Abstract
This article researches two focal points, namely liturgical formation and the influence that social cognition has on liturgical formation. Within a South African context it is evident that Western liturgical traditions encounter African traditions and vice versa. This encounter is challenging because it creates new questions. The process of enculturation is prominent in recent research. The article refers to the process of social cognition as the manner in which people observe each other and try to make sense of other cultures and the people of those cultures. People’s cognition can be wrong, leading to distortions. The main research question for this investigation emanates from this possibility, namely: How does social cognition influence the process of liturgical formation? The authors first of all offer a descriptive– empirical vantage point to investigate this matter. Two local congregations were visited. The authors reflect on their own cognition, but also examine the cognition of the leaders through interviews. Based on the findings of this endeavour, normative perspectives are formulated from Acts 17:16–35 to highlight the role of cognition in liturgical formation. Throughout, the article includes consideration of the hermeneutic interaction between the various elements of this research and provides hermeneutic guidelines.
Highlights
Liturgy is ever-changing and has the potential to change people and cultures. Moeller (1998:16) aptly comments that ‘[w]orship is our reality as Christians, the whole out of which and in which we come to know who we are’
The authors are providing an analysis of the participants understanding on how social cognition is important within the process of continuous liturgical formation (Table 1; Figure 1)
Dialogue with cultures and their styles of worship is indispensable to distinguish the essence of continuous liturgical formation through cognition
Summary
Liturgy is ever-changing and has the potential to change people and cultures. Moeller (1998:16) aptly comments that ‘[w]orship is our reality as Christians, the whole out of which and in which we come to know who we are’. Fiske (2004:123) offers a different angle on this topic by indicating that social cognition constitutes the process through which people think about and make sense of other people, themselves and their social situation This view focuses especially on how people form impressions of one another’s personalities, emotions, roles, cultures and identities (Fiske 2004:122). The authors decided to formulate certain questions regarding the importance of the continuous formation of liturgy, the view of different cultures towards liturgy and the role of people who want to make sense of other people because of what they see and experience (social cognition) beforehand. The authors are providing an analysis of the participants understanding on how social cognition is important within the process of continuous liturgical formation (Table 1; Figure 1). ○ In order to address the issue of (continuous) liturgical formation it is essential that people from different cultures are exposed to one another. Participants in the liturgy should feel free to express themselves in a way with which they feel comfortable
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