GEORGE FOX EVANGELICAL SEMINARY

VISUAL ETHNOGRAPHY AND LEARNING SYNTHESIS:

FINDING THE VOICE

DMIN 717: ENGAGING LEADERSHIP CONCEPTS

A PAPER SUBMITTED TO

DR. JASON CLARK

MARY PANDIANI

DECEMBER 8, 2014

INTRODUCTION

The Advance exemplifies the essence of ethnography, the study of a culture by

operating within it with “ideas of learning as embodied, emplaced, sensorial and

emphatic, rather than occurring simply through a mix of participation and observation.”1

The advantage of studying from the perspective of the subject, i.e. Cape Town, opens up

a sensory experience that impacts the researcher holistically, rather than as a mental

experiment. While the disadvantage may be the required time to find the nuggets of

wisdom that transcend one culture to another, the effort is worth the time. As my friend,

Jon Spellman, says, “A compelling narrative on the other hand…  Now THAT will

change a person’s view!”2 Ethnography is the story of change that comes by way of

immersion and reflection.

Simultaneously while the Advance serves her students by exploring the city of

Cape Town, it also establishes a foundation of learning through mutuality and humility in

the unveiling of the DMLGP culture from George Fox. My perspective of how learning

is done at George Fox influences what I contribute to my own cohort and to a wider

circle of influence. Closing the Advance together, these words: Numquam Supra,

Numuvam Infra, Semper Iuxta (never above, never below, always beside) continue to

resonate even now as I write these reflections. In this sanctuary of learning, I explore my

experiences, interests, new knowledge, practice, application, synthesis, and methodology

with authentic anticipation of the changes that continue to occur. I’m learning.

DAILY EXAMEN – Personal Interests

1 Sarah Pink, Doing Sensory Ethnography (London: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2009), 63.2 Jon Spellman, “Story,” DMINLGP (blog), George Fox Seminary, September 18, 2014, accessed December 3, 2014, http://dminlgp.com/story/.

Day One (9/23): Arrival from Zambia; sick from the Yellow Fever shot – could barely get out of bed. A humbling state as I was so sure I would be ready to participate, only to discover my dependence on others. My first introduction: “Hi, I’m Mary. I’m sick. Does anyone have an aspirin?”

Day Two (9/24): Ready to learn, but still weak – meet leadership and cohort in person. Everyone is gracious. Find my cohort welcoming and supportive; Braai (traditional South African barbeque) dinner with cohort at Commodore Hotel

Day Three (9/25): Walk around the waterfront; meet with advisor, Stephen Garner; hear Chris Ahrends speak about leadership (powerful statement on the necessity of silence – great way to start the advance); all cohort welcome dinner

Day Four (9/26): District Six, Robben Island – meet Mandy Sanger, Noor Abraham, Mary Burton, in state of surreal reality that I’m walking in places of pain yet filled with forgiveness that opens up opportunity for reconciliation; dinner at waterfront with cohort; I’m the mom of the cohort, and I’m okay with that.

Day Five (9/27): Advisors presentations – unity in diversity – each topic so different yet provides a fuller picture of the Kingdom of God; dinner with LGP3 and LGP4 students

Day Six (9/28): Church at JL Zwane Presbyterian Church with Pastor; Tour Cape Town with Taliilee Fiqruu from Ethiopia, hosted by Rene August (named “August” because her great-grandfather was dropped off from Malaysia as a slave in the month of August) to see Cape Point, the penguins, and vineyards along coastline – grateful for the opportunity to be with someone who could help me see the city through her eyes – a black woman who grew up in Cape Town, now building bridges with all races; dinner overlooking the bay of Camps Bay with Rene.

Day Seven (9/29): Pecha Kucha presentations by LGP3 and LGP4; Khayelitsha experience with meeting Pastors Xola Skosana and Leon Oosthuizen; wine tasting provided by Deon Kitching, Mission Vision Tours; entire day gave me a true sense of the “extreme middle” – from poverty to wealth, beauty in heterogeneous to homogeneous relationships, missions to partnerships

Day Eight (9/30): Pecha Kucha presentations by LGP3 and LGP4: return to Khayelitsha with meeting Pastor Monwabisi Magoqi, Golden the Flowerman, and Learn to Earn organization; Dr. Alan Storey’s presentation; walk through town with cohort to dinner at HQ; experienced the lived out places of hope, especially in the town where Golden resides, able to walk through town without pity, exploring relationship

Day Nine (10/1): Walking tour Cape Town, take pictures, walk the beach and waterfront; Table Mountain visit; Cape Town reveals the glory of God’s creation at the same time of the evil of injustices and structures of violence

Day Ten (10/2): Take one final walk around the waterfront of Cape Town; head to airport; enjoy time with Chuck and Diane Conniry; looking forward to going home but also apprehensive of whether I can fulfill the requirements of the program

DISEQUILIBRIUM – New Knowledge

Walter Brueggemann speaks of the Psalms as a way of “living life in a more

excellent way”3 by experiencing orientation, disorientation, and then a new orientation.

The disequilibrium that occurs with disorientation creates fertile ground to learn

something new. By going to Cape Town, I immersed myself into significant

disorientation by experiencing an entirely different culture than my own as well as an

intimidating environment of the doctorate program. While all of this led to a state of

disequilibrium, I welcomed the opportunity to look at ideas, concepts, ways of living in

fresh ways.

In particular, I discovered how much I long for critical thinking skills. While I

recognize an environment emotionally and intuitively, I struggle with putting language

and logical thinking to the experience. Jason Clark’s use of Critical Thinking Concepts

and Tools4 and teaching on Critical Analysis have benefitted my ongoing learning of

what it means to discern the purpose, research, and evaluation of what I’m reading and

learning. The tools from Richard Paul and Linda Elder’s book overlapped in reading my

other required texts, in particular Anthony Elliot’s Contemporary Social Theory. I found

places of agreement and disagreement in approaches to social theory, most significantly

in the value of duality versus the trap of dualism.5 In the past, I had no words to

3 Walter Brueggemann. The Message of the Psalms: A Theological Commentary (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1985), 23.4 Richard Paul and Linda Elder, Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools (Thinker's Guide Library), 7 ed. (Tomales, CA: Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2014).5 Anthony Elliott, Contemporary Social Theory: an Introduction (Milton Park, Abingdon: Routledge, 2009), 129.

articulate my understanding within a framework of elements of thought. My enthusiasm

for critical thinking continued as I recommended the text to numerous people, including a

75 year old friend who called to say, “That’s it?” I laughed with her when we realized

the value of language to explain a difficult concept in simple words.

Perhaps not as academic, but certainly transformative, the other place of learning

came in the midst of my cohort experience. In past educational environments, I

attempted to make a name known for myself, and if that was not possible, I would retreat.

An either/or choice. But this time, I intentionally remained present both in our time at the

Advance, blog posts, and chat exchanges over the semester. If I had something to offer, I

spoke up. If I had a question, I asked it. But the motivation did not arise out of proving

my own sense of value; I was genuinely curious or confused and desired to engage. As a

result, I was able to learn from my cohort in ways I’ve not been able to do so in the past.

Finally, the greatest value of the Advance in Cape Town was Deon Kitching’s

theological approach to having us view the city. With previous experiences looking

through a theological lens of God’s love for the city, I was curious to see George Fox’s

perspective. Through Mission Vision Tours facilitation, I experienced reconciliation,

forgiveness in the midst of hopelessness, joy in the impoverished settlement of

Khayelitsha, and beauty both in God’s physical creation and image-bearing creation. In

addition, true to our motto: Numquam Supra, Numuvam Infra, Semper Iuxta (never

above, never below, always beside), I shared the encounter with advisors who saw

themselves as colleagues which further deepened the learning experience. That exposure

changed me, and continues to weave transformative movement through ongoing

conversations and experiences, as I hold sacred the memories, story-telling, and power of

the impact.

PRAXIS – The Practical Application

Years ago I was accused of being a heretic because I used the word, “praxis.”

Apparently, for the accuser, I was leaning too close to liberation theology, even Marxist

tendencies. I laugh now because I’m reminded of how quickly we move to judgment

without understanding the true implications of an idea. As a follower of Christ, my

desired intent with praxis is to keep practicing what I have learned as a way to embed it

into my life. I know now I’m not a heretic (at least in this area of doctrine), but even if I

am a heretic in other areas, God would still ask me to keep practicing my faith. Over the

course of this semester, there are a number of embedded practices that actually have

become life-giving.

First, I discovered the value of discipline when it comes to reading, writing, and

articulating the purpose of a particular piece. Before the Advance, we were to read four

books, all of which informed our time in Cape Town, that provided a foundation to begin

conversations. (By the way, I’ve recommended How to Talk About Books You Haven’t

Read to numerous theological thinking friends who love to belly laugh). From that point

forward, I now have read seven more books specific to this class. While initially

overwhelmed, I realized that the requirement forced me to engage in weekly topics that

stretched and challenged me. As well, by having to voice what I thought on the books,

the art of articulation actually helped me to understand what I thought.

The corollary of learning in this class extends to other environments of my

vocation. As I teach in the college setting as well as spiritual formation classes through

my own ministry, I find the ideas, challenges of thought, and informed questions impact

how I operate in teaching. Sharing the value of theology while sipping coffee with a

friend stirs up conversation that informs her own situation. By determining the difference

between a transactional and transformational leader with a colleague, this rationale

becomes a source of further debate in his role as Executive Director of a large non-profit.

Suggesting to a 75-year-old woman the book on Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools, I

recognize that my learning is a gift in her pursuit of learning.

LIVING INTO IT – Application

While working on my doctorate, I am studying Church History for an equivalency

course. In the breadth overview, the professor offers up a phrase continually, “just take

in the history as a stream of consciousness” (John Towes)6. In other words, allow

important concepts and facts that surface to remain, and let go of the rest. As in Church

History, the immersion into the doctorate program is similar. I allow what surfaces to

remain, while offering grace to let go of what does not. Perhaps it will return later.

The application of all the research, books, chats, and blogs merge into a strand of

understanding for how I view the world. Words that used to swirl around my head now

have expression whether on paper or in dialogue. While I would hope my paradigm of

engaging the way God works retains a buoyancy of dynamism, I’m finding the greatest

applicable piece causes me to make a definite statement of what I believe. It’s my chance

to be heard, reveal that which I’ve been reluctant before to show. Being able to explain to

people what I believe without a fear of chastisement empowers me in new ways.

6 John Towes, “History of Christianity” (MP3 of lecture, Regent College, Vancouver BC, Canada, November 6, 2014), accessed November 6, 2014, https://moodle.regent-college.edu/course/view.php?id=12.

Interestingly enough, by making the definite statement, I now can detach enough

to reflect on whether I agree with all of what I have said. In other words, by declaring

my theology, stance on leadership, how spiritual formation occurs, there is freedom in

making further distinctions, possible edits. Like Michelangelo’s chisel on the David, the

reflection places now provide greater details to notice what is most significant. The

David was always inside the piece of marble; it just needed a tool by which to emerge.

Through applying all the various components of the Engaging Leadership Concepts, I

have emerged.

ADVANTAGE OF RESEARCH – Synthesis

Who knew that research could be so much fun? Through various readings,

particularly when I didn’t understand something, I found new pathways to develop a way

forward. Taking time to explore various authors quoted in texts and other journals that

informed the writer opened up a world of possibility to pursue the topic further. Initially

when we started with Sarah Pink’s books on Ethnography, my mind did not comprehend

its distinction from anthropology or sociology. However, as I sat with the material and

looked at other sources, I found the meaning deepen in me that confirmed what I already

knew to be true – Ethnography values understanding a culture from within that culture.

As well with in both McGrath’s Christian Theology and Nohria and Khurana’s

Handbook of Leadership Theory and Practice, my knowledge increased not only because

of what they wrote or compiled, but because of how the text sent me to other places to

better understand differing perspectives. For the blog on both of those books, I found it

fascinating how we all choose different subjects to address. The enjoyment of research

comes when it connects to the passion from which we generate our thoughts and actions.

Who knew that research could be so much fun?

FINDING THE VOICE – Methodology through Prezi

To best articulate my experience in Cape Town, I let pictures speak the words. Since someone, especially one who did not personally experience Cape Town, may not fully understand the full meaning, I have offered an explanation of what is presented through Prezi.

Entering the StoryTransformative Engagement

Living the Extreme Middle: Holding the Tension Theological Lens: Where Hope and Despair meetEngaging the Senses: To See and Listen Dialogue of Understanding: Building Relationships

Living the Extreme: Holding the Tension. The Extreme Middle, or the Greek

philosophical term “Golden Mean,” provides a way of living through the action of

holding two extremes in a creative tension, not in pursuit of the exact middle point. It’s a

balancing place, dynamic in nature, preferably focusing on the act of “centering” rather

than finding the right answer. It’s different than the “Middle Path” as described by

Confucius, for the goal of that path is emptiness through transcendence. The Extreme

Middle provides an alternative to emptiness. The way to live becomes a centering in the

midst of the extremes on the immanence and transcendence of a Holy God, namely

calling on Jesus Christ’s name through the power of the Holy Spirit. Cape Town

epitomizes the Extreme Middle when having to address the reality of poverty and wealth,

black and white, beauty and abomination, and hope and despair. But that’s not where it

started. By traveling from beautiful and safe Gig Harbor, Washington to travel to a

country known for its crime and bondage, even after Apartheid, I was flying into the

Extreme Middle. My only recourse was to center on Jesus Christ.

Theological Lens: Where Hope and Despair Meet. To live in the “way of Jesus”

requires a theological lens by which to view situations, namely in this case, the city of

Cape Town. Transformation does not occur in the eradication of ugliness or pain, but

rather in the meeting of its counterpart. In God’s mystical way, what emerges is the

ability to see something differently. While I traveled and walked around the city to see

its physical characteristics, the incarnational power of understanding he city resulted in

seeing with God’s eyes the implications of what had taken place, continues to this day,

and will probably impact the future. Mandy Sanger, our host on the tour of District Six,

shared her words of despair from being forcibly removed from her home over thirty years

prior. When I asked her about whether she had hope for the future, she immediately

replied, “no.” Yet later when she shared her stories of forgiveness, she articulated what it

means to step into that extreme middle to trust with a theological lens the God who can

make all things possible.

Engaging the Senses: To Listen and See. It is in the power of the story that lives

are changed. From Noor Abrahams, curator of the District Six museum to Mary Burton,

commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, I heard about life during

Apartheid. While I cannot relate to the pain of those experiences, I can allow the stories

to penetrate my understanding of others, myself, and God. Simply by listening and

seeing the story through their words, my life was changed. The immersion into the

stories created a sacred space by which I could see God at work. As I stood on the floor

of a former church, known for its activism during Apartheid, a map of the former District

Six neighborhoods caught my attention. People have returned to name and locate their

childhood home, marking it under the plastic cloth that protects it. Remembering the

stories is part of the healing, something that impacts not only those who lived in it, but

for those who simply partake in the memorial.

Dialogue of Understanding: Building Relationships. While stories can open up

portals for transformation, it is in the relationships between those who are different that

change is meted out. In observing Pastors Zola Skosana and Leon Oosthuizen in

dialogue, the commitment to one another determined whether they would continue in

relationship. Nothing about their exchanges appeared to be easy initially. Trust needed

to build, mutual respect and integrity were not a given, but earned. All the states of

enduring friendship take time. Through their earnest movement towards one another,

they demonstrated the kind of hope that is possible for Cape Town. In fact, their

relationship became the platform by which I want to build my dissertation: what are the

contemplative practices that cultivate cross-cultural partnerships.

ENTERING THE STORY – Conclusion

The Advance served as a great entry point by which to begin this journey of the

doctorate program. Through the disequilibrium of Cape Town’s cultural experience to

the cohesiveness of the DMLGP5 cohort along with the support of advisors and lead

instructors, my measure for a place of ongoing transformation is the stance by which I

want to know God more. Here I join in with St. Anselm:

Teach me to seek You,and reveal Yourself to me as I seek;for unless You instruct meI cannot seek You,and unless You reveal YourselfI cannot find You.Let me seek You in desiring You;let me desire You in seeking You.Let me find You in loving You;

let me love You in finding You.7

I’ve started a practice when I begin writing anything for the doctorate program. I light a

candle. It’s a reminder that what I do with my academic work is an act of seeking,

desiring, loving, and finding God. The importance of what I write is not for what grade I

receive or how I impress (or don’t impress my reader). It’s for the glory of God. In that

sacramental reminder, I offer these words of my experience in Cape Town.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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7 William A. Barry, Changed Heart, Changed World: the Transforming Freedom of Friendship with God (Chicago, IL: Loyola Press, 2011), iii.

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________. Doing Sensory Ethnography. London ; Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2009.

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Spellman, Jon. “Story.” DMINLGP (blog). George Fox Seminary, September 18, 2014. Accessed December 3, 2014. http://dminlgp.com/story/.

Towes, John. “History of Christianity” (MP3). Lecture, Regent College, Vancouver BC, Canada, November 6, 2014. Accessed November 6, 2014. https://moodle.regent- college.edu/course/view.php?id=12.