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Dr. Richard Dauley, General Secretary of the Indonesian
Council of Churches (PGI) making a presentation to Dr. Rushdie Ali Mohammad,
President of the State Institute of Islamic Studies in Banda Aceh. As a
gesture of goodwill, PGI donated a truck load of relief supplies and four
water pumps to this school which lost half of its 4000 students to the
tsunami. On the right is Dr. Andreas Yewangoe, President of PGI.
If
Asia experienced a “loud” tsunami on December 26th, they’ve
experienced many “silent” tsunamis. Asian Christians live in the context of
poverty, ethnic conflicts, religious persecution, wars, a burgeoning AIDS
epidemic and the residual effects of centuries of colonial domination. Asian
Christianity, an ancient and mature tradition, always existed in the context
of religious plurality. For centuries they’ve had to theologically struggle
with the awareness that among Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and other religious
people, there are deeply devout, spiritually mature, ethically exemplary
women and men who can be deemed saintly by any measure. Asian Christianity
has much to teach us about how to be Christians in a pluralistic
environment. Hence our theme: Listening to and Learning from Asia’s Pain.
AAR Invites Us to Organize a Special Topics Forum
The American Academy of Religion (AAR) has invited the Interfaith
Relations Commission to organize a Special Topics Forum on Christian
Theology’s engagement with Religious Pluralism and explore its
implications for theological education.
At last November’s AAR meeting in San Antonio, 22 theologians,
concerned that most pastors currently practicing their ministry, don’t
know how to relate to people of different faiths, gathered for an
informal conversation.
Participants agreed that only a few seminaries take interfaith
relations seriously and address it as part of the theology curriculum.
It is time that Theology as a discipline located itself in the context
of other religious plurality. The participants agreed to seek a venue in
the AAR’s program to formalize the discussion.
In addition, we’ve also been invited to contribute to a special
issue of the Wabash Center journal “Teaching Theology and Religion” on
the formation of religious leaders in the different religious
traditions. A panel of writers representing several religious traditions
have already begun work on this. We expect this issue to be published
in April 2006.
We are also working on a Continuing Education project for
Christian clergy that we hope to be able to take to various communities
around the country.
Special thanks to Drs. Kathy Talvacchia and Lucinda Mosher for
helping organize this initiative.
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What Asian Church
Leaders are Saying Following the Tsunami….
Ecumenical and
Interfaith Tensions Increase
Funds
from church related relief organizations often come with denominational
branding. Although Indonesia and Sri Lanka’s minority Christian populations
would prefer to work ecumenically, this subtle competitiveness inhibits such
cooperation, say Asian church leaders.
Evangelical
groups’ use of the tsunami as an evangelistic opportunity has exacerbated
already existing interfaith tensions. When a team from Antioch Community
Church of Waco, TX did a children’s ministry in Sri Lanka and when
Virginia-based World Help tried to adopt 300 Indonesian Muslim children to
raise them Christian, they were seen as preying upon the most vulnerable.
During the past
20 years large numbers of Evangelical Christians have poured into Asia as
business leaders, English teachers, computer programmers and such, while
working covertly as evangelists. This has created a backlash of violence
against churches and pastors. The Sri Lankan government is expected to pass
an “Anti-Conversion Bill” which significantly curtails religious freedom.
Building Community
is Top Priority
When
there is community, people show remarkable resilience in bouncing back from
disasters. The tsunami destroyed and displaced entire families and
communities. The best contribution US churches can make is to help build
community. This will create conditions that are necessary for healing to
take place, say Christian Conference of Asia leaders.
This means that all rebuilding efforts must be people-centered. They must be
based on fairness, transparency, and integrity; that projects must be
inclusive to insure that people of all faiths, ethnicities and political
leanings are treated with equal respect; that preferential options must be
given to the most vulnerable; and integration between ecology, health, and
development must be ensured. We should also work for spiritual empowerment,
from conflict to solidarity to healing and reconciliation.
Sister Church Partnerships
These are intended for the long term and to benefit both
partners. In the short term, Asian churches need relief. In the long term,
US partners will learn new ways of being Christian, particularly in the
context of religious plurality.
Relationships between families, pastors and other professionals within the
church family, such as doctors, teachers and business leaders can be
established. US churches can encourage local schools, hospitals, businesses,
and community organizations to build relationships with corresponding
institutions in Asia.
Relationships are now being formed. For example: Riverside Church in
New York City is sending a team to explore partnership in Sri Lanka, and
Hanover College in Indiana is exploring a relationship with the State
Institute of Islamic Studies in Banda Aceh.
Page Two, Click here.
For a pdf
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