The organ transplant of normative divinities from the West has mostly been replaced by a series to develop new signifiers of theological reading and Christian pattern rooted in local civilizations. Catholics refer to these theological developments as inculturation, whereas Protestant normally uses the term “ contextualization ” .
Indonesian faiths could ever be defined as syncretism uniting assorted elements along with their traditional belief. Indonesia has several ethnics and faiths since the part itself is composed of several Islands. Among other faiths such as Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, Christianity is a minority faith practiced by cultural groups. The universe faiths were by and large introduced or spread by the merchandisers. Christianity was introduced by the Dutch missionaries during the colonial epoch. For the cultural Indonesian, acceptance of Christianity non merely means accepting the religion or the belief but besides means localisation of faith. They did non blindly accept the new faith and reject the traditional 1s. After all, although the missionaries tried to near several procedures to extinguish the traditional belief such as the hereditary worship and thaumaturgy, it could non easy be eliminated. Religion is combined with civilization and individuality. Contextualization was followed by the leaders of the community who were educated in the West. The procedure was necessary for the autochthonal society as their individuality and keeping their civilization. Therefore, this essay will further clear up about the procedure of contextualization of faith among Christian Indonesian autochthonal society and the issues affecting about will be discussed.
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Although Christianity was brought about the missionaries from the West, the construct that the local adopt was really different from the Western one, brought by the missionaries. The ways they organized local faith were frequently different from that of European ( Steenbrink, 2004: 110 ) . It was impossible to to the full implement the Western theological system to the autochthonal people who have their strong and rich civilization practiced for centuries. Arrival of Christianity had immense impact among the autochthonal communities in Indonesia. The missionaries used several tactics to acquire success in their mission. As the work of the missionaries, the local faiths were discredited and the local populations were manipulated by the Dutch colonial regulation. There were aggregate transitions among the local population since the missionaries denounced the spiritual traditional priests as the Tyranny of the autochthonal priest and arising against them as the work of the Holy Spirit ( Buchholt, 1994: 15 ) . Buchholt besides interpreted the procedure as the work of the colonial disposal ( Buchholt, 1994: 15 ) . Furthermore, the glade of the wood land by the Dutch farther weaken the local faith which were based on hereditary liquors, natural environment and rites ( Buchholt, 1994: 15 ) .
The Christianity is non merely a belief system ; it is all linked to Western political orientation and development. Therefore, following Christianity is following their values and civilizations. When the priest system in autochthonal civilization was eliminated, there was another dominant category to busy the missing topographic point. The upper category autochthonal people tried to copy the Dutch colonial swayers. It is non surprising because it was the work of the missionaries. They were non merely distributing Christian belief but besides indoctrinating the Western values ( Buchholt, 1994: 19 ) . Furthermore, they besides used autochthonal civilization and thought to win over the bosom of the autochthonal communities. The missionaries used the murid system to distribute Christianity in which it operated as instruction Centre. The immature Indonesians in this Centre were seen as traditional civilization of meki oki who were priests and charged to distribute cognition in the community ( Buchholt, 1994: 19 ) .
However, whatever the attempt, the personal belief practiced in the communities could non be eliminated. Individual belief could ever overpower one frequently wittingly or unwittingly. Although the Christian in the autochthonal community were referred to themselves as Christian, they maintained assorted traditional elements while practising Christianity ( Lunnemann, 1994: 27 ) . In add-on, harmonizing to Tauchmann, the Christianity in Indonesia has a assortment of traditional elements. The hereditary worship and thaumaturgy still played an of import function among the Christian community in Indonesia ( Buchholt, 1994: 18 ) . Therefore, contextualization was necessary if one want to distribute Christianity in the autochthonal community because it can non be eliminated which embedded in the society for a long clip.
The contextualization of Minahasans community is an ideal illustration of how the Christian faith is adopted to run into the demands of the local. The bing height of faith could non be eliminated by new spiritual acceptance. The Minahasans faith was a ritual based faith with a belief in honouring Gods and belief in liquors which could be instead categorized as polytheistic faith ( Lunnemann, 1994:30 ) . They believed faith as assorted beginning of power ( Lunnemann, 1994:44 ) . One of their most of import facets of their spiritual thought was to acquire approvals from the Gods or the spirit and forestall the bad lucks 1s ( Lunnemann, 1994:30 ) . In this context, they saw Christianity as one of the Gods along with the other Gods they believe. Hence, Christianity did non belie with the bing belief which, hence, they believe in their traditional Gods and Christianity merely on the surface.
With this belief Christianity was adopted. It was small to make with the spiritual religion or the entire entry to Jesus. Traditional faith was discredited by the authorities and pushed aside by the reaching of Christianity ( Lunnemann, 1994:35 ) . In add-on, Minahasan adopted the autochthonal spiritual civilization into the Christianity so that it can be distinguished from other states which became of import as for the cultural and individuality sense ( Lunnemann, 1994:32 ) . The spiritual civilization of 40th day of remembrance of person ‘s decease was practiced along with the Hymn ( Lunnemann, 1994:32 ) . When person got badly, the traditional healing of thaumaturgy and ritual were foremost used. Then, if it did non work, they Western medical specialties along with Christianity were practiced ( Lunnemann, 1994:38 ) . It would non be accepted among the Christian society in the West to pattern the different belief at the same clip because the spiritual philosophies were wholly the antonym.
The ways to accomplish solution is wholly different ; people turn to god by singing and praying in Protestantism while the traditional faith use the physical organic structure as for the medium of communicating ( Lunnemann, 1994:36-37 ) . Therefore, the spiritual Acts of the Apostless in the Minahasan community are non rigorous but tolerated for people to follow. The job chiefly is that there is no distinguish preexisting thought of profane and sacred among the cultural group ( Lunnemann, 1994:32 ) . Although belief in thaumaturgy has ne’er been openly discussed in public, the belief remained among the single life of the Mihahasan society. Even Christian missionaries from the part believe in these narratives and thaumaturgy, harmonizing to Lunnemann, they do non acknowledge it openly. ( Lunnemann, 1994:37 ) .
Sing contextualization, some leaders or the educated argued against contextualization while others agree to some grade of following local civilization into Christianity. Javanese Muslim thought, the literature, and civilization were taken by these bookmans and sought to compare them with the Christianity. Kiai Sadrach Surapranata was an of import Javanese Christian who interpreted Christianity based on his Javanese readings, instruction, and belief ( Steenbrink, 2004: 110 ) . His ideological base was taken from the Muslim Javanese universe position and related them with Christianity ( Steenbrink, 2004: 110 ) . However, he was being criticized by some missionaries such as inspector of the Reformed Mission, Rev. Lion Cachet ( Steenbrink, 2004: 110 ) . Sudrach was accused by Lion Cachet as a misbeliever who strayed away the mainstream political orientation and patterns. Lion Cachet did non like the rebellious leader who constructed his ain positions and non following the order of the European mission. Lion Cachet denounced him as the 1 who is guilty of distributing the incorrect thought about Christ and the mission ( Steenbrink, 2004: 110 ) . The Western missionaries expected the local to follow precisely as they preach although the state of affairss were different. They did non desire local to build their ain political orientation of reading. The rejection demo the West high quality and undermine and the local ( Steenbrink, 2004: 112 ) .
In add-on, many spiritual leaders besides refused to accept spiritual mysticism of autochthonal civilization. Hendrik Kraemer ( 1988-1965 ) , approved of spiritual clannishness and disapproved syncretism ( Steenbrink, 2004: 112 ) . His rejection toward spiritual syncretism between Javanese faith and Christianity was chiefly on history of spiritual thought ( Steenbrink, 2004: 112 ) . He was one of the spiritual leaders who tried to do independent from the church and the colonial regulation recognizing the nationalist motion. In add-on, Barend Schuurman ( 1889-1945 ) besides claimed the thought combine of Javanese spiritual civilization of mysticism into Christianity was iniquitous activities which were false ( Steenbrink, 2004: 112 ) .
On the other manus, in 1899, the missional L. Adrianse, supported Sudrach thought by printing “ Sudrach ‘s circle ” . He argued that there should be unfastened reading among the trusters. In add-on, a doctorial pupil, Sutarman Partonadi, in 1988, besides endorsed the thought of Sudrach as adequate and meaningful for the Indonesia context ( Steenbrink, 2004: 111 ) .
Concomitantly, in 1904, Jesuit Missionary, Van Lith endorsed broad height in his mission in order to pull more members. Rigorous regulations and ordinances frequently hinder people from transition. The thought was considered to let go of the tenseness of the villagers strain from practising rites which were unfamiliar from their context. Therefore, it was needed to soften the place and thought of the missionaries. Van Lith allowed practising the traditional rites such as Circumcision, slametan rite, and modin which were Muslim Javanese civilization ( Steenbrink, 2004: 111 ) . Furthermore, he besides urged the villagers to intone the traditional ritual gamelan and music along with the Catholic Gregorian intonation ( Steenbrink, 2004: 111 ) . Van Lith subsequently became the guardian of Javanese civilization and besides critical of colonialism of the Dutch business. In 1920, he realized the nationalist motion and it was more of import to maintain the church off from the colonial business ( Steenbrink, 2004: 111 ) .
Furthermore, there were some autochthonal bookmans who were contending against Western high quality and Christian faith. An educated theological lector, Dr. S. Rekosusilo, compared the Western construct with the traditional literature ( Steenbrink, 2004: 114 ) . He criticized that the Western thought is excessively much concentrated on the person instead than the Javanese thought of uniting the environment and the person ( Steenbrink, 2004: 114 ) . Rekosusilo besides compared the construct of Christianity and replaced them with the construct of Javanese faith and civilization in his six series of surveies ( Steenbrink, 2004: 114 ) .
In add-on, another Indonesian Jesuit Priest, Banawiratma, besides compared the Javanese teacher Guru with Jesus. He pointed out the necessity to explicate a new philosophy of Jesus in relation to the Javanese thought. He besides said that the rejection of one ‘s civilization is non necessary to go Christian ( Steenbrink, 2004: 116 ) . He suggested that the spiritual thought could be relate to a peculiar civilization. Another work of Banawiratma is comparing Jesus with another mythology figure from Javanese literature, panakawan. He said that Jesus could justly be called as panakawan since they are both considered as historical and the latter as fabulous figure ( Steenbrink, 2004: 116 ) . His dramatic reading of being a Christian is singular in which it can be interpreted as loyal ; to go a true Christian means to go a true lover of one ‘s state. He called for the Christian community to go unfastened minded with planetary values to be able to be able to coexist with other communities ( Steenbrink, 2004: 116 ) .
In decision, the faith is ever associated with civilization. After all, faith came out of believing. No faith is superior to the others. It is merely the belief affair. Adoption of another faith into the preexistent belief needs the localisation of that faith. As I have pointed out above, the spiritual thought can non to the full be implemented into the existing civilization. Although the usage of traditional belief or thought may non be expressed publically, the spiritual thought that has been practiced for centuries would last among the cultural Christian. Entire acceptance of another faith and rejection of one ‘s ain means the loss of civilization and individuality. Therefore, localisation or the contextualization is crucially of import for the cultural communities in Indonesia.
