Theologies from the Pacific

Theologies from the Pacific
Author: Jione Havea
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 350
Release: 2021-07-16
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 3030743659

This book offers engagements with topics in mainline theology that concern the lifelines in and of the Pacific (Pasifika). The essays are grouped into three clusters. The first, Roots, explores the many roots from which theologies in and of Pasifika grow – sea and (is)land, Christian teachings and scriptures, native traditions and island ways. The second, Reads, presents theologies informed and inspired by readings of written and oral texts, missionary traps and propaganda, and teachings and practices of local churches. The final cluster, Routes, places Pasifika theologies upon the waters so that they may navigate and voyage. The ‘amanaki (hope) of this work is in keeping talanoa (dialogue) going, in pushing back tendencies to wedge the theologies in and of Pasifika, and in putting native wisdom upon the waters. As these Christian and native theologies voyage, they chart Pasifika’s sea of theologies.

Contextualizing Theology in the South Pacific

Contextualizing Theology in the South Pacific
Author: Randall G. Prior
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 280
Release: 2019-07-10
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1532658575

This book engages with a widespread contemporary dilemma—how do we do theology in a context where the cultures of the people are oral and not literate? The nations of the South Pacific, from their missionary beginnings, inherited an approach to theology that was dominated by Western cultural categories. The global movement of contextualization began to impact upon Pacific churches in the 1960s, and challenged this inherited approach. Significant changes have resulted, but the dilemma has remained. The dominant approach is still one that is defined by and better suited to literate cultures. The consequence is that theology remains an alien enterprise, distant from the life of the local churches, and distant from the hearts and minds of the indigenous people. In facing the dilemma, this book exposes the fundamental differences between primary oral cultures and primary literate cultures, and identifies the key factors that lie at the heart of the theological problem. By addressing each of these in turn, the author then paves the way ahead. He offers a methodology for theology that is rooted within the oral cultural context of the South Pacific . . . and potentially in any context where oral cultures are the norm. The consequences for theology and for theological education are profound.

Pacific Theology

Pacific Theology
Author: Ma'afu Palu
Publisher:
Total Pages: 188
Release: 2017-10-07
Genre:
ISBN: 9781549760907

Pacific Theology is a movement in the theological enterprise in the South Pacific to make the Bible relevant to Pacific people. This book explains what Pacific Theology is and then offers a critical appreciation of it. It then provides proposals in terms of what can be done to Pacific Theology to make it properly relevant to the churches in the Pacific region. One can find the proposals in this book applicable in the broader theological enterprise.

God Is Samoan

God Is Samoan
Author: Matt Tomlinson
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
Total Pages: 193
Release: 2020-03-31
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0824883160

Christian theologians in the Pacific Islands see culture as the grounds on which one understands God. In this pathbreaking book, Matt Tomlinson engages in an anthropological conversation with the work of “contextual theologians,” exploring how the combination of Pacific Islands culture and Christianity shapes theological dialogues. Employing both scholarly research and ethnographic fieldwork, the author addresses a range of topics: from radical criticisms of biblical stories as inappropriate for Pacific audiences to celebrations of traditional gods such as Tagaloa as inherently Christian figures. This book presents a symphony of voices—engaged, critical, prophetic—from the contemporary Pacific’s leading religious thinkers and suggests how their work articulates with broad social transformations in the region. Each chapter in this book focuses on a distinct type of culturally driven theological dialogue. One type is between readers and texts, in which biblical scholars suggest new ways of reading, and even rewriting, the Bible so it becomes more meaningful in local terms. A second kind concerns the state of the church and society. For example, feminist theologians and those calling for “prophetic” action on social problems propose new conversations about how people in Oceania should navigate difficult times. A third kind of discussion revolves around identity, emphasizing what makes Oceania unique and culturally coherent. A fourth addresses the problems of climate change and environmental degradation to sacred lands by encouraging “eco-theological” awareness and interconnection. Finally, many contextual theologians engage with the work of other disciplines— prominently, anthropology—as they develop new discourse on God, people, and the future of Oceania. Contextual theology allows people in Oceania to speak with God and fellow humans through the idiom of culture in a distinctly Pacific way. Tomlinson concludes, however, that the most fruitful topic of dialogue might not be culture, but rather the nature of dialogue itself. Written in an accessible, engaging style and presenting innovative findings, this book will interest students and scholars of anthropology, world religion, theology, globalization, and Pacific studies.

Theology in Context

Theology in Context
Author: Dave Johnson
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 223
Release: 2017-08-23
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1532633971

In This Book: Dave Johnson takes a thorough look at the culture of one of the Filipino people groups with a view toward developing a contextual theology that is biblically accurate, missiologically sound and culturally relevant throughout the Filipino lowlands. He delves deep, seeking to understand the religious worldview assumptions that underpin and drive the various religious practices and the people who are involved in them. Some of the specific issues he tackles are: • All Saints’ Day and the dead returning to their gravesites • Praying to Mary and the Saints • Demon possession • Town Fiestas • Sickness and healing • How people have been transformed by the power of God within their own cultural setting, both in the past and present • And much more!