MARIANMAI MAISUANGDIBOU
ABSTRACT
The tribal world, which
is overtly communitarian, has to make use of this communitarian expression in
its research. Tribal Christians seeking knowledge cannot avoid community aspect
as it is the community and within this community that their life evolves. The
centrality of communality in tribal context demands any research on tribal, and
by tribal scholars and intellectuals, to critically utilize communitarian
features and elements. This discourse on communitarian methodology is to
determine the practicality of the said approach. For this matter, the paper
would attempt to review the existing methods in tribal theology, ascertain
their feasibilities and drawbacks. Further, it would propose a communitarian
methodology as a viable model for tribal theology. For that reason, the study
undertaken is explicitly explorative and constructive with few inputs from
other domains.
KEYWORDS
Tribal theology,
methodology, community, God-world-humans continuum, culture, liberation
INTRODUCTION
Tribal theology is a
community-centred theology. It is essentially communitarian to the core, and
the driving force of this theology is the communitarian values. In other words,
the uniqueness of tribal theology is the emphasis on community. This community
is not anthropocentric, but holistic, that encompasses everything in totality.
The God-world-human (Ting-kadih-maina) continuum is the characteristic of this
communality. Hence this overtly communitarian nature in tribal worldview is the
point of departure for tribal theology. However, tribal theologians and
intellectuals have neglected or sidelined the significance of community in
tribal faith expression, and especially in the section of methodology. Or they
have not critically utilized the communitarian model in their approach to
theology. On this ground, the research undertaken is to examine the idea of
community — both as a methodology as well as an outcome of tribal faith endeavour.
For this matter, an explorative analysis combines with constructive, and other
significant approaches are employed. The overall vision of the paper is to
conceptualize and evaluate the rationale of the communitarian approach proposed
in tribal theology.
1.
TRIBAL WORLD AND TRIBAL THEOLOGY
According
to the 2011 Census conducted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of
India (GOI), the tribal population numbered 104,545,716, which constitutes 8.6%
of the total population of India. The tribal-indigenous communities are
scattered almost all over India. They are diverse and heterogeneous. At the
same time, there are similarities and interconnectedness in various manners,
especially in their worldview, culture, and lived experiences. From ancient times,
these communities had been living in relative isolation, selfsufficient, and
self-sovereign. Nevertheless, they have gone through colonialism and defeat at
the hand of the British empire first, and secondly, under the regime of the
Government of India.
Today,
they are one of the most alienated communities in the world. Even after more
than 70 years of Indian independence, the tribals continue to remain at the
bottom of the Indian social structure. K. Thanzauva describes the situation of
the tribals as “culturally alienated, socially stigmatised, economically
exploited, poor and politically powerless.” The mainland Indians treat the
tribals as below the caste or low caste people who are poor, illiterate, naïve,
and impure. In such an Indian social milieu, because of the caste-ridden
society, the tribals suffer the stigma of being untouchable, marginalized, and
oppressed.
They are also alienated from their own land.
Besides, these tribal communities experience inferiority complex, psychological
traumas, and rejection due to the long time experience of colonialism and
dominance. Again they are rejected as Indians outside Northeast India due to
their Mongolian look. Hence, these lived experiences and social realities are
the basis for their critical reflection on their life and especially on their
Christian faith.6 Tribal theology that borne out of the tribal realities is a
contextual theology. It seriously takes into consideration the tribal situation
in its faith articulation. Secondly, tribal theology is pluralistic and
wide-ranging. Diverse tribal communities have distinct tribal theological
expressions.
This
aspect is due to the diversity of tribal cultures as well as church
denominations, and social backgrounds. Therefore, tribal theology can be best expressed
as tribal theologies. In other words, tribal theology/ies is not monotonous, as
diverse realities of different tribal/indigenous groups demand multiple tribal
theologies. Thirdly, tribal theology is community-centred.
It
appropriates the rich worldview of communitarian values in its theological
endeavour. Fourthly, tribal faith expression is imaginative, creative,
critical, systematic, and coherent. At the same time, it is dynamic,
open-ended, multi-layered, and in the state of becoming. Fifthly, the goal of
tribal faith reflection is God’s salvation, liberation, and the Kingdom of God.
It is to transform tribal society and the world at large, it is also to restore
the God-world-humans community and to revive the dying tribal cultures,
reestablish their authentic identities, and experience lives in totality.
To read full pdf book please Click here!
0 Comments