern you in church or educational settings?
(2) Second, these sheets were placed on the floor and group leaders arranged them together with those with similar instances. This served to establish working groups.
(3) Then everyone was asked to break up into these small groups based on their chosen settings and together develop a dramatic scenario concerning either a situation in the local church or an academic setting.
Rules for dramatic presentation:
It should be short (five minutes)
It should be clear and concrete: specify acts or scenes
The character roles and the dramatic conflict should be well developed.
As you decide upon your dramatic scenario, you could choose to leave the conflict unresolved; you could show resistance; could dramatize moving beyond conflict.
3:15-4:00 p.m. Small Groups identified and created scenarios of intercultural challenges and conflicts as found in the church (nationally, in dioceses, or in parishes) and in theological education and created dramatic presentations of this with group members showing either the conflict unresolved or ways that the conflict is resolved.
4:00 p.m. Coffee Break
4:15- 5:45 p.m. Fifth Session
Session Leader: Martina Kraml
4:15-5:15 p.m. THEME: Enacting, observing, and reflecting on scenes of intercultural challenges and conflicts in churches and educational settings: What can we learn? What does it reveal?
Each group had five minutes to present their scenario and five minutes to offer their reactions. Individuals were invited to offer their reactions after each scenario: (1) What was the experience of those playing in those roles? (2) What is the experience of the audience?
5:15-5:45 p.m. Reflections on Scenarios (led by Martina and Wolfgang Palaver):
What patterns of dealing with conflicts play a role in these scenarios?
What strategies or practices can we identify for engaging and transforming these dynamics?
6:30 p.m. Liturgy
7:30 p.m. Supper
8:30-9:15 p.m. Planning Team and Group Leaders Meet
9:36 p.m. Train to Grand Central Terminal (arrives 9:55)
10:00 p.m. Planning Team meets in Roosevelt Lobby
Saturday March 1st
8:30 a.m. Breakfast
9:00 a.m., Morning Prayer / Asian tradition
9:15-10:30 a.m. Sixth Session
Session Leaders: (Matthias and Jochen)
9:15-9:22 a.m. The TCI Topic: The “It” in a communicative theological process. (Jochen)
9:22-9:30 a.m. THEME: From Implicit to Explicit Theology: Reviewing the gift and challenge of intercultural communication, we discover the “It”. (Matthias)
9:30-10:00 a.m. People broke up into the small groups formed on Friday morning and discussed the theme.
10:00-10:20 a.m. Fishbowl: representative of each group seated in a circle--a “fishbowl” and discussed major findings of the group, which was led by Judy Schaefer (in the fishbowl) and Matthias Scharer (outside the fishbowl)
10:20-10:30 a.m. People were invited to offer additional reactions to the Fishbowl discussion
10:30 a.m. Coffee Break
11:00-12:30 p.m. Seventh Session
Session Leaders: (Mary Ann and Brad)
11:00-11:10 a.m. THEME: What insights and learning outcomes from our time together would each of us bring to wider communities (schools, local churches, ethnic communities)? (Mary Ann)
11:10-11:20 a.m. Each individual was invited to write down up to three of their learnings or questions on individual cards.
11:20-11:30 a.m. In the full assembly people were offered an opportunity raise questions, which were written down on poster paper.
11:30-12:15 p.m. Questions were addressed by Matthias Scharer and Jochen Hilberath.
12:15-12:25 p.m. Last Review: “Pass the Egg”
12:25-12:30 p.m. Expressions of Gratitude
1:15-2:30 p.m. Small Group Leaders and Planning Team Meeting and Evaluation