This is an article from the old Catholic Encyclopedia about one of the most interesting, effective, and controversial missionaries to the Far East, the Jesuit Father Matteo Ricci. You can see that his methods were seen as too accommodating to Confucianism, and so were modified after his death: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13034a.htm

In a place like Los Angeles the questions of inculturation are important. The differences between peoples are not only linguistic but also cultural.

What troubles me is the impulse to be not only responsive to people's real needs, but positively theatrical in the context of the liturgy. All subtlety is lost as we zoom in for that Broadway feeling--which of course is like no feeling at all, compared to the sublimity of religion.

Dance in Zaire?
Drums in Japan?
Allowing Filipinos in the US to kneel for receipt of communion at the NO?

But I've seldom been in a community that inculturated well or wisely, IMO. In my experience, TPTB take some aspect of saecular culture of a group to whom they wish to be welcoming and shoehorn it into liturgy.

(Save the Liturgy, Save the World)

BTW - I'm taking a course on the subject with Monsignor Moroney this summer--I'm looking forward to learning more of what the Church actually teaches on inculturation, viewed in a proper light. Maybe I can share some notes here when I'm done :)

I recalled reading a number of pre-Vatican II Church Documents
having tangential fragments and went looking for them to post below.
We have to see things as a development,
the earlier getting layered over (like shellac not paint) by the later.
There is a trend from submission and service to the existing liturgy
toward careful transfer of corresponding liturgical features.

1947-nov-20 Mediator Dei
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xii_enc_20111947_mediator-dei_en.html

# 59
# 188 -- 195

1955-dec-25 Musicae Sacrae Disciplina
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xii_enc_25121955_musicae-sacrae_en.html

# 69 -- 72
# 75

1958-sep-3 De musica sacra et sacra liturgia
http://www.adoremus.org/1958Intro-sac-mus.html

# 112

1963-dec-04 Sacrosanctum Concilium
http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19631204_sacrosanctum-concilium_en.html

# 37 -- 40
# 65, 68
# 119

From the link Adam posted, (and the instruction also seems to overlap with what eft94530 posted above. thank you)

Except the quotes below, the instruction doesn't have specifics on countries with multiculturalism.

"29. The different situations in which the Church finds itself are an important factor in judging the degree of liturgical inculturation that is necessary. The situation of countries that were evangelized centuries ago and where the Christian faith continues to influence the culture is different from countries which were evangelized more recently or where the Gospel has not penetrated deeply into cultural values.[66] Different again is the situation of a Church where Christians are a minority of the population. A more complex situation is found when the population has different languages and cultures. A precise evaluation of the situation is necessary in order to achieve satisfactory solutions.


49. In a number of countries there are several cultures which coexist and sometimes influence each other in such a way as to lead gradually to the formation of a new culture, while at times they seek to affirm their proper identity or even oppose each other in order to stress their own existence. It can happen that customs may have little more than folkloric interest. The episcopal conference will examine each case individually with care: They should respect the riches of each culture and those who defend them, but they should not ignore or neglect a minority culture with which they are not familiar. They should weigh the risk of a Christian community becoming inward looking and also the use of inculturation for political ends. In those countries with a customary culture, account must also be taken of the extent to which modernization has affected the people."

The complex situation of multiculturalism poses a great challenge to proper inculturation in churhes in America. I hope Bishops are evaluating the situations and find the solutions as the instruction mentions above. Otherwise, the abuse may continue and become a bigger stumling block against the true reform. (Many have seen the abuses only, and it makes me wonder whether there be a solution.)

There is a big difference in the ecclesiological sensibilities of the Orthodox and Catholics, and it has a bearing on this discussion. The Orthodox Churches have all become embedded in cultures, because of the emphasis on the patriarchal leadership. Catholics have largely escaped becoming quite so settled. Our curial Romanism is always being unsettled by the strangeness of the mission lands. I think this is all to the good, but intense discernment is required in all matters, including the catechetical and liturgical.

I guess what I am trying to say as politely as possible is that the Orthodox and Catholic projects are different. You are not trying to do things on a scale or on an order of complexity even remotely equivalent to the mission of the Catholic Church. Because of this I find criticism from Orthodox quarters to be unhelpful.

I think Cyril and Methodius had a pretty good approach to inculturation. They started where the people were, and developed the tools and methods necessary to convert them. That's no easy task. Unfortunately, inculturation in our time often means making the church more like the secular society, instead of making the society more Christian. I believe some of the great Jesuit missionaries fully understood inculturation, at least in earlier times. They also knew how to successfully and effectively apply it. In other words, they had a clear goal and developed the methods to accomplish it. The fuzzy-minded, touchy-feely type of inculturation is more a flawed product of our own culture. It doesn't seem to have clear objectives, either.

I really don't think most threads in this forum can support ecumenical discussions. I suppose there could be an ecumenism category, and of course people who work in Catholic parishes should bring that experience to bear in our discussions.

EFT, thanks for the references, a gold mine!

Great question, Gavin. (I was thinking we haven't heard from you in a while.)
Is there a bit of an answer within my question: isn't indoctrination supposed to be part of the equation?
E pluribus unum....?

I'm with Kathy.

Rites and forms are fine. Orthodox schooling Catholics is not. Jam was asking conservative Catholics to tell her how to teach her Catholic roommates the right way to think about inculturation.

So I'm not allowed to talk to my roommates about anything Catholic since I'm not Catholic? you'd think the truth would be the truth no matter who spoke it.

It doesn't matter, though. Mia asked a question. It's better for us to answer it here rather than bicker at each other about who is and is not allowed to talk about inculturation to whom.

I had no problem with informing my Methodist husband of the tenets of Methodism and explaining them to him.
Of course, that culminated in his decision to seek full communion with the Church, so I see your point...

Incidentally, for an example of a kind of "reverse inculturation," (secular society usurping beloved religious customs, to ease the Faithful's acceptance of the dogmas of the Church of Sleeping in on Sundays,) there's this.

(Save the Liturgy, Save the World)

Oh, Catholics can teach Methodists. The Methodists are in schism.

Bulgogi is my kind of inculturation. Oh, and kimbap!

I know where I'm not welcome.

sorry for wasting your time.

I always thought that inculturation was the changing of a culture to conform to Christ, not the changing of liturgy to conform to a particular popular culture.

Chrism, I agree with you. I don't think display of some multiculturalism in Mass had any positive prospective either.
My schola member said "inculturation' is done on a personal level. I think that's what I'll focus. (maybe over bulgogi. I can't take soju. IanW, it's a very strong stuff. I didn't know many people in this forum know about Korean stuff. Happy to find out.)

I don't like striking any discordant note in discussion, especially here, and am sorry to have spoiled the usual beautifully cordial tenor of discussion. Its courtesy is one of the reasons I frequent this board. However, something very serious is at stake here.

As all of us are aware, Catholics have suffered recent, post-Vatican II schisms whose leaders would agree with the statement "By their liturgy shall ye know them." (I would imagine that on this board I have been the grateful beneficiary of solid help from people who belong to these groups, as well as others, and I am very thankful.)

In reponse to the thread's initial question, one of the things inculturation is not is an easy ecumenism. This has been tried and failed. In all areas of theology, 20th century Catholics subjected themselves to non-Catholic peer review. We lose by this. We lose our deepest wells of knowledge, those which cannot be explained. These spring from the lived experiences of Catholic spirituality--one of which is the incredibly difficult discipline of ecclesial unity.

It's my fault. When I started the thread, I wasn't thinking of ecumenism. I was concerned about "multiculturalism" in America, different ethnic gruops, especially after reading about the installation Mass in the other thread. I didn't and don't think inculturation apply to "Byzantine.' Byzantines ARE Catholics, aren't they? In my understanding there are some differences, but the Church accepted them. We don't need to try to change them nor they try to change us. I think the Church already handled properly, and I don't have any problem with that.

I brought up Korean dinner as some sort of place for multicultural experience. I think there must have been some misunderstanding. (when I read my last post, I see why. I apologize for the cause.) I invited Jam as my Catholic friend, and because she mentioned that she would like to come to Mass at the Colloquium at least sometime if I remember correctly. I have a schola member who goes to Byzantine church. He talks about how beautifully they sing there, and while he also likes to sing chant with us. He attend Byzantine church on Sundays, but he comes to daily Mass to our parish. I can understand him very well why he prefers Byzantine Liturgy on Sundays. I don't think we need to stress differences and seperate Byzantine and Roman Catholics. We can do so many goods things together as Catholics. (as I mentioned earlier, my interest is in how you bring multiculturalsm of America as genuine inculturation in our church. I was hoping the thread will bring some good insights and examples. I'm very interested in this, because I'm in one of those different ethnic gruops. It's disappointing that there haven't been any good examples from this forum or anywhere yet.)

Have a blessed Sunday and Memorial day everyone!

What I don't understand is that when there are Spanish songs or other languages in Mass, people seem to tolerate well even if they don't understand them, while they complain about not understanding when there is Latin chant or prayers.
Last Sunday I went to Cathedral for confirmation (and it was also Pentecost). It was very strange that Gloria was sung by cantor only, and even though it was in English. I'm not sure whether is was planned that way or it just happened. It was 'clear and loud solo'. (maybe because she didn't raise hand or there wasn't any repeated part that people are used to?) Well, I was thinking if the Cathedral doesn't mind 'solo Gloria', I guess I don't need to worry about too much Latin Gloria. There are more people in parishes who will sing it.

I remember what IanW said in another thread, very true especially in our Liturgy.
"The task is further complicated by the cosmopolitan influences on contemporary cultures – or simplified, perhaps, because that makes the unifying effect of the 'Church’s own culture all the more valuable."

And thank you for the post Dr. Shadle. I agree with you. It's the 'association', especially the mindset that comes with 'pop-sacro music.' I have a frined who is very nice and play for contemporary band, says "I worship God with the music I like." (meaning I do the way I like to do in worshipping God. It's inevitable not to notice this big "I.") I don't believe this is the mindset we would like to cultivate in our Mass. I don't really see here the 'humility,' which Christ taught us and still showing at Mass. I'm still good friend to him and other people in the band. And I don't go around talk to them about it. But I keep singing chant in the same parish and hopefully we will have a right time to discuss about sacred music for Mass.

G: Dance in Zaire? Drums in Japan?

Perhaps, if you are a native of Zaire,
and you have a special dance reserved for use at the arrival of the village chief,
and you re-purpose it, thereafter using it only for the arrival of the King of Kings (e.g., Palm Sunday),
in a Catholic liturgy in Zaire?

Perhaps, if you are a native of Japan,
and you have a special drum that gets used only for a particular religious ceremony,
and you re-purpose it, thereafter using it only for a correspondingly understood and more proper reason,
in a Catholic liturgy in Japan?

Chrism, we would have to convert the culture sufficiently
so that they unconditionally commit to that particular salute being reserved solely for that use forevermore.
No more usage for any purpose identified at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21-gun_salute

It cannot be secular-and-Catholic use,
just as it cannot be pagan-and-Catholic use.

The theory of inculturation is all very interesting, and there's all sorts of things to be said on "what about in Africa" or "what about with the Natives of such and such"
But, really- aren't most of us working in "normal" parishes in the modern world.

I'm sure there's something to be said about true, good, useful inculturation in our average situation- so any suggestions would be welcome.
The only things I can say for certain is what valid inculturation isn't:
-importing faux-ethnic styles in order to champion invented diversity
-assuming that some group of people you are not a part of (Hispanics, Youth, African-Americans) want some particular style of music and then foisting it on them without asking them
-translating Silent Night or the Song of the Body of Christ into a dozen languages and having a token member of each language group (usually an old lady) warble an unintelligible solo of said translation during a part of the Mass when no one is listening to the music anyway
-a single painting of Black Jesus hung in the hallway near the men's room
-adding Conga Drums to every song
-making up new prayers for Mass
-this