AUGUST 2005 - ISSUE 5 - ISSN 1448 - 632

SOME ISSUES ON PRACTICAL THEOLOGY IN OUR SEA OF ISLANDS, OCEANIA KAFOA SOLOMONE

 

Introduction

There are some basic common concerns which I see being dealt with in theological colleges, seminaries and churches. They all have to do with a resurgence of self assertion and a new valuation of cultural identity amongst Christian islanders. Gone were the days when the islanders merely take what was given with regards to the forms of Christian faith. Partners in the faith seems to be the present ideal. We can profit from one another but we ourselves have to be allowed to contribute to our own identity as Oceanian or Pacific Island Christians.

Contextualisation and an Oceanian hermeneutics

The Pacific Theological College (PTC), an ecumenical tertiary institution own by the churches of the Pacific, is the centre for higher theological learning. From the beginning, its Bachelor of Divinity theses and later with MTh theses, researches were carried out with regards to traditional classic stories, concepts, rituals, cultural practices, arts, etc. in order for the Islanders to understand and own the Christian message better and perhaps more easily. At the present stage of the PTC’s development, it has just signed (2004) an MOU with Charles Sturt University to cooperate in the running of its PhD research programme. Four of the tentative theses proposals of prospective candidates are in the area of contextual theology. They range from a developing of a local theological curriculum, to comparing biblical land theologies and local cultural religious land values.

Theological schools curricula are encouraged by the South Pacific Association of Theological Schools (SPATS), which is responsible to the accreditation of these schools’ programmes, that they should include contextualisation as well as correlation methods of theology. SPATS runs workshops and seminars on contextual theology in its member schools. Most of these theological colleges include contextual theology in their strive to make more meaningful the Christian symbols that we have received and will transmit to our peoples. Thus, for example, a study of traditional subjects such as the sacraments has its foundation on a study of cultural symbols and rituals. The role of storytelling, as a methodology, has a vital role in the art of preaching.

The pig has a very negative image in the New Testament, but we are not averse to calling Christ the Pig of God. One of our MTh theses is basically of that title. The pig being a very important animal in most of Melanesian and Polynesian societies, is taken as a more apt metaphor than the traditional lamb which is a rare sight in these parts.

Liturgical inculturation

Much have been done on inculturation of the liturgy in the islands. This is particularly true of the Catholics. However, other forms of inculturation can be observed among Protestant churches. In special liturgical celebrations in the Islands one often finds liturgical cultural dances and presentations, decorations and so forth. At the Pacific Theological College, one sometimes finds in their Friday celebration of the Eucharist, taro, fish, and coconut juice instead of bread and wine for the eucharistic elements.

The hierarchical structure of the church perfectly fits in with the cultural systems of these peoples. Hence it was adopted very effectively for the conversion and maintenance of the churches.

Architecture is another area in which there is a contribution of culture to the building of new churches and their inner décor. Certain theological understandings are always accompanying these forms of inculturation.

However, most of what has been done within the liturgical celebrations is patch work, or band aid adaptation. When we have a traditional marriage ceremony, we will have to perform another rite in Church for this marriage to be a Christian one. As regards reconciliation, there are a variety of cultural reconciliation rites that are very moving and meaningful but which are not part of the Christian celebrations.

There has not been a wholesale inculturation of the Christian rites, for example. The baptismal rite here in Australia is certainly what is performed in Tonga, whether Catholic or Protestant. Could there be also a unity in diversity with regards to forms of the sacraments.

Proliferation of Christian Pentecostal sects

Traditional mainline churches are quite worried about a certain drain on their members. They are leaving in droves for these new groups of American-styled Christian churches. They are very well organised and are strategically very effective in their forms of proselytising. They use modern western church music to best advantage since the island peoples are quite fond of music. Lively worship of singing, dancing and body movements, responsive interaction between preacher and congregation are characteristic of their services.

However, the worrying factor is to do with a certain uncompromising stand against certain cultural activities, and obligations that binds families and communities together as a cohesive unit. There is also a cause for concern when these new groups of churches advocate division among families, villages, and so on.

What can be done from our side? There is a need to be well informed about these groups and to learn from their being so effective in their modus operandi. These groups are effective because they are addressing certain needs which the mainline churches are not addressing satisfactorily.

Sometimes, the label “wealth gospel” is given to these groups, but even if these are false hopes, there is a certain attractiveness of the voices that preach wealth to those who have little else to hope in.

Politics and Church

One of the practical things that we are struggling with is churches’ direct involvement in party politics. In some instances, the church (e.g., Fiji Methodist Church) has become too identified with a particular political party or ideology that one wonders about those members who do not align themselves to this political party or ideology.

On matters of church leaders being involved in actual politics, we have sufficient evidence from Vanuatu and PNG on this issue. Sometimes it is unavoidable that church ministers and priests have to be involved in politics because there is no other option, they are the best that can represent that faction of the population.

The question is: how do we perform our religious roles within the political arena. How do our gospel ideals operate in all the pragmatism and compromises of politics? The conflict of interests could be damaging to both sides of equation.

Corruption

In a series of studies carried out by social political analysts (e.g. R. Crocomb,  2001. The South Pacific. Suva: USP[IPS]), corruption in all island states is rife. Most if not all these civil leaders are Christians of one form or another. But all seem to accept and thrive on corruption. Why? We have to find the root causes and address them from the Christian perspective. What are the moral principles at work among these corrupt civil servants, businessmen and women, and politicians?

Presently, there is tentative proposal, to leaders of the Pacific Forum countries, made by some academics from the University of the South Pacific, Suva and a faculty member from the Pacific theological College, that some ethics courses be required for all undergraduate degree programmes of the university. This is made in the hope that as the university trains future leaders of these countries, they also should provide a more holistic training that include a character formation, at least they should know some basic form of ethical principles to guide them in their life and work.

Ecotheology

We are more aware than those in bigger countries of what nature means to us. It is our source of livelihood and as well it is our death. The land, sea, and air are those vital elements to which we belong intimately as people, as a community and as a country. Care for creation, nurture it for if it becomes less than healthy, we are the first one to sink with it. Other landed peoples can move elsewhere, we cannot. Other landed people may find means of surviving on sea, we have not found a technology or the skill to cope with such a possibility.

Land and sea and air are intimately connected as one whole. Without one or the other there is no life. Without one or the other we the little peoples of Oceania will vanish from the face of the earth, and the world will be the poorer for it. For some, it may be just another animal species disappearing. But are we just another species? What would that mean for the rest of our kind?

The care for the environment has become a top priority for island peoples because while they were also throw-away communities, their thrown-aways were degradable. With the acquisition of new wealth and the ability to buy things that come in throw-away wrappings, plastic bags, bottles, cans, iron, steel, and other metals, we still throw away things as before but these take sometimes more than a 1000 years to degrade. Not only are we clogging up the life on land, we are also dealing death to the sea in the variety of poison chemicals that we pour into the sea, in sewerage systems or from farm lands polluted by all sorts of chemicals.

Rising sea level causes us the most worry. Already, some of the sea have encroached upon big areas of inhabited lands throughout the islands of the Pacific – whether low lying islands or high rising islands (Lau Islands, parts of Viti Levu, Fiji; parts of Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati, etc.) How to cope with these life threatening events?

Exploitation of natural resources often profits only the few and sometimes unscrupulous entrepreneurs. Some investors take advantage of loopholes in local laws, and the naïveté of locals to exploit the local people for their own gains while at the same time wreaking havoc on the source of livelihood of a whole lot of people. Thus the problems of strip mining in PNG, deforestation in most of the islands with forestry, genetic patenting of local knowledge and medicine without prior informed consent of the locals.

HIV/AIDS epidemic

We have a problem. It could be devastating. In PNG, according to information from the South Pacific Community, it is approaching the level of disaster in Africa. The figure cited is that there are  about 150,000 to 200000 and rising HIV/AIDS infected sufferers in PNG. There seems to be no island has escaped the curse of this disease.

The churches and theological schools are busy with workshops and training sessions on the issue. There is a great need for education of the people on the attitude toward the patients infected with HIV. Because of misinformation, fear of the unknown, an attitude of intolerance has been the order of the day.

Christian charity, sympathy, love and mercy have been rather lacking in a lot of island people with regards to those suffering from HIV/AIDS. What we need to do is to educate.

SPATS, local churches and NGOs are currently running seminars and workshops to which church leaders are invited and are informed. Programmes of studies have been proposed to be offered in theological schools on the various aspect of the disease and on how we live with it.

Ecumenism

One of the things that could be a help to “unity in diversity” is cultural practice. Communal life is common to all island peoples. It is a support base for who we are. Our cultural obligations and community living can be suffocating as well as liberating. We all feel united with one another when we meet again in the different family or community functions that we attend. We renew and strengthen ties, re-establish connections and relationship. Could this something that we need to foster as a means of visible unity amongst the churches.

Ecumenism is in disarray worldwide. There is a certain lack of enthusiasm for it in the islands. It is not a priority that the churches view as an urgency. Is the present concept and form of ecumenism preached by WCC and the Pacific Conference of Churches still relevant? What can be done. Ecumenical studies are available at PTC, and all who have studies in the college appreciate it ecumenical environment and aspirations, and often those who studied together find it easier to work together in ecumenical efforts. But they are easily dragged down by the majority who are not of the same vision.

Identity

The struggle for political and economic independence has a mixture of success and failure in Oceania. For political independence, only a few are yet to be fully independent (under France, and the USA). On the economic independence, there is no such thing. We are now so intertwined and interdependence that the issue has become a non-question. But the question is on how are we in the process of interdependence. Some are more dependent than interdependent. And yet each island state tries to be economically viable for its own people.

On the religious front, the same picture emerges: there is an emphasis on being local church. Church leaders are mostly local and they try to live as locally as possible the message of the Gospel. There is an attempt to interpret the gospel and the experience of God in the past in the life and worldview of the present where ever faith is found.

On the cultural revaluation, the studies on the various issues in this area as well as history are now done by Pacific Islanders from the perspectives of the islanders. We have been written about by missionaries, traders, visitors, and researchers but we had very little input in what they said about us. Now we are trying to tell others who we are for we have the right to speak for and of ourselves as we learn of others from themselves.

All these are about a re-assertion of our self-identity. In theology, some island hermeneutical principles are being used to re-interpret scripture and tradition for by necessity, this has to be. Our historical nature demands that we have to be faithful to the point of the Christian symbols in every generation, in every location.

 

Kafoa Solomone, a native of Tonga, is the Academic Dean at the Pacific Theological College in Suva, Fiji. He holds a doctorate from Catholic University, Leuven, Belgium. This presentation was given at the International Academy of Practical Theology, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, 24th-29th June, 2005.

Email: ksolomone@ptc.ac.fj

 

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