Trained incapacity: A critical examination of Basel missionary preparation and early engagement in Ghana (1828--1840).

摘要

This project examines the ways in which the background and ministry preparation of Christian missionaries affect their cross-cultural enterprise. It advances the argument that essentially homogeneous communities of practice--in terms of their theological assumptions and social ideals--have a strong propensity for developing processes which establish inflexible mental frameworks that are potentially detrimental to intercultural engagement; thus illustrating trained incapacity.;Specifically, this study investigates the preparation processes of missionaries of the Evangelical Missionary Society of Basel (Basel Mission) and their work in Danish Guinea (from 1850 Gold Coast, now Ghana) in the early years (1828-1840). The educational concept of communities of practice is used to demonstrate the community learning processes, the common vision of cross-cultural mission, and the shared practice of participants of the Basel Missionary Training Institute (BMTI). The findings suggest that in spite of the international and interdenominational character of this organization, it constituted an essentially homogeneous group with shared religious convictions and socio-ethical emphases.;Furthermore, the sociological notion of trained incapacity (which posits that education and experience can foster a mindset that impedes adaptability) provides the framework to advance the thesis that the BMTI community of practice had the propensity to establish trained incapacity for intercultural engagement in its missionaries. This incapacity to make changes appropriate to different contexts because of the assumptions and practices instilled by preparation processes is shown to be a major factor in the early failure of the mission. It was evident in a lack of flexibility to adjust attitudes and behavior to the vastly different circumstances in Africa which in turn impeded the realization of self-declared organizational objectives and hindered the emergence of an African appropriation of Christianity. While many aspects of the Basel Mission work in Ghana resemble other European missionary efforts of the period, their particular attributes and expressions are shown to reflect the specific emphases of the BMTI praxis.