• Membangkitkan Realitas Alternatif: Konsep “Imajinasi Profetik” Walter Brueggemann sebagai Metafora Kitab Suci bagi Kontestasi Naratif Realitas Kontemporer

  Hendradi, Nathaniel (Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia, 2022-07-15)

  Modern scholars of narrative, such as Ninian Smart, Paul G. Hiebert, Charles Taylor, James W. Sire, and James K.A. Smith, affirm the centrality of narrative for shaping the identity and spirituality of individuals and society. The power of narrative attends the dimension of the imaginal, which is manifest in mythical stories. Such scholarship draws primarily upon sociological/anthropological approaches if not, more simply, a humanities-oriented disciplinarity. While maintaining an appreciation for such precedent studies, this article aims to make a discursive contribution to the subject at hand—a contribution that considers the discourse on narrative and mythical stories from biblical studies perspective, given the significance of what it means to perceive the human person in complex and holistic fashion. The author holds the centrality of the scriptural text for determining the life and faith of God’s people, given that the text comprises God’s narrative: as foundation, as memory, and as their mythical framework. Utilizing Walter Brueggemann’s notion of the “prophetic imagination,” this article proposes that the metaphor of Scripture serves as a model for encountering the reality of contemporary life, surrounded as each one is by narrative contestations.
• Eklesiologi Hibrid Pentakostal: Liturgis, Karismatis, dan Oikoumenis : Sebuah Studi Kasus dari GSJA IES Christ the King

  Marpaung, Welko Henro (Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia, 2022-12-20)

  Given the massive growth of Pentecostalism did not parallel the development of Pentecostal theology, Pentecostalism needs to strengthen the articulation of the theological practices it performs. One such growth area is Pentecostal ecclesiology since churches across the Pentecostal landscape seemingly carry out such work inadequately. For this reason, the search for alternative forms of Pentecostal ecclesiology presents as a necessity. As a model for Pentecostal ecclesiology, this article presents the case study of Indonesian Assemblies of God (Gereja Sidang-sidang Jemaat Allah di Indonesia or GSJA) International English Service (IES) Christ the King (CTK). By applying a framework and process for Pentecostal spirituality as conceived by Anglican Charismatic practical theologian Mark Cartledge, GSJA IES CTK employed Cartledge’s SET (search-encounter-transformation) framework to produce a Pentecostal hybrid ecclesiology of liturgical, charismatic, and ecumenical orientation. This article discusses the background, approach, and practices of GSJA IES CTK, as well as their ecclesiological constructive process promoting the construction of an alternative Pentecostal ecclesiology.
• Prophetic Churches for the Metaverse: Communities who Sing the Melody of Hope

  Avila, Angga (Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia, 2022-12-20)

  With a number of churches racing towards the metaverse, this paper offers a preliminary response to the phenomenon of the meta-church from the context of Indonesian churches. Churches that adopt and participate in the metaverse ought to do so not simply to be another institution that holds worship or preaches there. Churches that enter the metaverse follow strategies that are driven by followers, likes, and viewers (Joas Adiprasetya) as digital equivalents for measuring attendance, building, and cash (Chloe Lynch) without a proper understanding of the nature of the metaverse and a lack of contextual awareness may unconsciously endorse and even underwrite a system that fosters injustice and inequality. To kindle such an awareness, in this article I wish to consider Belle, a 2021 Japanese animated movie that depicts a metaverse, which features Sponsors who capitalize on its resources and thereby abuse the metaverse by perpetuating deep inequities. The film illuminates the potential condition of a metaverse that promises unlimited possibility and purports to be impartial to everyone, insofar as it connects people and removes for many the barriers of time and distance. While I argue that Indonesian churches must learn from the prophetic character of Bitcoin, they must also stay vigilant against the inherent inequities brought to bear with the advent of the NFT (non-fungible token). Leveraging Joshua Nunzianto’s interpretation of an Augustinian economy of sacrifice, I re-evaluate the very concept of a metaversal economy based on notions of scarcity and proprietary ownership. Then, with reference to Walter Brueggemann’s Prophetic Imagination and Jürgen Moltmann’s The Spirit of Hope, I construct an ecclesiology of prophetic communities that sing the melody of hope.
• Mungkinkah Dual Belonging sebagai Alternatif Mencapai Kesempurnaan Rohani? Sebuah Survey Awal

  Hulu, Bedali (Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia, 2022-12-20)

  Dual belonging emerges as a societal reality shaped by the formations of certain social and cultural interactions and family systems. As the works of Paul F. Knitter, Rose Drew, and Catherine Cornille show, the reality of dual belonging is in practice nothing new, particularly in Asia—including Indonesia. By means of their personal encounters vis-à-vis the reality of a religious diversity that is deeply integrated in social and cultural life (specifically in Asia), the contributions of Knitter, Drew, and Cornille prove both valuable for building interreligious dialogue and cooperation as well as beneficial for spiritual growth. Knitter and Drew, for instance, regard dual belonging as a societal good and positive merit of tradition, with Knitter even concluding that dual belonging presents a worthwhile alternative for making spiritual progress. Although Cornille mostly agrees that the ritual practices associated with dual belonging may offer spiritual benefits, she is dubious about the commitment and personal conviction of anyone who simultaneously pursues dual belonging in practice—though this clearly relates to Cornille’s position on multiple religious identification. While the practical development of dual belonging raises doubts and tension among adherents of variegated religions, the practice of dual belonging has become a sociocultural good within Asian tradition even despite the tension it brings, and this includes the case of Indonesia (Albertus Bagus Laksana). Dual belonging practices, such as pilgrimage in Indonesia, can nevertheless be beneficial for one’s spiritual growth when that spirituality is rooted in one’s religious beliefs. This article affirms the acceptability of dual belonging at the level of religious experience while also granting that claims of particularity on a cognitive level remain difficult to bridge.  
• Bumi, Laut, dan Keselamatan: Refleksi-Refleksi Ekoteologi Kontekstual. : by Hans A. Harmakaputra, Toar B. Hutagalung, Indah Sriulina, dan Adrianus Yosia, eds

  Atmoko, Ricky (Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia, 2022-12-20)

  A book review of Bumi, Laut, dan Keselamatan: Refleksi-Refleksi Ekoteologi Kontekstual.
• The Lord's Supper Revisited: The Absence of Agape Context in the Lord’s Supper Today

  Jessica (Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia, 2022-12-20)

  The Lord’s Supper is probably one of the most vital elements in Christianity. However, churches nowadays witness two extreme attitudes in approaching the Lord’s Supper: one that over-sacralizes the ceremony as something mystical or magical while the other simply takes it as a ritual or memorial. While both notions are not wrong in some sense, the ceremony in fact falls somewhere in the middle. Eucharist involved two important dimensions: it is a meal, and it is a “sacrificial” meal. The ordinary and the religious aspects both exist within the eucharist. In the records of the Last Supper, Jesus ate the Passover “meal” with His disciples and reinstituted it. From then on, the early church celebrated the Lord’s Supper, gathering and breaking bread in houses, which was then known as agape—a love feast. However, what we witness in today’s Lord’s Supper is nowhere close to the original Last Supper or the early Christian agape feast. It becomes a ceremony without a meal; a celebration without a feast. It is ironic that the so-called “supper” only involves a wafer-like bread and a really small cup of wine. It is the absence of a “meal” that this ceremony becomes more and more detached. The Lord’s Supper becomes difficult to understand because of the emphasis on its sacredness. The ceremony remains a ritual as the “sacred” is separated from the “secular”. It is the contention of this study that the separation of the love feast from the ceremony of the Lord’s Supper that render it meaningless. This study aims to uncover the context and history of the Lord’s Supper, especially the significance of a feast or meal in the eucharist, and how it was lost in the course of history. We will see that it is in the context of a meal that the early church celebrates the eucharist, a thanksgiving in the form of a love feast. It is in the context of a meal that Jesus introduced His body and blood in the Last Supper. It is in the context of a meal that God commanded the Israelites to observe the Passover. When we approach the Lord’s Table without a proper meal, the eating of the “bread” and “wine” without context becomes a ritual without reality. Finally, suggestions are given to better approach the Lord’s Table, and hopefully regain the meaning and spirit of the ceremony.
• Gereja yang Mendengar: Respons Pastoral terhadap Penderitaan yang Disebabkan oleh Emosi Malu

  Sinaga, Lamria (Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia, 2022-12-20)

  Emotions of shame, guilt, and fear reflect ubiquitous if not normalized aspects of the human experience. This article seeks to explore how the church makes use of the emotion of shame in its theologizing. While shame is an oft discussed topic in psychology and counseling therapy, religious traditions have the tendency to exacerbate such an emotion—which can be seen in how the so-called ideals of the church can alienate those struggling with shame, even to the point of “disappearing” those who suffer. It stands to reason that in this alienating the church lacks a sufficient understanding of shame to proffer it of any use for its theologizing. Following a literature survey of qualitative research methods, this article employs a constructive theological method that considers how relevant a proper comprehension of emotions like shame prove to be for pastoral theology. This article concludes that the emotion of shame, rather than presenting an abyss between humanity and God, is a space to meet the God of perfection, namely, within the vulnerability and suffering of human persons, by means of a listening church.
• Transformasi bagi Seorang Peziarah: Sebuah Pertemuan antara Theologia Viatorum dari Tradisi Reformed dan Fenomenologi dari Emmanuel Falque

  Eliata, Stephen Rehmalem (Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia, 2022-12-20)

  The development of theology and of philosophy since the 20th-century has failed to form a harmonious relationship between these domains. The concept of Reformed Epistemology (RE), which attempts from the Reformed tradition to link the two, evinces this failure in that RE unwittingly discredits nature and begets religious fundamentalism. Implications of this arrested development are manifest amid various crises—ecological, social, cultural, and economic. Taking these problematics as a point of departure, the author intends to bridge theology and philosophy by means of retrieving from 17th-century Reformed tradition a theologia viatorum. In connection with the phenomenological philosophy of Emmanuel Falque, the author posits that the proper bridging of theology and philosophy as fields of knowledge will create a harmonious relationship between them and thereby bring about Christian transformation for those called pilgrim (viator). Through such transformation, every Christian might come to realize the final end of theology, which—according to the Reformed tradition—is to worship and glorify God within the world.
• Dapur dan Allah: Rekonstruksi Teologis Makna Sosio-Religi-Kultural Dapur dalam Masyarakat Minahasa

  Pinontoan, Denni (Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia, 2022-07-15)

  This article focuses discussion on the kitchen as a space and place in the socio-religio-cultural practice of the Minahasan people. One customary trait of the Minahasan people is their penchant for parties, wherein having a meal together plays an important part. All that is served on the dining table starts from the kitchen. Therefore, the kitchen is a place and space that is integrated with the social order. This article intends to demonstrate how the kitchen serves not only as a place for culinary activities, but it also functions as a space whereby God’s presence is reflected in personal, family, and communal life. Out of the theological reconstruction of its meaning, we see how the kitchen is an important part of efforts to maintain kinship, community relations, as well as hospitality, all as praxis that stems from experiencing God’s presence.
• Membangkitkan Kesadaran Alternatif: Konsep “Imajinasi Profetik” Walter Brueggemann sebagai Metafora Kitab Suci bagi Kontestasi Naratif Realitas Kontemporer

  Hendradi, Nathaniel (Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia, 2022-07-15)

  Modern scholars of narrative, such as Ninian Smart, Paul G. Hiebert, Charles Taylor, James W. Sire, and James K.A. Smith, affirm the centrality of narrative for shaping the identity and spirituality of individuals and society. The power of narrative attends the dimension of the imaginal, which is manifest in mythical stories. Such scholarship draws primarily upon sociological/anthropological approaches if not, more simply, a humanities-oriented disciplinarity. While maintaining an appreciation for such precedent studies, this article aims to make a discursive contribution to the subject at hand—a contribution that considers the discourse on narrative and mythical stories from biblical studies perspective, given the significance of what it means to perceive the human person in complex and holistic fashion. The author holds the centrality of the scriptural text for determining the life and faith of God’s people, given that the text comprises God’s narrative: as foundation, as memory, and as their mythical framework. Utilizing Walter Brueggemann’s notion of the “prophetic imagination,” this article proposes that the metaphor of Scripture serves as a model for encountering the reality of contemporary life, surrounded as each one is by narrative contestations.
• Gereja Sebagai Shelter: Gerakan Shelter COVID-19 sebagai Model Katekese untuk Solidaritas di Masa Pandemi

  Dwi Asmara, Alexander Hendra (Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia, 2022-07-15)

  As the Catholic Church’s response to the COVID-19 crisis in Indonesia has changed over time, Yogyakarta—which is under the Archdiocese of Semarang (Keuskupan Agung Semarang, or KAS)—has seen a significant shift in the Church’s approach. During the first pandemic phase (2020), the KAS was more focused on offering short-term assistance, such as distributing face masks, providing food or meals, and organizing other charitable activities. But by the second period of the COVID-19 pandemic (2021), the KAS shifted to more comprehensive approaches, specifically the opening of self-isolation shelters for COVID-19 patients. This article demonstrates how providing shelter has become a new model for the Church to symbolize its deep solidarity with the afflicted in a time of pandemic. The qualitative data collection methods employed include interviews with several key informants, with details corroborated by information from the internet and other mass media.
• Membongkar Kebisuan Perempuan: Membongkar Kebisuan Perempuan: Kedudukan Perempuan dalam Alkitab Ditinjau dari Perspektif Feminis: by Asnath Niwa Natar

  Lauwing Bara, Asaria (Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia, 2022-07-15)

  This is a book review of Membongkar Kebisuan Perempuan: Membongkar Kebisuan Perempuan: Kedudukan Perempuan dalam Alkitab Ditinjau dari Perspektif Feminis
• Untouchable Bodies, Resistance, and Liberation: A Comparative Theology of Divine Possessions: by Joshua Samuel

  Yosia, Adrianus (Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia, 2022-07-15)

  This is a book review of Untouchable Bodies, Resistance, and Liberation: A Comparative Theology of Divine Possessions.
• Mamasa-Kristen dan Kematian Anggota Keluarganya: Dialog yang Memperkaya antara 1 Tesalonika 4:14 dan Aluk Toyolo

  Surbakti, Pelita Hati; Pori, Rahyuni Daud; Sabaritno, Ekavian (Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia, 2022-07-15)

  The death of a family member often leaves deep sorrow. Because of that, in various cultures, there are mechanisms of consolation as also found in Aluk Toyolo. However, these mechanisms find occasional opposition within Christianity when seen as inconsistent with the teachings of the Bible. A church may even impose sanctions on congregants who continue to observe them. Such a situation presents an obvious dilemma for those abiding by two traditions or two texts, namely ancestral culture and Christian tradition. Known for their heritage of distinct death rites, Mamasa-Christians experience this very dilemma. Although the Mamasa Toraja Church (GTM) at the synod level has adopted a number of prohibitions, some of the prohibited rites are still practiced openly—a dilemma experienced by congregants and church, alike. So, what can be done to minimize this dilemma? This article proposes a dialogue in the realm of two texts hermeneutics called Cross-Textual Hermeneutics. From this dialogue, a number of points of contact can be found between the notion of death in the Mamasa ancestral culture and the concept of death in the writing of Paul the Apostle. While differences between the two traditions exist, there are also enriching differences to be found. Through such a dialogue, the understanding of the death in 1 Thessalonians 4:14 can be enriched by means of considering the death rite in Aluk Toyolo.
• Dialektika Teologi dari Perspektif Herman Bavinck dengan Pemikiran Ekonomi Marxisme

  Pangaribuan, Rinto (Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia, 2022-07-15)

  The position of a Weberian social theory strongly correlates capitalism with Calvinism. As such, one might expect Reformed (Calvinist) theology to stand in principled opposition to Marxist ideology. Using comparative literary method, this study assesses such a Weberian thesis by placing Calvinism and Marxism in dialectical relation. Modeling a Calvinistic theological perspective, the intellectual and political oeuvre of Herman Bavinck presents an ostensible rejection of Marxism. Meanwhile, this paper also considers the analytical tradition represented by Karl Marx, whose thinking centers economic productivity amid a radical reading of human history. Presenting a theoretical contrast, Bavinck grounds his theological method on revelation, while Marx relies on the material conditions of economic activity to scaffold his philosophical thought. Despite considerable methodological and epistemological differences, however, the theoretical groundings and approaches of both Bavinck and Marx may comprise a point of synthesis within the realm of practical action, or praxis. In doing so, Bavinck’s Reformed commitments can frame an orientation to Marxian emancipatory praxis, whereas Marx’s critical theorization can offer practical concreteness to a Bavinckian theology. A collaborative-complementary resolution to the apparent ideological contradiction is, therefore, put forward on the basis of praxis.
• Listen to the Earth, Listen to the Mother: Sebuah Usaha Ekofeminis untuk Merespons Rintihan Bumi

  Samosir, Agustina; Kakunsi, Ejodia (Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia, 2022-07-15)

  Harm done to the environment and violence perpetrated against women prove to be entangled realities, insofar as both women and nature suffer interlocking experiences of exploitation and oppression. Movements advocating for women’s rights to an improved quality of life are inextricably linked with the survival of the earth itself, thereby birthing notions of ecofeminism that thematically center environmental conservation as emblematic of widespread struggle. In our paper, we show how women’s movements in various parts of the world—such as the indigenous peoples of Indonesia—emerge from a sense of responsibility to nature as well as affective commitments to sustain life. The breadth of Western, Latin American, and South Asian Indian (and other Asian) ecofeminist thought—from Sallie McFague, Rosemary Radford Ruether, and Elisabeth A. Johnson, to Ivone Gebara, Aruna Gnanadason, and others—are manifest in the philosophical notion of the motherland. The very concept of Mother Earth begets a personification of “Indonesian Earth” (bumi Indonesia) wherein nature becomes both subject and source of life. Reinforcing such a personification is our reading of Job 12:7-10, which instructs humankind to hear and learn from nature in order to gain wisdom. Our construction of an ecofeminist theology will inform, in turn, the protection of nature.
• All Things Beautiful: An Aesthetic Christology: by Chris E.W. Green

  Rice, Monte Lee (Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia, 2022-07-15)

  This is a book review of All Things Beautiful: An Aesthetic Christology
• Triangulating the Foundations of Kuyperian Spirituality

  Kristanto, David (Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia, 2021-12-31)

  Spirituality is an under-developed topic on Abraham Kuyper, perhaps it is due to Kuyper’s strong emphasis on the public implications of Christian faith. But things are not supposed to remain that way, since Kuyper also has an equally strong emphasis on the importance of the private dimension of Christian faith. For more than 40 years, Kuyper had written a multivolume of meditations which amount to 2,200. In those meditations, his personality and spirituality are clearly reflected. This article argues that his meditations would be a suitable starting point to construct a Kuyperian spirituality alongside other Kuyperian themes such as his doctrine of regeneration (palingenesis) and his ecclesiology. The term “palingenesis” (from Greek word palingenesia) refers to both personal rebirth and the rebirth of all cosmos. This doctrine bridges the private and public implications of Christian faith, between spirituality and Christian actions in Kuyper’s theology. And while his distinction between the Church as institution and as organism is well-known, his emphasis on the role of the institutional Church as mother which nurtures the spirituality of the believers is lesser known. A deeper examination shows how his ecclesiology plays a central role in his spirituality.
• Surga Itu Tak Beratap: Refleksi atas Spiritualitas Kaum Non-Heteronormatif dan Gerakan Melawan Diskriminasi Berbasis Gender dan Seksualitas yang Dilakukan atas nama Agama

  Awijaya, Agetta Putri (Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia, 2021-12-31)

  Discrimination towards the non-heteronormative people, including in the mosques and churches, continues to happen. Along with that, particularly in Indonesia, the movements which fight for equality start to have new attention on faith and sexuality. This new wave shows that despite of the struggle related to gender and sexuality faced by our non-heteronormative fellows, there remains the need to defend their faith. The rejection, which is often based on religious values, does not fade their longing to be connected with God. In fact, our non-heteronormative fellows still strive to reach out to God through spiritual spaces outside the churches and refuse to believe the saying that they are “cursed” by God. Their faith does not only become the evidence of their yearning to devote, but also of God’s desire to embrace all creations in the communion with Him. Behind the struggle to cross the borders of patriarchal doctrines and discriminative interpretation of the Bible, there is a spirituality which recognize God’s presence and His involvement in the life of creation. This article tries to give an attention to the ideas which happen to be parts of non-heteronormative people and Beguine spirituality, as the latter was the pioneer of early emancipation movement, and then to construct a theological reflection which represents their spirituality. There is a hope that this article will contributes to the movements against the discrimination towards our non-heteronormative fellows, and that those movements will be regarded as an embodiment of our longing towards God and at the same time, the manifestation of the Triune God’s love which always moves to embrace all creations.
• Sebuah Ilmu Menghasrat: Topografi Studi Spiritualitas di Indonesia

  Sasongko, Nindyo; Febrianto (Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia, 2021-12-31)

  This is an editorial introduction to the Special Issue "Desiring Love: Foundations of Spirituality."

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