scholarly journals The Church's Contextual Mission to Poverty Problems in Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 153
Author(s):  
Firman Panjaitan
Keyword(s):  
Rhetorical Criticism ◽  
Phenomenological Method ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Crucial Problem ◽  
The Church

Poverty in Indonesia is a crucial problem that must be considered by various parties, including the church. However, the church often neglects this because the church is often preoccupied with its theological model that sides with wealth so that the existence of the poor is ignored. This makes the church's mission neglected because it does not take the condition of the poor seriously. Using the phenomenological method, this article shows that poverty should be a severe concern in the missiological aspect of the church. In addition, the method of rhetorical criticism is used to show that the Bible also speaks of God's care for the poor. The study results recommend that the church should have the courage to carry out missiological duties to the poor by putting the poor first and placing the poor as equals, who also receive the same salvation from God. Through this missiological task, the church will contribute to alleviating poverty. ABSTRAKKemiskinan di Indonesia merupakan masalah krusial yang harus diperhatikan oleh berbagai pihak, termasuk gereja. Namun seringkali gereja mengabaikan hal ini, karena gereja seringkali asyik dengan model teologinya yang berpihak pada kekayaan, sehingga keberadaan orang miskin diabaikan. Hal ini menjadikan tugas misiologi gereja terbengkalai karena tidak memperhatikan dengan serius keadaan orang miskin. Dengan menggunakan metode fenomenologi artikel ini menunjukkan bahwa masalah kemiskinan harus menjadi perhatian yang serius dalam aspek misiologi gereja. Di samping itu digunakan juga metode kritik retorik untuk menunjukkan bahwa Alkitab pun berbicara tentang kepedulian Allah terhadap orang miskin. Hasil penelitian merekomendasikan bahwa gereja harus berani menjalankan tugas misiologi kepada orang-orang miskin, dengan cara mendahulukan dan menempatkan orang miskin sebagai sesama yang sejajar, yang juga mendapatkan keselamatan yang sama dari Allah. Melalui tugas misiologi tersebut, gereja akan berkontribusi untuk mengentaskan kemiskinan.

Separating the Sheep from the Goats: Victorian Didactic Hymns

1976 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-273
Author(s):  
Susan Smith Tamke
Keyword(s):  
Social Order ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Religious Community ◽  
Charles Kingsley ◽  
Internal Colonialism ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The Government ◽  
Behavioral Norm ◽  
The Church

Charles Kingsley complained in 1848, “We have used the Bible as if it were a mere constable's handbook—an opium-dose for keeping beasts of burden patient while they were being overloaded—a mere book to keep the poor in order.” Kingsley was outraged that religion should be used for the utilitarian purpose of keeping the lower classes in their place. And yet, in most societies religion has traditionally served the very practical purpose of supporting the established social order. To this end the Christian church—and in this regard it is no different than any other institutionalized religion—has preached a social ethic of obedience and submission to the government in power and to the established social order. The church does this by sanctioning a given code of behavior: those people who conform to the prescribed behavioral norm will achieve salvation, while those who fail to conform are ostracized from the religious community and, presumably, are damned. In sociological terms, the code of behavior approved by a given society is most often determined by that society's most influential groups, always with a view (not always conscious or deliberate) of maintaining the groups' dominance. From the point of view of the least influential classes, this didactic function of the church may be seen as an effort at social control, at internal colonialism—in Kinglsey's words, an effort simply to keep the “beasts of burden…, the poor in order.” In terms of biblical imagery the church's didactic function is to separate the sheep from the goats, that is, to set a standard of “respectable” behavior to be followed by the compliant sheep, with probable eternal damnation and temporal punishment for the recalcitrant goats.

scholarly journals Gereja Yang Berpihak Pada Perempuan (Sebuah Eklesiologi Gereja Perspektif Feminis)

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Asnath Niwa Natar
Keyword(s):  
Feminist Perspective ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The Church

Diskriminasi terhadap perempuan dan orang­orang lemah tidak hanya terjadi dalam masyarakat, namun juga dalam gereja, yang notabene mengajarkan tentang kasih dan tanpa perbedaan. Diskriminasi itu nampak dalam teks­teks Alkitab dan ajaran gereja, yang termanifestasi dalam bahasa yang digunakan untuk Allah, liturgi (tata ibadah), kepemimpinan gereja dan eklesiologi (pemahaman) gereja. Ajaran­ajaran ini tidak hanya meminggirkan kaum perempuan, tetapi juga membuat kaum perempuan kurang diperhatikan bahkan tidak diijinkan untuk berperan dalam pelayanan gereja. Kondisi ini menyebabkan penderitaan, terutama bagi mereka yang mengalami penindasan dan ketidakadilan dari masyarakat, seperti pelacur, korban trafficking, orang-orang miskin dan lemah. Sehubungan dengan hal ini maka pemahaman eklesiologi berperspektif feminis perlu dibuat agar gereja bisa menjalankan perannya sebagaimana tujuan semula dibentuk, yaitu sebuah lembaga yang terbuka dan menyalurkan cinta kasih dan perhatian bagi semua orang.[Discrimination against women and weak people takes place not only in the community but also in the Church, which actually teaches about love and no distinction. Discrimination appears in the texts of the Bible and in the church’s teachings, which are manifested in the language used for God, the liturgy (etiquette of worship), the leadership of the Church and the ecclesiology (understanding) of the Church.These teachings not only marginalize women but also make women less recognized and even not allowed to have a role in the service of the Church. This condition causes suffering, especially for those who have experienced oppression and injustice in society, such as prostitutes, victims of trafficking, the poor and the weak. Therefore, an ecclesiology understanding based on feminist perspective needs to be developed. So, the Church can conduct its ordinary roles, such as an inclusive institution for spreading the love and care for everyone.]

scholarly journals Visão social da figura de Maria. Uma síntese

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (250) ◽  
pp. 354
Author(s):  
Clodovis Boff
Keyword(s):  
Social Dimension ◽  
Marian Devotion ◽  
General Overview ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Urgent Task ◽  
The Social ◽  
Community Types ◽  
The Church

Frei Clodovis Boff, da Ordem dos Servos de Maria, apresenta aqui uma síntese de “Mariologia Social”, disciplina que leciona em Roma desde 1993. Sem negar o valor das tradicionais “imagens” de Maria, de tipo pessoal ou de tipo comunitário, ele põe em evidência a visão sociolibertadora da Mãe do Senhor. Maria é uma figura que pertence à grande história, e sua dimensão social encontra fundamentação segura na Bíblia, na história e no Magistério da Igreja. Depois de desenvolver em grandes traços esses pontos, o autor recomenda que se difunda e aprofunde sempre mais a dimensão social e libertadora da devoção mariana, tarefa que se faz ainda mais urgente quando se leva a sério o desafio dos excluídos e se ouve o seu clamor por libertação. “Os pobres mais do que nunca – diz ele – precisam de Maria. Ela é seu tesouro”.Abstract: Frei Clodovis Boff, from the Order of Mary’s Serfs, presents here a synthesis of “Social Mariology”, the discipline he teaches in Rome since 1993. Without denying the importance of Mary’s traditional “images” – either of the personal or of the community types – he brings to the fore the social-liberating view of the Lord’s Mother. Mary is a figure belonging to History, and her social dimension is firmly established in the Bible, in History itself and in the Magisterium of the Church. Having provided a general overview of these arguments, the author recommends that the social and liberating dimension of the Marian devotion should be propagated and emphasized. In his view, this is a particularly urgent task if one takes to heart the challenge of helping the excluded and if their clamour for liberation is truly heard. “Morethanever” – he says – “the poor need Mary. She is their treasure”.

scholarly journals Paixão da relação – paixão da falta

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (249) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Hadwig Ana Maria Müller
Keyword(s):  
Human Relations ◽  
The Core ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Intimate Life ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Church ◽  
Insight Into

O sofrimento dos pobres se associa muitas vezes a dons relacionais evidentes. O termo “paixão” expressa esse laço entre uma pobreza dolorosamente vivida e uma riqueza humana muitas vezes admirável. Esta experiência – relida aqui a partir da noção lacaniana de “falta” – encontra-se no coração da relação dos pobres para com Deus e de Deus para com os pobres. Mais ainda, ela está no coração de toda escuta, pois não há relação sem escuta, nem escuta sem desejo, e, então, sem falta. A partir disso, deixando-nos guiar pela revelação bíblica acolhida na fé, é possível pressentir algo da vida íntima de Deus, viver diferentemente nossas relações humanas e o dinamismo da missão sobre a base de uma inteligência renovada de Igreja-comunhão.Abstract: The suffering of the poor often brings in its wake a clear gift for human relations. The term “passion” expresses this connection between a painfully endured poverty and a – sometimes astonishing – human richness. This experience – examined here in the light of the Lacanian concept of “manque” – can be found in the relationship between the poor and God and between God and the poor. Moreover, this experience is at the core of every act of listening, for there is no relationship without listening, no listening without desire and no desire without “manque”. With this in mind, a re-reading of the Bible can help us to have a better understanding of God’s intimate life and, through this, to experience our human relations differently. It can also give us a new insight into the dynamics of a mission that has as basis a renewed vision of the Church as communion.

Liberation Ecclesiologies with Special Reference to Latin America

2018 ◽  
pp. 572-594
Author(s):  
Michelle Gonzalez Maldonado
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Liberation Theology ◽  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Theological Method ◽  
Mutual Support ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Discrimination And Oppression ◽  
Gospel Message ◽  
The Church

This chapter starts by reflecting on the historic European and North American dominance of theology, including ecclesiology, and by noting that in recent decades minority voices from the global South have begun to make themselves heard, salient among them liberation theologians. Liberation theology, emanating from—but not confined to—Latin America, is introduced. It has developed a new theological method, with radical implications for ecclesiology. In liberation theology the principal subjects of the church are not the members of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, but the poor or otherwise marginalized, gathered in ‘base communities’ to read the Bible in the light of their experience of oppression. The gospel message is not primarily concerned with individual salvation but with social and economic justice and the sustaining of communities of mutual support. The targets of Liberation Theology also include colonialism, racism and ethnocentrism, gender discrimination, and oppression on grounds of sexual orientation.

The Bible and Marx

1982 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 337-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Emmette Weir
Keyword(s):  
Liberation Theology ◽  
Biblical Interpretation ◽  
Vital Importance ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The Church

Jorgen Moltmann has remarked that Reading the Bible with the eyes of the poor is a different thing from reading it with a full belly. If it is read in the light of the experience and hopes of the oppressed, the Bible's revolutionary themes — promise, exodus, resurrection and spirit — come alive.These words go to the very heart of the matter of our concern in this essay — the hermeneutics of Liberation Theology. It is a subject of vital importance for the Church today. For Liberation Theology is developing creative and challenging insights, principles and procedures in the field of Biblical interpretation. There are several reasons for this.

The Bible in the spiritual culture of Kievan Rus

1998 ◽  
pp. 46-52
Author(s):  
S. V. Rabotkina
Keyword(s):  
Full Text ◽  
Spiritual Life ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Spiritual Culture ◽  
Slavonic Language ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The Church

A huge place in the spiritual life of medieval Rusich was occupied by the Bible, although for a long time Kievan Rus did not know it fully. The full text of the Holy Scriptures appears in the Church Slavonic language not earlier than 1499.

Solidaritas Sebagai Norma Dasar Dalam Etika Paulus

1970 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-100
Author(s):  
Martin Harun
Keyword(s):  
Community Building ◽  
Lord's Supper ◽  
Body Of Christ ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Central Elements ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
Unity In Diversity ◽  
The One ◽  
The Church ◽  
Different Parts

Abstract: Solidarity, a modern word and concept, has old roots in the concept of koinonia (fellowship) as it is understood in the New Testament. David G. Horrell even maintains that what we now call solidarity, functions as a meta norm in Paul’s ethics, since phenomena of solidarity are clearly present in the central elements of Paul’s community building. Reference is made to the two basic rituals, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which build unity in diversity; to the most frequently used form of address, adelphoi/brothers, which asks for familial treatment of one another; also to the special way in which Paul often tries to restore unity in the middle of conflicts; and especially to his metaphor of the Church as the one body of Christ with many different parts that need and support one another. When speaking about the collections as a sign of the Greek community’s solidarity with the poor community in Jerusalem, Paul refers to Christ’s solidarity as the source of solidarity within and among communities. Keywords: Solidarity, fellowship, David Horrell, Paul, Ethics, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, brothers, Body of Christ, Christ’s solidarity. Abstrak: Solidaritas, sebuah kata dan paham modern, memiliki akar yang lama, antara lain dalam paham koinonia (persekutuan), sebagaimana digunakan dalam Alkitab Perjanjian Baru. David G. Horrell mempertahankan bahwa apa yang sekarang kita sebut solidaritas, merupakan norma dasar (meta norm) dalam etika Paulus, sebab fenomen-fenomen solidaritas tampak dalam unsur-unsur sentral pembinaan jemaatnya, antara lain dalam kedua ritual paling dasar, baptisan dan perjamuan Tuhan, yang membina kesatuan dalam perbedaan. Solidaritas juga muncul dalam sebutan paling frekuen, saudara-saudara (adelphoi), yang menuntut suatu etos kekeluargaan. Solidaritas juga tampak dalam banyak seruan Paulus untuk memulihkan kesatuan apabila ia berhadapan dengan perpecahan, dan teristimewa dalam menggambarkan jemaat sebagai satu tubuh Kristus dengan banyak anggota yang berbeda dan saling membutuhkan serta memberi. Dalam konteks kolekte-kolekte sebagai tanda solidaritas antarjemaat, Paulus secara eksplisit menunjuk kepada solidaritas Kristus dengan kita sebagai dasar terdalam dari solidaritas antarumat. Kata-kata kunci: Solidaritas, persekutuan, David Horrell, Paulus, etika, baptisan, Perjamuan Tuhan, saudara-saudara, Tubuh Kristus, solidaritas Kristus.

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