International Journal of Indonesian Philosophy & Theology
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Jesus - His Transforming Effect
Full text linkTransformation of an individual and the society at large is the sole objective of Jesus’ message to his disciples, and in turn, his disciples too preached on the same theme to the believers of Jesus. The first part of the presentation highlights interpreting and understanding Jesus basing on the gospels. The gospels help us to understand Jesus in our own situation and give meaning to our life. As a result, transforming oneself is the most important and meaningful message we learn from the gospels for our life. The second part of the presentation shows how he plays a transformative role in his disciples\u27 lives, and it also gives us an invitation to transform ourselves in our present life. But when we analyze the reality, the believers/disciples are not transformed, rather they remain the same, and their life does not correspond to the teachings of Jesus. They are more preoccupied with observing the rituals and rubrics than following the teachings of Christ in their lives. The third part of the presentation suggests three corrective measures to be taken by every disciple of Jesus, enabling us to transform ourselves and thus live a meaningful life
Corruption, Ritualism and Prophetic Role of the Catholic Church
Full text linkThis interdisciplinary study attempts to relate corruption with the Catholic Church\u27s role as the moral and social critics that compel believers to participate in confronting corruption and bribery. The interdisciplinarity is also the method applied in the study. It includes an exposition of the economic data of the GDP, its theological interpretation based on the story of Naboth and the king in the Old Testament, and strategic action field theory. The article begins with widespread corruption in ASEAN, then continues with a theological foundation for believers’ role as guardians of moral and social values. The Church, however, faces ritualism and religious formalism that cause faith values do not influence to eradicate corruption. Finally, by implementing the social study of Strategic Action Field (SAFs) theory, the paper proposes an anti-corruption movement as a strategic action for the Catholic Church to tackle corruption. The study found that the social study of Strategic Action Field (SAFs) theory allows the Church to develop the anti-corruption movement as the strategic action to create pastoral works to tackle corruptio
Mystical Kinship of Creation: A Foundation of Ecospirituality for Interreligious Ecological Movements
Full text linkThis article explores the intersection between Bhumi Devi in Hindu Mythology and the Canticle of Creation of Saint Francis of Assisi. This intersection discovers the concept of the mystical kinship of creation as a foundation of ecospirituality. The exploration which is rooted in two different traditions, Hinduism and Christianity, enlightens interreligious ecological movements that they need not only action but also a spiritual foundation.
Mission and Engagement of The Vincentians to Priestly Formation in Indonesia: A Historical-Theological Revisit
Full text linkThis paper explores historical engagement in priestly formation in Indonesia by the Vincentians, the Catholic Religious Congregation, who has been sent to a mission in Indonesia (from the Netherlands) and erected the Diocese of Surabaya since 1923. The paper outlines the Vincentian missionaries’ theological understanding of mission and the importance of establishing minor and major seminary to train the indigenous candidates for the priesthood to take care of their local churches. This study\u27s methodology applies a historical approach to see the strategies of the Vincentians to develop the formation of priestly candidates related to the challenges of the times. From this study, we found that the history of the Catholic mission has a meaningful peak in planting the Church as often produced in the mission and the formation of its local priests. The education of candidates for the priesthood is not just a form of apostolic work but is essentially a necessary part of the Catholic Church\u27s mission. The Vincentians have carved a hard work of mission apostolates in the establishment of the Diocese of Surabaya with its charismatic works and the education of its laymen until today and especially in the continual engagement in the priestly formation in Indonesia with its changing challenges. The excellent form of the Catholic priests is essential to the mission, as the candidates will be the future leaders of the local Church and the preachers of the Gospel wherever they are sent
From Theocentric to Theopraxis: Renegotiating Theology in the Context of the Plurality of Traditions in Asia
Full text linkThe Church in Asia received first the gift of the Christian faith through missionary activity, starting with the Apostles and then later through the colonial expansion. For a long time, the good news has been spread through various means – conversion, persuasion and sometimes compulsion, primarily when most of Asia was colonized by the ‘Christian West’. The post-colonial era (in Asia) has seen a revival in the Christian faith and many other Asian traditions and religions. Does this now call for a reimagining of what it means to be a ‘Church in Asia’? The Church in Asia has to “redefine” her mission in the light of the changing socio-economic-political landscape, and for this to happen, there is a need also to look at the merging theology that brings ‘uniqueness’ to the Church in Asia. Here I propose to look at emerging theology as put forward by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) and discover the changing landscape of doing theology from theocentric towards the direction of being theopraxis
Theological Review for Tambak Development of Batak Toba Community
Full text linkBuilding and moving ponds or ancestral graves in the Toba Batak community, who have become Christians, is still practised today. The practice of building ponds is, of course, contrary to God\u27s word, for that it needs to be responded to theologically and is the goal of this research. The method used is a descriptive qualitative method by reviewing the literature related to the research topic and reporting the findings in a description. The study results are as follows: First, building a pond with the motivation of asking for blessings from the ancestors is an act of sin. The gift of both physical and spiritual life comes from God and not the spirits of the ancestors. Second, moving and caring for ponds is wrong to prevent sickness and family quarrels because Christ bore all curses and diseases on the cross. Third, building a pond as a tribute to parents is wrong. The fifth commandment in Exodus 20:12 concerns respect for parents. It cannot be opposed to supporting the practice of building ponds. The substance of this verse is not only related to relations between humans but concerns God\u27s blessing for His people to glorify God, the Creator, not ancestral spirits
Sharing On Suffering Experiences As The Secularity Of Incarnation
Full text linkThe changing context of the Christian life brings Christian life at a crossroads, the first whether to remain in a comfort zone or the second whether to enter into the realm of profane daily life. The urge to get out of selfness and deal with the public world makes the Church deal with questions about its own identity. In this article, I want to explore the question of incarnation in Johan Baptist Metz\u27s secularity. However, the concept of incarnation is applied solely to Jesus Christ as the Divine Word became flesh. Ricoeurian hermeneutics could help explain the term secularity on incarnation to immediate. And corporeal suffering of the others. The turn to Ricoeur as a methodological resource for theology provides a philosophical account of the methodology behind critical theology. The article concludes that the human being in their relationship its suffering experience is an experience of encounter
Asian Theological Ferment (For Doing Theology in Contemporary Indonesia: Interdisciplinary Perspectives)
Full text linkCreative theology in Asia started emerging mostly after decolonisation. The experience of nationalist struggles against colonial rule provided a new impetus, new perspectives and indigenous resources for original theological enterprises. The first part of this presentation goes into the analysis of factors and forces at work in the post-colonial era for the creation of Asian theologies. The second part goes into some of the salient features and characteristics of Asian theologies, despite regional differences in terms of societies, cultures and histories. The third and final part highlights the importance of moving in a new direction in Asian theologising, which should assume the nature of public theology. The presentation then goes on to sketch some of the features that will characterise Asian public Theology along with the challenges it presents
Theologizing “Teing Hang” Ceremony In The Culture of Manggarai, Indonesia
Full text linkThe Teing Hang ceremony, which is practised by the Manggarai people in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, celebrates local wisdom regarding the relationality of the Manggarai people with the Highest Being, with one’s fellow beings who are still living and with the relatives who have died. The methodology is what I call “critical reading” of the dialectical model, which has been proposed by Stefan Bevans and Daniel Pilario. By using the critical reading method of the teing hang ceremony data (collected through interviews and reviews of related studies), I found that the local wisdom of Manggarai can explain and illuminate the content of the Catholic faith with regard to the communion of saints in three ways. First, the communion of saints is a participation in God\u27s providence. Second, the communion of saints is a participation in the lives of one’s fellow beings. Third, the communion of saints is an intersubjectivity relationship between those who believe in Christ and are indwelt by His Spirit
Doing Theology And Our Theological Education: An Indonesian Perspective
Full text linkThe article argues that the doing theology in multi-cultural and multi-religious society expects a close collaboration of multi-disciplines. Such interdisciplinary approach makes theology possible to look at the problems of the people in a comprehensive way. The church in Indonesia has been struggling quite a lot in this theological endeavour. The International Joint Conference held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia (March 2019), was an important event of this kind. And responding the discussions at the conference, this article attempts to deal with the importance of doing theology in context and its impacts on theological educations in the country. The article then suggests everyone to revisit our traditional theological programmes and to make necessary revisions needed in responding the contemporary world. In this way the church could claim the relevance of its existence and its public theology for the goodness of the country and the betterment of the society at large