Toward missional living in diasporic habitus : Implications of cultural reconfiguration in international Christian workers

Abstract

This article examines the cultural reconfiguration experienced by international Christian workers (ICWs) who live and work in intense and complex intercultural contexts. Based on qualitative field research involving interviews with 49 ICWs and participant observation in a North African country, this study identifies three primary domains of change in ICWs: self-understanding, social practice, and belonging. Participants reported changes in their values, development of reflexivity, and emergence of a transcultural identity. Their adjusted social behaviors included adaptation to diverse cultural norms, languages, and communication styles, which often led to greater relational flexibility and hybrid cultural practices. Many described feeling at home in multiple cultural contexts or, conversely, experiencing cultural homelessness.

To interpret these dynamics, the author utilizes the concept of diasporic habitus as a framework to understand how sustained intercultural engagement reshapes individual dispositions and social relations. These culturally reconfigured dispositions would help ICWs be well-equipped to serve as transcultural mediators—“inbetweeners” who bridge cultural divides. Revisiting and affirming the late Paul G. Hiebert’s vision for transcultural mediation, the article concludes that intentional missional living in and of diasporic habitus is not only integral to the vocation of ICWs but also increasingly necessary for all communities of Jesus followers that participate in missio Dei and serve as mediators in a culturally polarizing world.