User:Bwana jambo/sandbox

Development Communication’s Place in Christian Faith and Doctrine Big text

A Theological Understanding of Communication. In his book Communicating in Ministry and Mission, Eilers (2004), a Catholic Divine Word (SVD) missionary priest and professor of Social Communication, outlined at least five basic elements for communication theology. Three of these five elements he presented touch on the fundamental aspects of Catholic dogma, namely, the Holy Trinity, Revelation, and Incarnation. Citing Fr. Bernard Lonergan, a well-known Jesuit theologian, Eilers (2004) asserts that communication is an “essential dimension for all theology.” This concept was developed in a more lucid manner by Avery Dulles, another theologian (in Eilers) who said that “theology is at every point concerned with the realities of communication…for God in His inmost essence is a mystery of self-communication.” Eilers further stated two basic elements essential in exploring communication theology, namely: the idea that God communicates (The Communicating God) and that Jesus has commissioned the Church to communicate the message of salvation (The Sending of the Church). Such concepts could be also discussed further in an interpolating manner. Thus:

a. The Bible as divine communication: As a literary piece, the Bible offers a wealth of practical wisdom that can guide a person in search of direction and meaning in life. As the Word of God, its significance predates the existence of the world as we know it now, and offers a ray of hope to humanity in need of assurance, security, and salvation. In short, the Bible and, for that matter the so-called History of Salvation, is really God’s way of communicating with humanity. In a most personal level, it is His manner of manifesting His divine presence in every person. The strong disclosure made in the letter to the Hebrews, chapter 1, verses 1-2, is a case in point. This biblical passage claims that God has spoken to humanity in many ways, and this must be given some serious weight (Roberge, 1999). God has spoken through the human hearts, human knowledge, events, and history. Far from being a mere object of scientific investigations and historical research, the Bible is really God’s definitive way of communicating with human beings. It is the most concrete expression of the truth that God was already present, and has always been, even before the universe existed.

b. The Holy Trinity as a communicating community: The three Divine Persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – are believed, at least in the Catholic tradition and those of some Christian denominations, to be one as they are distinctly three. The dynamics of their relationship and oneness is characterized by a perfect union and faultless manner of doing communication. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” Saint John the Evangelist says so in his prologue Jn 1:1). Jesus is, of course, the Word. He communicates with the Father and is perfectly obedient to the will of the Father. Whatever the Father says, the Son does. The Son knows the Father because he comes from the Father. He and the Father are one. In the same token, the Holy Spirit is one with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit communicates with the Father and the Son. The perfect oneness and the most meaningful communication between the Father, the Son, and the Spirit emanate from a communion that is perfect and pure, unblemished with selfishness, and free of any exclusivist interest.

c. Communication through communion: Christian communication is viewed in the light of divine communion. The Incarnation of the Son of God Jesus Christ was both a communion and communication. Jesus is the perfect communicator (Roberge, 1999). By his humanity, he established communion with each person -- a communion that serves as the most effective way of communicating. His is a communion that leads to communication; a communication that is an indispensable part of communion. In this sense, Christianity is really a religion of communication (Eilers, 2007). It is a keeper of a message about God who lives among his people and communicates to them and with them. Christians are thus keepers of the Message, if not bearers of the Message. As a community of believers, the Church has in her possession a great wealth of a message that must be communicated so that those who will hear it will come to believe in the Message.

The Social Communication of the Church. The Church is not at all stranger to the concepts of modern means of communication. Although it can be deduced based on the Church’s earliest encyclical on communication, Inter Mirifica (“Among the Wonderful”) that there was perceived trepidation and initial negative attitude towards mass media by some of its members, the Church has been at best circumspect yet appreciative of the merits and virtues of modern communication technology. Even when it was for sometime suspicious of the film, radio and television, the Church was quick in taking in the print media with great admiration, and in making use of the technology as aids to catechism, education and other forms of church communication (Martini, 1996). In a way, the Church’s reserved stance was selective but well meant.

In a series of consultations initiated by Pope John XXIII sometime between 1959 and 1960, a total of 9,348 proposals from all over the world had been pooled. These proposals covered a wide range of issues as possible agenda for discussion at the Second Vatican Council or Vatican II (Eilers, 1997). But with barely 18 proposals about mass media included, the Church at the time was in no doubt still unaware of the great potential and immense importance of modern communication technology. In fact, Eilers (1997) stressed that the idea of creating a secretariat for Press and Entertainment by the Vatican Council’s preparatory commission for the modern means of the apostolate was mainly aimed at establishing an office to assist journalists. However, despite the Church’s clumsy attempts in dealing with media, no one could deny the fact that at least two popes prior to the Vatican II made their own assertions regarding modern means of communication.

Pope Pius XI wrote Vigilante Cura (“Vigilant Eye”) in 1936. The document focused mainly on instructing the faithful on how to treat cinema and the motion picture. Church communication experts noted that it was not the only encyclical letter written about the means of communication in those times. In 1957, Pope Pius XII penned Miranda Prosus (“The Remarkable Inventions”). It is, as Eilers (1997) noted, the second encyclical letter on communication in the 20th century. Unlike its immediate predecessor though, this letter dwells on electronic media, with special attention given to film and radio.

Vatican II came up with a document Inter Mirifica (“Among the Wonderful”) in 1963. Mirroring perhaps the Church’s hesitant approach to communication, this particular document was seen right in the beginning as quite not up to the expectation of the Church Council and certainly not at par with the standard of the communication professionals. Despite those concerns, it was in Inter Mirifica, however, that the term “Social Communication” was coined (Eilers, 1997). The realization was that, beyond communication technology and the technical means of transmitting message, mass media and mass communication became insufficient in conveying the Church’s understanding and concerns for communication. Even the term ‘diffusion of techniques’ in reference to audio-visual media technologies could not cover the deeper vision and interest of the Church. Thus, social communication was conceived, with the Church referring somehow to mass media as “the means of social communication.” Social communication is basically about people communicating with each other in a most fundamental and personal way, even when making use of mass media in a wide ranging manner. It is thus heavily laden with responsibility and values for “the enlargement and enrichment of people’s minds and for the propagation and consolidation of the Kingdom of God” (Eilers, 1997). With such point of view, the Church is making a critical stand against abuses of mass media, while at the same time affirming their positive nature and contribution to pastoral strategy (Martini, 1996).

A Christian Perspective of Development. Christianity has certain biases as regards development. It dwells on a foundational belief that human life, as we know it and live it, is not really owned and authored by human beings. The Divine Almighty is the Great Creator of all things, and He is the One who wills things to happen. It is He who has granted humanity -- His children -- with freedom and ability to run the affairs in this world with a sense of accountability and dignity. From such point of view, it can be said that “the underlying purpose of development is to free man for the fuller use of his God-given creative powers” (WCC and PCJP, 1968).

Development, in this sense, indicates a much higher level of consumption and still higher level of aspiration, greater than mere acquisition of anything material or temporal. Openness to new technological innovations and to modern scientific perspectives instinctively implores better understanding and appreciation for any effort that helps to create solutions to existing issues and problems. This is pursued with an intention of improving the present situation and fostering development. Such openness would inspire a person to endeavor in expanding education and cultural activities, necessary for authentic development and economic progress and appropriated with necessary political measures and sound social policies.

In his 1970 Mission Sunday message, Pope Paul VI tackled evangelization in the context of development and made a strong connection between the two. Besides understanding evangelization as purely “religious activity, aimed at preaching of God’s kingdom, of the Gospel as a revelation of the plan of salvation in Christ, through the action of the Holy Spirit …,” he also defined development as “the human, civil, temporal promotion of those peoples who, by contact with modern civilization and with the help that it provides, are becoming more conscious of themselves and are stepping out on the road to higher levels of cultures and prosperity” (Achutegui, 1970). As if to emphasize further on the importance of both evangelization and development, the pope said that “the missionary cannot excuse himself from taking an interest in this promotion” and that we should not consider them as mutually exclusive (Achutegui, 1970).

Indeed, it is insufficient to say that development has a reserved seat in mission. More than merely accommodating development in the missionary endeavors of the Church, there is really an unseen bond that intertwines Christian mission with development work. The linkage is so natural that one could not possibly think of the former without the latter. Doing and living mission in the context of development requires recognition of the dignity of people that is God-given. Pursuing development in the realm of mission guides and inspires missionaries to give their best in the service to the people.

Development Communication as a Christian Social Principle. Development communication has been labeled as the Fifth Theory of the Press, conceptualized based on the Third World Realities, and with the primary purpose of “social transformation and development,” and “the fulfillment of basic needs and human development” (Flor, 2007). Jamias (1977) articulated the philosophy of development communication anchored on three main ideas, namely: purposive, value-laden, and pragmatic. Quebral (in Jamias, 1997) for her part provided an expounded definition of development communication calling it as “the art and science of human communication applied to the speedy transformation of a country and the mass of its people from poverty to a dynamic state of economic growth that makes possible greater social equality and the larger fulfilment of the human potential.” Both definitions complement each other and bolster development communication’s image as a principled and critical way of doing communication in service to the people. Further, development communication is also apprehended as “emancipation communication” (Melkote & Steeves, 2001), as it aims at liberating people from the shackles of servitude, poverty, gender inequality, violence, religious or political persecution, or any kind of unjust and oppressive situation.

Such is very consistent with the Church’s social teaching and moral norms. Rerum Novarum (On the New Things), for example, an encyclical written in 1891 by Pope Leo made a critique on social ills and then discussed and promoted “the Catholic doctrine on work, the right to property, the principle of collaboration instead of class struggle as the fundamental means for social change, the rights of the weak, the dignity of the poor and the obligations of the rich, the perfecting of justice through charity, on the right to form professional associations” (pa. 144). In 1961, Pope John XIII, writing on the topic “Christianity and Social Progress,” produced an encyclical entitled Mater et Magista (Mother and Teacher), which taught that the “Church is called in truth, justice and love to cooperate in building with all men and women an authentic communion. In this way economic growth will not be limited to satisfying men's needs, but it will also promote their dignity” (pa. 166). Then in 1967, Pope Paul gave the Church Populorum Progressio (Progressive Development). He underscored the importance of justice, peace and development by declaring the “development is the new name of peace.” And then, addressing all development workers, he said that “genuine progress does not consist in wealth sought for personal comfort or for its own sake; rather it consists in an economic order designed for the welfare of the human person, where the daily bread that each man receives reflects the glow of brotherly love and the helping hand of God” (pa. 86).

Drawing from the theological insights articulated above, it can be said that the Church as a community engaged in working for social transformation must be a community-in-communication with the world, a community communicating development to the world. Such involvement could be seen through the prism of the Church’s identity as “in statu missionis”---in a state of mission (John Paul II). Rightly so because the Church by its very nature missionary (Lumen Gentium), it is its deepest identity (Evangelii Nuntiandi), it embraces the entire life of the Church (Redemptoris Missio). The content of the Good News being communicated through mission is in many ways socially transformative and humanly liberating---concretized in the preaching of the message to the poor, setting the captives free, giving sight to the blind. Further, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (pa. 1915) Also, Gaudium et Spes (Joy and Hope), commonly referred to as the Magna Carta of the Catholic Church’s teaching on human dignity, implores that, “to satisfy the demands of justice and equity, strenuous efforts must be made, without disregarding the rights of persons or the natural qualities of each country, to remove as quickly as possible the immense economic inequalities, which now exist and in many cases are growing and which are connected with individual and social discrimination” (pa. 66). As a community, the Catholic Church is more than aware how communication process operates and impacts the lives of the people. The Social Communication of the Church is a concrete example of this effort. It is also aware of an obligation to spearhead development in the society through and with communication. The Church’s mission entails communication, and the Church’s ministry in communication oftentimes calls missionaries to be communicators of a message that promotes development and social transformation. It was in the light of this that Pope John Paul II, touching in part on Quebral’s (2007) thought on ‘development communication in a borderless world’, instructed the Christians communicators to “interpret modern cultural needs, committing themselves to approaching the communications age not as a time of alienation and confusion, but as a valuable time for the quest for the truth and for developing communion between persons and peoples” (John Paul II, Address to the Conference for those working in Communications and Culture, 9 November 2002).