David Gyeong Han
580 California St., Suite 400
San Francisco, CA, 94104
Conceptual Framework for Developing An Indigenous Theology
2019
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Abstract
From contact with Indigenous people in Northwest Canada until recently, Christian missions did not require a contextual Christian approach. Their cultural uniqueness and spirituality were obliviated under the colonial banner of civilization and Christianization. From a consequential point of view, the long years of Indigenous missionary work were ineffective, assessed by the outcome that they primarily regarded Christianity as a white people's religion. The contextual approach of the mission recognizes the kind of Christianity the cultural characteristics possessed by the traditional Indigenous peoples. Since the Indigenous construct of Christian theology is to know how Christianity is construed in indigenous thought-world and culture, the Anthropological Model of Contextual Theology suggests a right-fit methodology. A contextual approach to theology is a radical departure from traditional theology and concerns the syncretistic or dualistic religion. But an Indigenous Christianity must be understood at the fundamental philosophical level and constructed with similar cultural concepts. This study builds Indigenous Christianity through a cultural understanding of the Trinity and the cultural expressions of doctrines and attempts to locate Christ in its culture.
Key takeaways
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- Indigenous theology requires contextualization to align Christianity with traditional Indigenous spirituality and cultural identity.
- Historical missionary efforts often resulted in cultural assimilation rather than genuine spiritual transformation for Indigenous peoples.
- The Anthropological Model of Contextual Theology emphasizes cultural identity preservation while integrating Christian faith into Indigenous contexts.
- The study critiques traditional theology's inadequacies in addressing Indigenous perspectives and proposes a new theological framework.
- A holistic approach to theology must recognize the unique cultural expressions of Indigenous Christianity while maintaining core Christian doctrines.
References (11)
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