Connecting Culture and Ministry - Deductive & Inductive Reasoning

Inductive AND Deductive Reasoning [i]

A further contrast that can create cultural dissonance is the way people process information. Cultures that think deductively are most often influenced by the scientific method.

In the Western world, modernity and most of its scientific advancement have been powered by deductive reasoning.  It is the way those educated in western schools and universities think. It also becomes the basis upon which most decisions are made. It should, then, come as no surprise that church members think in the same way. It could also be said that the children of immigrants who have gone to school in the West, will also tend to think predominately in this fashion.

One begins with what one has learned, and then thinks about how that knowledge might be extended. A theory is formulated. Then a specific hypothesis is devised to test that theory. The hypothesis is tested, and the data that result are examined to determine whether there is a confirmation of the original theory.

Inductive reasoning works in the opposite manner. One begins by making an observation. Observations are catalogued, and when one sees regular occurrences over time, one moves from those specific observations by discovering broader patterns. On this basis, a tentative hypothesis is formulated that one can explore. In consideration of the previous data gathering process, the investigator finally arrives at a general conclusion or a theory.

One can see how these two ways of thinking and forming conclusions might lead to misunderstanding. Inductive reasoning, by its very nature, is more open-ended and exploratory, especially in the beginning. Stories tend to be inductive in nature. In cultures that are inductive, narrative will most often trump logic, and need will often trump rules.

Deductive reasoning, on the other hand, is narrower in scope and is concerned with testing and confirming hypotheses. Cultures that think deductively will more often refer to bylaws and agreements. When an immigrant culture that is predominantly inductive and an American congregation are occupying the same building, this factor alone can get in the way of understanding.

Just to know how a particular culture comes to conclusions will go a long way to help one better to understand the world of many immigrants. Such knowledge can be very helpful when two cultures minister side-by-side.

Understanding can become the basis for loving and long-lasting cross-cultural relationships. For example, at Cambridge First Church of the Nazarene, four congregations and a large Chinese ministry worshipped together during my 8-year tenure in harmony and cooperation. Each of the leaders, to their credit, were nothing but cooperative.  We met regularly and did three things: a) we worked through any concerns each church might have, b) we updated the schedule as to the allocation of space and time in the building, and c) we planned events where we would come together for combined services and activities. Everything we decided was by consensus.

How do the people to whom you minister process information?

How do the people you want to minister to process their information?

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[i] Adapted from my book “Reconnecting the Church: Finding Our Place in Complex Culture.”