INFO:
"The LORD will strike you with infectious diseases,
with swelling and fever; he will send drought and
scorching winds to destroy your crops. These disasters
will be with you until you die."
Deutronomy 28:22
THE CURE:
HE said, "If you will obey me completely by doing what
I consider right and by keeping any of the diseases
that I brought on the Egyptians. I am the LORD, the
one who heals you."
Exodus 15:26
Whoever goes to the LORD for safety,
whoever remains under the protection of the Almighty,
can say to him,
"You are my defender and protector,
You are my God; in you I trust."
He will keep you safe from all hidden dangers
and from all deadly diseases.
He will cover you with his wings;
you will be safe in his care;
his faithfulness will protect and defend you.
You need not fear any dangers at night
or sudden attacks during the day
or the plagues that strike in the dark
or y fall dead beside you,
ten thousand all round you,
but you will not be harmed.
You will look and see
how the wicked are punished.
You have made the LORD your defender,
the mMost High your protector,
and so no disaster will strike you,
no violence will come near your home.
god will put his angels in charge of you
to protect you wherever you go.
Psalms 91:1-11
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Bible Verses to Read When You Are worried!
Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Luke 12:22
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34
But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. Luke 21:14
Say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you. Isaiah 35:4
Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. Mark 13:11
Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. Psalm 55:22
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6
Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:24
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9.
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3
Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.Trust in the LORD and do good;dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:1-4
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34
But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. Luke 21:14
Say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you. Isaiah 35:4
Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. Mark 13:11
Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. Psalm 55:22
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6
Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:24
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9.
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3
Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.Trust in the LORD and do good;dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:1-4
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1
What the Bible say about unbelievers!
Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers. 1 Corinthians 14:22
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14
The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;God is in none of his thoughts." Psalm 10:4
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. Romans 1:18
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:21
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. Romans 1:24
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.Romans 1: 26,27.
No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 1 John 3:9
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. Hebrews 3:12
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4
Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. John 12:37
But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their fathers, who did not trust in the LORD their God. 2 Kings 17:14
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. Hebrews 4:11
All who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water. Jeremiah 17:13
You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. 2 Timothy 1:15
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14
The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;God is in none of his thoughts." Psalm 10:4
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. Romans 1:18
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:21
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. Romans 1:24
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.Romans 1: 26,27.
No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 1 John 3:9
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. Hebrews 3:12
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4
Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. John 12:37
But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their fathers, who did not trust in the LORD their God. 2 Kings 17:14
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. Hebrews 4:11
All who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water. Jeremiah 17:13
You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. 2 Timothy 1:15
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14
Friday, February 5, 2010
AN INTRODUCTION TO THEOLOGY
(Notes by Bishop Batumalai)
A. WHAT IS THEOLOGY
Theology is mainly concerned with God and religion. There are different goals of theology (eg. Asian or Malaysian theology).
1. The God–question
Theology is generally understood as the discourse on God or God-talk. God’s existence cannot be taken for granted. Does God exist? Even if God exists, can we know anything about Him? Can we speak of God meaningfully?
The Existence of God: On the existence of God there are generally three views: Atheism, Agnosticism and Theism.
a) Atheism is a stance that rejects the existence of God (eg. Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud).
b) Agnostics simply say that they do not know whether God exists or not. With or without God, the world will go on. Even some of the religious traditions are non-thesistic (eg. Theravada Buddhism).
c) Theism is conceived differently by different religions and philosophical systems. Along with Christianity, Judaism and Islam speak about personal God. Some certain absolute philosophical systems conceive an impersonal God. St. Thomas Aquinas gave 5 proofs for the existence o God. They are cosmological arguments, drawn from the cosmology of the time. However these proofs are abstract and philosophical. In principle, we can say that human person can come to the knowledg3e of God with the light of reason.
2. Can we speak of God?
The mystical tradition says no. But the biblical tradition and the mainly Christian tradition affirm that we can speak about God and we can have positive understanding of God.
a) All creatures bear a certain resemblance of God, most especially man, created in the image and likeness of God. However God transcends all creatures. Our human words always fall short of the mystery of God.
In other words, human persons can have some knowledge of God, but their knowledge of God is limited. (Rom. 3:23).
3. The knowledge of God as ANALOGICAL
Analogical is contrasted with ‘univocal’ and ‘equivocal’. Universal means that a particular word or language is used with the same meaning. For God and creatures the same term or same language cannot be used with the same meaning because God belong to the order of ‘infinite’ whereas the creatures belong to the order of ‘finite’. The whole theological enterprise is possible only with the role of analogy. The theory of analogy was developed by Aristotle. If there is no such ‘correspondence’ between God and humans, we cannot know God. Jesus taught us to call God ‘our Father’.
4. God – Experience
The reality of religion and religious experience is a very complex one, which has been the object of study by various sciences such as, history of religion, anthropology of religion, sociology of religion, psychology of religion, phenomenology of religion, philosophy of religion, psychology of religion, phenomenology of religion, philosophy of religion and theology of religion.
One may have a variety of religious experience: eg. Burning bush (Ex. 3: 2-6, the experience of the glory and brightness of the Sun (eg. Transfiguration Mt. 17: 1-13). God cannot be fully understood and God – experience cannot be articulated in ordinary day to day language. Some one said: Theology uses ordinary language in an extraordinary way.
5. Religious Language as Symbolic Language
Two examples of symbols may be given: Jesus Christ is the supreme symbol of Christianity. In Jesus the divine and the human met together and united in the supreme way. In Jesus we meet God, experience God and he is the medium of God’s self-communication. Jesus said, if you have seen me you have seen the Father. Jesus Christ is the sacrament of God. In the Eucharist the Christian community is expressed, and experienced and mediated by the Eucharist. But Christ’s presence in the Church and in the world is already there; it is a reality, even prior to the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the symbol of this presence. God’s revelation or self-gift reaches us only through our mind, reason, body and sense perception. This may be mediated through symbols. Both natural theology and Christian theology has symbolic function.
B. VARIOUS DEFINITIONS OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY
God fully revealed his plan by sending us His beloved son, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
1. Theologia: The term ‘theology’ derives from the Greek words, theos (God) and logos (word, discourse, science) which literally means ‘discourse on God’, ‘science of God’, ‘God-talk’.
2. Faith seeking Understanding: St. Anselm defined theology as fides quaerens intellectum, ‘faith seeking understanding’. Theology is a search to understand God’s Words and actions revealed in human history for the salvation of humankind.
Anselm would also say: I believe in order to understand. Faith alone can lead to real understand; God’s Word alone can be the ultimate answer. Fideism accepts everything revealed by God without any attempt to scrutinize it by reason. Rationalism rejects everything that is not clearly understood by reason. Since God’s word is truth (John 17:17) the human search for truth-philosophy, can help to understand God’s Word better.
One is called to understand and explain in the best possible way. Every new generation has to struggle and give an account of their faith in their own times, ‘an account we must give ourselves and others of the truth of our hope (1 Peter 3:15). No one can ever resolve completely the tension between faith and reason, between theology and the mystery (eg. Easter Church). This polarity is healthy and fruitful, and is the source of all theological creativity and newness.
3. Western approach tended to be more rational, academic, abstract and philosophical, whereas the Eastern approach was more Biblical, Patristic and Liturgical. Theology is the understanding and explanation of God’s Word and action, revealed in history, especially in Jesus Christ. Liturgical experience will be the unique source of theology. All the Christian belief and doctrines have their origin in the liturgy and prayers of the Church. Creeds were primarily confession and proclamations of experience and liturgy. Prayers and liturgies are the products of faith experience. The East rejects a sterile liturgy lacking in faith – experience.
4. Theology as Faith – Reflection on Reality
The Protestant reformers reated to this and proposed the sola scriptura (scripture alone). Later, the Enlightenment and rationalism dismissed all authorities, whether Bible or the Church, and theology became once again pure philosophical and rational.
The task of theology was understood as identifying, analyzing and articulating this experience in order to draw its consequences for the life of the community. Political theology and Liberation theologies emphasized the changing reality with special focus on the society rather than on the individual. Theology is discussed everything from the perspective of faith or under the light of faith. Later ‘theology from above’ to complement ‘theology from below’. Man must explain.
5. Theology as Theological anthropology
‘Anthropocentricity’ and ‘theocentricity’ complement each other. The object of theology is not God as such but man as related to God (or God became Man). What theology discusses is God’s plan of human salvation as revealed by God. Hence theology deals formally not with God, but human beings in relation to God, their fundamental openness to God, about the mystery of God’s plan for human salvation (Hebrew 1:1). Theology speaks more about humans than about God. Hence theology can be rightly understood as Theological Anthropology. Christology have to be read and understood anthropologically (God became Man).
6. Theology as Critical Reflection on Christian Praxis
Gusavo Gutierrez defined “theology as a critical reflection on Christian praxis in the light of the Word (A Theology of Liberation (1965) pp 6-15). The Church is not to be centered upon itself, but upon the Kingdom of God. Christian faith is, there, not simply a set of truths to be understood and formulated by theology, but it is the call for a praxis and commitment for the transformation of the world into the Kingdom of God. Theology is a critical reflection on Christian praxis. ‘Liberation theology’ is not a special branch of theology, but a new way of doing theology.
7. Theology as Hermeneutics
The Church has the duty of scrutinizing the signs of the times and interpreting them in the light of the Gospel. This interpretation is the main task of theology. Theology may be also defined as hermeneutics. One need to study the bible, history (the past and the present) and the current situations to make reflections.
Theology is the interpretation of Christian faith in the context of contemporary existential realities and the interpretation of contemporary realities in the lifht of the Word of God. The content of Christian faith needs continuous interpretation and re-interpretation, so that it may become understandable and relevant for every new age. Theology is therefore an ongoing, continuous process of hermeneutics or interpretation.
8. Theology as Interpretation of the Christian Story
It began with the Christian story: the story of God’s entry into human history, the story of God becoming man in Jesus Christ in order to save the whole of humankind from sin and death.
9. A Working Definition of Theology
Christian theology is a systematic and critical interpretation on the meaning of human life and reality in general from the perspective of the Revelation in Jesus Christ on the one hand, and reinterpretation of Christian Faith on the other, in the light of the new experience and context of the changing realities of the world, in and by the believing community. Theology is a critical discipline in its prophetic character as it challenges the present Christian faith and praxis to become what it ought to be and to constantly purify and reform itself, and thus to unfold itself until the eschatological fulfillment. Theological reflection and interpretation deal with the ultimate meaning and mystery of human life and of reality, including the human, the cosmic and the Divine, from the perspective of Christian revelation, as enshrined in the Bible and the Christian tradition. Theological interpretations have to face modern realities (eg. Science). The whole process of theologizing takes place within the Christian community. Christian theology is not simply produced by the creative minds of individual theologians independent of the Christian community or the Church. Theologians are called to be spokesman of the community even in their prophetic criticism.
C. CREATIVE POLARITIES IN THEOLOGIZING
Theological activity has several inherent tensions, conflicts, struggles and dialectics or polarities. It faces many issues, questions and dimension of theology. Let us highlight a few concerns.
1. Mystery and Intelligibility
Both faith and reason have their own roles in theology. However, theology distances itself equally both from Fideism and Rationalism, and keeps the middle way. The starting point of theology is not rational evidence, but faith-experience. Theological understanding is a never–ending search and continuing process. Faith alone can lead to real and fuller understanding, as faith alone can give the ultimate answers. In theological reflections, there will be always a tension and dialectics between faith and reason, mystery and intellibility. We can speak about God and the mystery of God’s plan.
2. Identity and Change
God’s Word, as spoken through the Prophets, as enshrined in the Scriptures, (eg. Exodus, Covenant, Incarnation, Death & Resurrection of Jesus) reveal God’s plan of human salvation. Our understanding of God needs continuous reform and interpretation. Christian theology thus involves a creative tension between continuity and change.
3. Committed and Critical
Theology is therefore, a committed engagement. It is not a mere abstract, speculative and academic discipline, but a practical discipline that challenges and change our life. A theologian has to believe and live what he teaches. Theologizing is a critical activity.
4. Community and Individual Theologian
Individual theologians share in the faith of the community, though they have their own personal experience, vision and charisma. All quest for theological understanding takes place in the community. The Christian community is, however, a pilgrim community, conditioned by its own historical situation, and it needs continuous reform and renewal.
5. One and Many, Transcendental and Historical
In Christianity there exist, however, various traditions or denominations, such as, Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant and Pentecostal. Each of these tranditions has its own theology (eg. Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994). Theologizing is thus a constant movement between the one and the many, the universal and the particular.
6. Universal and Contextual theology
Thomas Aquinan was considered for centuries as theologia perennis, a perennial theology, for the entire Catholic Church. He made a new and radical theological synthesis using the philosophy of Aristotle. In fact, his theological thinking was not acceptable to many at that time. His books were burned by the Bishop of Paris soon after his death. His theology was the product of his own time, conditioned by the medieval socio – cultural realities and Aristotelian philosophical system. No theology is perennial. All theologies are contextual, i.e. conditions by the historical, social and cultural content.
We would like to mention some of the latest trends:
a) Liberation Theology which attempts to theologize in the context of the socio-economic and political realities of poverty, exploitation, and injustice.
b) Feminist Theology is theological reflection on the part of women in the context of their marginalization and inequality.
c) Black Theology is along the same line. This is a theological reflection on the part of black people who are discriminated and segregated by white people with racial prejudice.
d) Dalit Theology is being developed in India to articulate the aspirations of the Dalits or the outcast for freedom, justice, equality.
e) Similarly, ‘Tribal Theologies’ are emerging today from the context of tribal people.
D. GOALS OF THEOLOGIZING
The goal of theology is conceived as authentic human existence by the right understanding of the human person in relation to God and to other humans and to the entire universe. We would like to list the different goals of theologizing.
1. The origin and core of Christianity is the Christ-event and the Christ-experience. In Jesus Christ we saw the face of God. This faith-experience is transmitted from generation to generation by the Church through the mediation of Scriptures, tradition, worship, liturgy, prayers, doctrines, beliefs, discipline and catechesis. Theology’s primary task is, therefore, to awaken, strengthen and communicate the faith experience.
2. Theology also contains analyses, elaborates and systematizes the faith and thus helps to understand and assimilate it better and better. Theologizing is an on going and continuous process, which leads to ever new understanding of faith.
3. The Word of God or God’s revelation is always communicated by the human word. The scripture, God’s words were written by human. It is the task of theology to sieve the human words in the Bible and to discover within them and beyond them the real Word of God.
4. Theology is both an interpretative and prophetic role. It has to help the church in its process if discernment as regards the practices of the Christian community.
5. One of the primary roles of theology is the systematic exposition of the Christian faith. Theology shows the unity and coherence of faith by deeper analysis, by moving back to the centre. The foundation of the Christian faith is the “Mystery of Christ” and the salvation in Christ.
6. The pastoral role of strengthening the faith and empowering Christian life is another important goal of theology. Theologians are to be believers, men and women of deep faith, and they should exercise their role of theologizing with great responsibility. All theologizing is to protect, safeguard, deepen and strengthen the faith of ordinary Christian believers. The ultimate role of faith is to transform the lives of individual persons by responding to the divine call and awakening each person to the presence of the Divine within and leading everyone thus to the real inner self in communion with God in Jesus Christ.
7. The pastoral responsibility is to individual Christians, the Church and to the mission and witness of the Church. The Church lives by mission as fire exists by burning. A Church is not oriented to the mission of the Church of the Church or one that has no witnessing value, is not worth the name. The theology must clarify the very concept and practice of the mission for every new age.
8. The goal of theologizing is not only the transformation of individual Christians and the renewal or reform of the Church, but also the transformation of the whole world into the Kingdom of God. Following Jesus, the Church must preach about the Kingdom of God: Let thy Kingdom come. The final goal of theologizing is to enhance, promote and realize the Kingdom of God on this earth and beyond it.
E. FOUNDATION OF THEOLOGY
The foundations of Christian theology are Faith and Revelation. Christianity began with Abba experience of Jesus Christ and the experience of the disciples of Jesus who found in Jesus their God and Saviour. Faith and Revelation, though they are distinct, cannot be separated. They are two sides of the same process, and they are foundations of theology.
1. FAITH: The attitude of faith is a universal human phenomenon. The transcendental object or supreme value or ultimate meaning to which a person clings and which guides and inspires our whole life and action, and to which we have absolute commitment, can be called ‘faith’. Paul Tillich, the famous Protestant theologian, in his book, DYNAMICS OF FAITH (1958) defines faith as ‘ultimate concern’ the state of being ultimately concerned.
Abraham is called the ‘Father of faith’, ‘the father of all who believe (Rom.4:3). ‘By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to rece3ive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go (Heb.11:8; Gen. 12:1-4).
Christian faith has its own specificity and uniqueness. It is ‘faith in Jesus Christ’ that in him God has fully manifested and spoken definitely. In Jesus not only God revealed himself, but also in him God has revealed what a human person and humanity is. According to Christian faith Jesus Christ is ‘Word of God-incarnate’.
Christian faith is the total response and commitment of the whole person to God as revealed in Jesus Christ. Beliefs are doctrines, which are the rational and cognitive dimensions and conceptual expressions of the content of faith. Faith is a personal relationship and commitment to God. Secondly, with regard to the content of faith and its understanding and expression there will be differences according to time, history, culture and the though patterns. Thirdly, faith itself is a perilous journey between faith and unfaith, belief and unbelief in one’s own life. Fourthly, if faith is a personal relationship and commitment, there is need of passing from conventional faith to real faith. Children receive faith from their parents and community, and it is only gradually they personally appropriate and make it personal. Many in Europe and in other countries may not have personal faith.
Our Christian faith must be manifested in life, action, praxis and ethical life. Love of God has to be manifested in one’s behavior, not in what one says, but in what one does. Theological task, according to Liberation theology, does not merely understanding reality but CHANGING OR TRANSFORMING IT. Jon Sobrino said “To know the truth is to do the truth; to know Jesus is to follow Jesus”.
Faith is a free gift of God. It is never imposed upon anybody. It is to be received as a human free act. It is a free response to God’s self-gift. The analysis of faith will point to God’s self-revelation.
2. REVELATION: Faith and Revelation, though distinct and distinguishable, are inseparably united. They are two sides of the same event. One cannot exist without the other. The object of faith is God. Revelation is God’s self-communication to humans and faith is the response on the human life.
Revelation is to be received, perceived, grasped and responded to. God in His goodness chose to reveal or give himself to humankind. God revealed himself and his plan of human salvation in history by calling Abraham, by liberating Israel from Egypt and by promising to humankind a Saviour. Jesus commissioned his Apostles and disciples to proclaim and communicate this revelation. God’s revelation is an utterly gratuitious self-gift of God. Jesus Christ is the fullness of God’s revelation. There will be no further revelation.
What type of challenges we face in our age of pluralism, relativity of history, cultures and religions. Any claim to monopoly of relation by Christianity will be to explain the relationship of God’s revelation in Christ and in other religions.
Revelation is not our discovery but God’s self-disclosure of Himself. Christian revelation is a personal encounter with Jesus Christ, not simply some knowledge.
Revelation is thus a very complex reality and so is its concept. It has various components, which are often singled out and emphasized and thus various models of revelation are presented.
a) Revelation as doctrine is one model.
b) Another model conceives revelation as the presence within the believer as a personal encounter with God. It is not a mere communication of some knowledge, but the presence of the living and life-giving God.
c) A third model conceives revelation as experience. d) Revelation as history is a fourth model. It is an event of history, a universal and public historical event that can be historically established by its analysis and interpreted as an act of God in human history.
F. SOURCES OF THEOLOGY
Reformers, especially Luther and Calvin, proposed and defended the SOLO SCRIPTURA principles. What the Reformers meant was that the Bible, inspired by the Holy Spirit, contained everything necessary for our salvation.
There was the theory of ‘two sources’ of revelation: Scripture and Tradition. Tradition (with capital T) is the entire Gospel, which contains the foundational revelational and faith experience of the early Christian community. Hence to some tradition is more than the Scriptures and the sum total of the beliefs, practices and worship of the community. Its content is the self –communication of God, which is mediated by all these means.
Tradition is thus handed down through various traditions (with small ‘t’).
Revelation or Gospel, the Good News, is God’s gift of self-communication and His plan of human salvation in Jesus Christ. Christ commissioned the Apostles to impart to all people the ‘Gospel’.
Three Sources of Theology
a) Sacred Scriptures
The Church holds that the Scriptures, both the O.T. and the N.T. are records of God’s revelation and of the faith experience o the people of Israel and of the Apostolic Church.
Theology is most powerfully strengthened and constantly rejuvenated by that word. The authority of the Scripture is derived ultimately from the authority of Jesus who is the definitive revelation of God. One of the essential tasks of theology is precisely this interpretation of the Scriptures in the light of the central Christian faith and in the light of the contemporary human experience in the context of the realities of today.
b) Tradition and traditions
This faith-experience is expressed, reenacted and mediated through the Christian Tradition, or Apostolic tradition. Written Scriptures are one of the most important components of the one tradition. There are various other constitutive components and elements of the traditions, which we may call traditions (with the small ‘t’).
c) Reasons To be edited by Bishop Batumalai
G. RESOURCES OF THEOLOGY
1. People and their Experience
One of the primary resources of theology is people and their experience. God’s self-gift or self-communication or revelation is directed to all people, irrespective of caste, creed, nationality (Acts 10:34-35).
2. Cultural Resources: On the other hand, humans create culture, they are the artisan and author of their own culture, by which they develop and refine their own talents and qualities and control their surroundings and the world by their knowledge and labour. Diversity of cultures is a human and historical reality. Each culture is unique, something to be understood from within, having its own values meaning systems, symbols, its own inner logic and connections, so that cultures cannot be easily compared or classified.
The relationship among faith, religion and culture is complex one. God is present and active among all peoples of all races, nationalities and culture. Christian faith and the Gospel are clearly meant for all peoples and cultures. Finally, if God and His Spirit are present and active in all peoples and cultures, Christian theology has to change its traditional method of mission and evangelization.
3. Diverse Religion tradition
In recent times, the Christian approach to other religions has undergone a radical change. In history of Christianity’s encounter with other religions, we couyld identify 3 distinct stages. In the first stage, Christianity with its universal and absolute claims saw the other religions as a threat to its own existence, survival and growth. Secondly, Christianity began to look to other religions more closely and scientifically and to accept human values and truths contained in them, though they were not considered on par with Christianity. The other religions were considered as human and natural, whereas Christianity was considered as supernatural and divinely revealed, and thus the fulfillment of all other religions.
4. The peoples (Movement and the Voice of the Marginalized)
The history of Israel in the O.T. is the story of a people’s movement (e.g. Exodus). In the N.T. the Jesus’ Community or the Church was a people’s movement. The Bible is thus a witness and a call to identify the people’s movement today.
There are numerous people’s movements today, such as human rights movement, women’s movements, peasants’ movements, Tribal people’s movement etc.
5. The Cry of the Poor
In the socio-economic realm today the gulf between the rich and the poor is ever widening due to the structures of injustice. There are many reasons for this gap (eg. The Western development model, globalization, market economy). The Church and theology today, therefore, have to take an unambiguous option for the poor, and to listen to their cry.
Liberation theologians today speak of the epistemological privilege of the poor. God is present among the poor. God speaks today in a very special way through the cry of the poor, their struggles, aspirations, visions and hopes, and theology should be specially attend to them along with the other historical sources of Christian theology.
H. THEOLOGIES IN THE BIBLE
The Bible is divinely inspired. God inspired the human and it w as written by chosen people. God acted in them. God did not dictate to them.
The Bible is a library, a collection of books and consequently of theologies. For instance, in the Hebrew Scriptures, (the O.T.), one can find a Yahwist Theology, and Elohist Theology, a Priestly Theology, a Deuteronomic Theology and Wisdom Theologies, to name a few.
In the N.T., it is not illogical to speak of a Mathean theology, a Marcan theology, a Lucan theology and a Johannine theology. God’s unique message is expressed in a multiple way for their various needs.
I. CONTEXTUAL THEOLOGIES
Contextual Theologies manifested a particular sensitivity to three areas:
a) Context: There was a growing awareness that context has a deep impact on theological reflection. In contexts where issues of oppression and conflict were a reality, social, economic and political questions tended to engage the energies.
b) Procedure: Theological reflection tended to constellate in ‘school’ around theological luminaries such as eg. Karl Barth, Karl Rahner and others.
c) History: While the perennial and enduring realities are not overlooked, special attention is paid to the historical dimension.
The three principal roots underpinning the new awareness which characterizes Contextual Theologies, are: Gospel, Church and culture.
J. INSTANCES OF CONTEXTUAL THEOLOGIES
a) Continental and National Contextual Theologies
Contextual Theologies can be continental (Asian theology, Latin American Theology, or Indian Theology.
b) The Theology of Secularisation: D. Bonhoeffer highlights the thrust of this stance, posing query: How can we speak of God in ‘wordly terms’?
c) The ‘Death of God’ Theology: The concern is how can we talk about God in a contemporary urbanized, industrialized and technological society.
d) Black Theology: This is from the Black Community in USA.
e) Feminist Theology: Feminist Theologies articulate the struggle of women who are facing discrimination on the basis of their gender, and struggling to formulate the Christian experience in terms of a God.
f) Ecofeminism: This attempt to link the twin oppression of women and the rest of nature. Ecofeminism argues that the connections between the oppression of women and the rest of nature must be recognized and acknowledged.
g) Dalit Theology: They are the socially and structurally oppressed class of India. The Dalit theology strives for the liberation of these oppressed from the false consciousness of pollution, and protest against the social system that has created it and supports it.
h) Minjung Theology from Korea: They are the powerless and oppressed people.
Sources From:
A. WHAT IS THEOLOGY
Theology is mainly concerned with God and religion. There are different goals of theology (eg. Asian or Malaysian theology).
1. The God–question
Theology is generally understood as the discourse on God or God-talk. God’s existence cannot be taken for granted. Does God exist? Even if God exists, can we know anything about Him? Can we speak of God meaningfully?
The Existence of God: On the existence of God there are generally three views: Atheism, Agnosticism and Theism.
a) Atheism is a stance that rejects the existence of God (eg. Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud).
b) Agnostics simply say that they do not know whether God exists or not. With or without God, the world will go on. Even some of the religious traditions are non-thesistic (eg. Theravada Buddhism).
c) Theism is conceived differently by different religions and philosophical systems. Along with Christianity, Judaism and Islam speak about personal God. Some certain absolute philosophical systems conceive an impersonal God. St. Thomas Aquinas gave 5 proofs for the existence o God. They are cosmological arguments, drawn from the cosmology of the time. However these proofs are abstract and philosophical. In principle, we can say that human person can come to the knowledg3e of God with the light of reason.
2. Can we speak of God?
The mystical tradition says no. But the biblical tradition and the mainly Christian tradition affirm that we can speak about God and we can have positive understanding of God.
a) All creatures bear a certain resemblance of God, most especially man, created in the image and likeness of God. However God transcends all creatures. Our human words always fall short of the mystery of God.
In other words, human persons can have some knowledge of God, but their knowledge of God is limited. (Rom. 3:23).
3. The knowledge of God as ANALOGICAL
Analogical is contrasted with ‘univocal’ and ‘equivocal’. Universal means that a particular word or language is used with the same meaning. For God and creatures the same term or same language cannot be used with the same meaning because God belong to the order of ‘infinite’ whereas the creatures belong to the order of ‘finite’. The whole theological enterprise is possible only with the role of analogy. The theory of analogy was developed by Aristotle. If there is no such ‘correspondence’ between God and humans, we cannot know God. Jesus taught us to call God ‘our Father’.
4. God – Experience
The reality of religion and religious experience is a very complex one, which has been the object of study by various sciences such as, history of religion, anthropology of religion, sociology of religion, psychology of religion, phenomenology of religion, philosophy of religion, psychology of religion, phenomenology of religion, philosophy of religion and theology of religion.
One may have a variety of religious experience: eg. Burning bush (Ex. 3: 2-6, the experience of the glory and brightness of the Sun (eg. Transfiguration Mt. 17: 1-13). God cannot be fully understood and God – experience cannot be articulated in ordinary day to day language. Some one said: Theology uses ordinary language in an extraordinary way.
5. Religious Language as Symbolic Language
Two examples of symbols may be given: Jesus Christ is the supreme symbol of Christianity. In Jesus the divine and the human met together and united in the supreme way. In Jesus we meet God, experience God and he is the medium of God’s self-communication. Jesus said, if you have seen me you have seen the Father. Jesus Christ is the sacrament of God. In the Eucharist the Christian community is expressed, and experienced and mediated by the Eucharist. But Christ’s presence in the Church and in the world is already there; it is a reality, even prior to the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the symbol of this presence. God’s revelation or self-gift reaches us only through our mind, reason, body and sense perception. This may be mediated through symbols. Both natural theology and Christian theology has symbolic function.
B. VARIOUS DEFINITIONS OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY
God fully revealed his plan by sending us His beloved son, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
1. Theologia: The term ‘theology’ derives from the Greek words, theos (God) and logos (word, discourse, science) which literally means ‘discourse on God’, ‘science of God’, ‘God-talk’.
2. Faith seeking Understanding: St. Anselm defined theology as fides quaerens intellectum, ‘faith seeking understanding’. Theology is a search to understand God’s Words and actions revealed in human history for the salvation of humankind.
Anselm would also say: I believe in order to understand. Faith alone can lead to real understand; God’s Word alone can be the ultimate answer. Fideism accepts everything revealed by God without any attempt to scrutinize it by reason. Rationalism rejects everything that is not clearly understood by reason. Since God’s word is truth (John 17:17) the human search for truth-philosophy, can help to understand God’s Word better.
One is called to understand and explain in the best possible way. Every new generation has to struggle and give an account of their faith in their own times, ‘an account we must give ourselves and others of the truth of our hope (1 Peter 3:15). No one can ever resolve completely the tension between faith and reason, between theology and the mystery (eg. Easter Church). This polarity is healthy and fruitful, and is the source of all theological creativity and newness.
3. Western approach tended to be more rational, academic, abstract and philosophical, whereas the Eastern approach was more Biblical, Patristic and Liturgical. Theology is the understanding and explanation of God’s Word and action, revealed in history, especially in Jesus Christ. Liturgical experience will be the unique source of theology. All the Christian belief and doctrines have their origin in the liturgy and prayers of the Church. Creeds were primarily confession and proclamations of experience and liturgy. Prayers and liturgies are the products of faith experience. The East rejects a sterile liturgy lacking in faith – experience.
4. Theology as Faith – Reflection on Reality
The Protestant reformers reated to this and proposed the sola scriptura (scripture alone). Later, the Enlightenment and rationalism dismissed all authorities, whether Bible or the Church, and theology became once again pure philosophical and rational.
The task of theology was understood as identifying, analyzing and articulating this experience in order to draw its consequences for the life of the community. Political theology and Liberation theologies emphasized the changing reality with special focus on the society rather than on the individual. Theology is discussed everything from the perspective of faith or under the light of faith. Later ‘theology from above’ to complement ‘theology from below’. Man must explain.
5. Theology as Theological anthropology
‘Anthropocentricity’ and ‘theocentricity’ complement each other. The object of theology is not God as such but man as related to God (or God became Man). What theology discusses is God’s plan of human salvation as revealed by God. Hence theology deals formally not with God, but human beings in relation to God, their fundamental openness to God, about the mystery of God’s plan for human salvation (Hebrew 1:1). Theology speaks more about humans than about God. Hence theology can be rightly understood as Theological Anthropology. Christology have to be read and understood anthropologically (God became Man).
6. Theology as Critical Reflection on Christian Praxis
Gusavo Gutierrez defined “theology as a critical reflection on Christian praxis in the light of the Word (A Theology of Liberation (1965) pp 6-15). The Church is not to be centered upon itself, but upon the Kingdom of God. Christian faith is, there, not simply a set of truths to be understood and formulated by theology, but it is the call for a praxis and commitment for the transformation of the world into the Kingdom of God. Theology is a critical reflection on Christian praxis. ‘Liberation theology’ is not a special branch of theology, but a new way of doing theology.
7. Theology as Hermeneutics
The Church has the duty of scrutinizing the signs of the times and interpreting them in the light of the Gospel. This interpretation is the main task of theology. Theology may be also defined as hermeneutics. One need to study the bible, history (the past and the present) and the current situations to make reflections.
Theology is the interpretation of Christian faith in the context of contemporary existential realities and the interpretation of contemporary realities in the lifht of the Word of God. The content of Christian faith needs continuous interpretation and re-interpretation, so that it may become understandable and relevant for every new age. Theology is therefore an ongoing, continuous process of hermeneutics or interpretation.
8. Theology as Interpretation of the Christian Story
It began with the Christian story: the story of God’s entry into human history, the story of God becoming man in Jesus Christ in order to save the whole of humankind from sin and death.
9. A Working Definition of Theology
Christian theology is a systematic and critical interpretation on the meaning of human life and reality in general from the perspective of the Revelation in Jesus Christ on the one hand, and reinterpretation of Christian Faith on the other, in the light of the new experience and context of the changing realities of the world, in and by the believing community. Theology is a critical discipline in its prophetic character as it challenges the present Christian faith and praxis to become what it ought to be and to constantly purify and reform itself, and thus to unfold itself until the eschatological fulfillment. Theological reflection and interpretation deal with the ultimate meaning and mystery of human life and of reality, including the human, the cosmic and the Divine, from the perspective of Christian revelation, as enshrined in the Bible and the Christian tradition. Theological interpretations have to face modern realities (eg. Science). The whole process of theologizing takes place within the Christian community. Christian theology is not simply produced by the creative minds of individual theologians independent of the Christian community or the Church. Theologians are called to be spokesman of the community even in their prophetic criticism.
C. CREATIVE POLARITIES IN THEOLOGIZING
Theological activity has several inherent tensions, conflicts, struggles and dialectics or polarities. It faces many issues, questions and dimension of theology. Let us highlight a few concerns.
1. Mystery and Intelligibility
Both faith and reason have their own roles in theology. However, theology distances itself equally both from Fideism and Rationalism, and keeps the middle way. The starting point of theology is not rational evidence, but faith-experience. Theological understanding is a never–ending search and continuing process. Faith alone can lead to real and fuller understanding, as faith alone can give the ultimate answers. In theological reflections, there will be always a tension and dialectics between faith and reason, mystery and intellibility. We can speak about God and the mystery of God’s plan.
2. Identity and Change
God’s Word, as spoken through the Prophets, as enshrined in the Scriptures, (eg. Exodus, Covenant, Incarnation, Death & Resurrection of Jesus) reveal God’s plan of human salvation. Our understanding of God needs continuous reform and interpretation. Christian theology thus involves a creative tension between continuity and change.
3. Committed and Critical
Theology is therefore, a committed engagement. It is not a mere abstract, speculative and academic discipline, but a practical discipline that challenges and change our life. A theologian has to believe and live what he teaches. Theologizing is a critical activity.
4. Community and Individual Theologian
Individual theologians share in the faith of the community, though they have their own personal experience, vision and charisma. All quest for theological understanding takes place in the community. The Christian community is, however, a pilgrim community, conditioned by its own historical situation, and it needs continuous reform and renewal.
5. One and Many, Transcendental and Historical
In Christianity there exist, however, various traditions or denominations, such as, Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant and Pentecostal. Each of these tranditions has its own theology (eg. Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994). Theologizing is thus a constant movement between the one and the many, the universal and the particular.
6. Universal and Contextual theology
Thomas Aquinan was considered for centuries as theologia perennis, a perennial theology, for the entire Catholic Church. He made a new and radical theological synthesis using the philosophy of Aristotle. In fact, his theological thinking was not acceptable to many at that time. His books were burned by the Bishop of Paris soon after his death. His theology was the product of his own time, conditioned by the medieval socio – cultural realities and Aristotelian philosophical system. No theology is perennial. All theologies are contextual, i.e. conditions by the historical, social and cultural content.
We would like to mention some of the latest trends:
a) Liberation Theology which attempts to theologize in the context of the socio-economic and political realities of poverty, exploitation, and injustice.
b) Feminist Theology is theological reflection on the part of women in the context of their marginalization and inequality.
c) Black Theology is along the same line. This is a theological reflection on the part of black people who are discriminated and segregated by white people with racial prejudice.
d) Dalit Theology is being developed in India to articulate the aspirations of the Dalits or the outcast for freedom, justice, equality.
e) Similarly, ‘Tribal Theologies’ are emerging today from the context of tribal people.
D. GOALS OF THEOLOGIZING
The goal of theology is conceived as authentic human existence by the right understanding of the human person in relation to God and to other humans and to the entire universe. We would like to list the different goals of theologizing.
1. The origin and core of Christianity is the Christ-event and the Christ-experience. In Jesus Christ we saw the face of God. This faith-experience is transmitted from generation to generation by the Church through the mediation of Scriptures, tradition, worship, liturgy, prayers, doctrines, beliefs, discipline and catechesis. Theology’s primary task is, therefore, to awaken, strengthen and communicate the faith experience.
2. Theology also contains analyses, elaborates and systematizes the faith and thus helps to understand and assimilate it better and better. Theologizing is an on going and continuous process, which leads to ever new understanding of faith.
3. The Word of God or God’s revelation is always communicated by the human word. The scripture, God’s words were written by human. It is the task of theology to sieve the human words in the Bible and to discover within them and beyond them the real Word of God.
4. Theology is both an interpretative and prophetic role. It has to help the church in its process if discernment as regards the practices of the Christian community.
5. One of the primary roles of theology is the systematic exposition of the Christian faith. Theology shows the unity and coherence of faith by deeper analysis, by moving back to the centre. The foundation of the Christian faith is the “Mystery of Christ” and the salvation in Christ.
6. The pastoral role of strengthening the faith and empowering Christian life is another important goal of theology. Theologians are to be believers, men and women of deep faith, and they should exercise their role of theologizing with great responsibility. All theologizing is to protect, safeguard, deepen and strengthen the faith of ordinary Christian believers. The ultimate role of faith is to transform the lives of individual persons by responding to the divine call and awakening each person to the presence of the Divine within and leading everyone thus to the real inner self in communion with God in Jesus Christ.
7. The pastoral responsibility is to individual Christians, the Church and to the mission and witness of the Church. The Church lives by mission as fire exists by burning. A Church is not oriented to the mission of the Church of the Church or one that has no witnessing value, is not worth the name. The theology must clarify the very concept and practice of the mission for every new age.
8. The goal of theologizing is not only the transformation of individual Christians and the renewal or reform of the Church, but also the transformation of the whole world into the Kingdom of God. Following Jesus, the Church must preach about the Kingdom of God: Let thy Kingdom come. The final goal of theologizing is to enhance, promote and realize the Kingdom of God on this earth and beyond it.
E. FOUNDATION OF THEOLOGY
The foundations of Christian theology are Faith and Revelation. Christianity began with Abba experience of Jesus Christ and the experience of the disciples of Jesus who found in Jesus their God and Saviour. Faith and Revelation, though they are distinct, cannot be separated. They are two sides of the same process, and they are foundations of theology.
1. FAITH: The attitude of faith is a universal human phenomenon. The transcendental object or supreme value or ultimate meaning to which a person clings and which guides and inspires our whole life and action, and to which we have absolute commitment, can be called ‘faith’. Paul Tillich, the famous Protestant theologian, in his book, DYNAMICS OF FAITH (1958) defines faith as ‘ultimate concern’ the state of being ultimately concerned.
Abraham is called the ‘Father of faith’, ‘the father of all who believe (Rom.4:3). ‘By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to rece3ive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go (Heb.11:8; Gen. 12:1-4).
Christian faith has its own specificity and uniqueness. It is ‘faith in Jesus Christ’ that in him God has fully manifested and spoken definitely. In Jesus not only God revealed himself, but also in him God has revealed what a human person and humanity is. According to Christian faith Jesus Christ is ‘Word of God-incarnate’.
Christian faith is the total response and commitment of the whole person to God as revealed in Jesus Christ. Beliefs are doctrines, which are the rational and cognitive dimensions and conceptual expressions of the content of faith. Faith is a personal relationship and commitment to God. Secondly, with regard to the content of faith and its understanding and expression there will be differences according to time, history, culture and the though patterns. Thirdly, faith itself is a perilous journey between faith and unfaith, belief and unbelief in one’s own life. Fourthly, if faith is a personal relationship and commitment, there is need of passing from conventional faith to real faith. Children receive faith from their parents and community, and it is only gradually they personally appropriate and make it personal. Many in Europe and in other countries may not have personal faith.
Our Christian faith must be manifested in life, action, praxis and ethical life. Love of God has to be manifested in one’s behavior, not in what one says, but in what one does. Theological task, according to Liberation theology, does not merely understanding reality but CHANGING OR TRANSFORMING IT. Jon Sobrino said “To know the truth is to do the truth; to know Jesus is to follow Jesus”.
Faith is a free gift of God. It is never imposed upon anybody. It is to be received as a human free act. It is a free response to God’s self-gift. The analysis of faith will point to God’s self-revelation.
2. REVELATION: Faith and Revelation, though distinct and distinguishable, are inseparably united. They are two sides of the same event. One cannot exist without the other. The object of faith is God. Revelation is God’s self-communication to humans and faith is the response on the human life.
Revelation is to be received, perceived, grasped and responded to. God in His goodness chose to reveal or give himself to humankind. God revealed himself and his plan of human salvation in history by calling Abraham, by liberating Israel from Egypt and by promising to humankind a Saviour. Jesus commissioned his Apostles and disciples to proclaim and communicate this revelation. God’s revelation is an utterly gratuitious self-gift of God. Jesus Christ is the fullness of God’s revelation. There will be no further revelation.
What type of challenges we face in our age of pluralism, relativity of history, cultures and religions. Any claim to monopoly of relation by Christianity will be to explain the relationship of God’s revelation in Christ and in other religions.
Revelation is not our discovery but God’s self-disclosure of Himself. Christian revelation is a personal encounter with Jesus Christ, not simply some knowledge.
Revelation is thus a very complex reality and so is its concept. It has various components, which are often singled out and emphasized and thus various models of revelation are presented.
a) Revelation as doctrine is one model.
b) Another model conceives revelation as the presence within the believer as a personal encounter with God. It is not a mere communication of some knowledge, but the presence of the living and life-giving God.
c) A third model conceives revelation as experience. d) Revelation as history is a fourth model. It is an event of history, a universal and public historical event that can be historically established by its analysis and interpreted as an act of God in human history.
F. SOURCES OF THEOLOGY
Reformers, especially Luther and Calvin, proposed and defended the SOLO SCRIPTURA principles. What the Reformers meant was that the Bible, inspired by the Holy Spirit, contained everything necessary for our salvation.
There was the theory of ‘two sources’ of revelation: Scripture and Tradition. Tradition (with capital T) is the entire Gospel, which contains the foundational revelational and faith experience of the early Christian community. Hence to some tradition is more than the Scriptures and the sum total of the beliefs, practices and worship of the community. Its content is the self –communication of God, which is mediated by all these means.
Tradition is thus handed down through various traditions (with small ‘t’).
Revelation or Gospel, the Good News, is God’s gift of self-communication and His plan of human salvation in Jesus Christ. Christ commissioned the Apostles to impart to all people the ‘Gospel’.
Three Sources of Theology
a) Sacred Scriptures
The Church holds that the Scriptures, both the O.T. and the N.T. are records of God’s revelation and of the faith experience o the people of Israel and of the Apostolic Church.
Theology is most powerfully strengthened and constantly rejuvenated by that word. The authority of the Scripture is derived ultimately from the authority of Jesus who is the definitive revelation of God. One of the essential tasks of theology is precisely this interpretation of the Scriptures in the light of the central Christian faith and in the light of the contemporary human experience in the context of the realities of today.
b) Tradition and traditions
This faith-experience is expressed, reenacted and mediated through the Christian Tradition, or Apostolic tradition. Written Scriptures are one of the most important components of the one tradition. There are various other constitutive components and elements of the traditions, which we may call traditions (with the small ‘t’).
c) Reasons To be edited by Bishop Batumalai
G. RESOURCES OF THEOLOGY
1. People and their Experience
One of the primary resources of theology is people and their experience. God’s self-gift or self-communication or revelation is directed to all people, irrespective of caste, creed, nationality (Acts 10:34-35).
2. Cultural Resources: On the other hand, humans create culture, they are the artisan and author of their own culture, by which they develop and refine their own talents and qualities and control their surroundings and the world by their knowledge and labour. Diversity of cultures is a human and historical reality. Each culture is unique, something to be understood from within, having its own values meaning systems, symbols, its own inner logic and connections, so that cultures cannot be easily compared or classified.
The relationship among faith, religion and culture is complex one. God is present and active among all peoples of all races, nationalities and culture. Christian faith and the Gospel are clearly meant for all peoples and cultures. Finally, if God and His Spirit are present and active in all peoples and cultures, Christian theology has to change its traditional method of mission and evangelization.
3. Diverse Religion tradition
In recent times, the Christian approach to other religions has undergone a radical change. In history of Christianity’s encounter with other religions, we couyld identify 3 distinct stages. In the first stage, Christianity with its universal and absolute claims saw the other religions as a threat to its own existence, survival and growth. Secondly, Christianity began to look to other religions more closely and scientifically and to accept human values and truths contained in them, though they were not considered on par with Christianity. The other religions were considered as human and natural, whereas Christianity was considered as supernatural and divinely revealed, and thus the fulfillment of all other religions.
4. The peoples (Movement and the Voice of the Marginalized)
The history of Israel in the O.T. is the story of a people’s movement (e.g. Exodus). In the N.T. the Jesus’ Community or the Church was a people’s movement. The Bible is thus a witness and a call to identify the people’s movement today.
There are numerous people’s movements today, such as human rights movement, women’s movements, peasants’ movements, Tribal people’s movement etc.
5. The Cry of the Poor
In the socio-economic realm today the gulf between the rich and the poor is ever widening due to the structures of injustice. There are many reasons for this gap (eg. The Western development model, globalization, market economy). The Church and theology today, therefore, have to take an unambiguous option for the poor, and to listen to their cry.
Liberation theologians today speak of the epistemological privilege of the poor. God is present among the poor. God speaks today in a very special way through the cry of the poor, their struggles, aspirations, visions and hopes, and theology should be specially attend to them along with the other historical sources of Christian theology.
H. THEOLOGIES IN THE BIBLE
The Bible is divinely inspired. God inspired the human and it w as written by chosen people. God acted in them. God did not dictate to them.
The Bible is a library, a collection of books and consequently of theologies. For instance, in the Hebrew Scriptures, (the O.T.), one can find a Yahwist Theology, and Elohist Theology, a Priestly Theology, a Deuteronomic Theology and Wisdom Theologies, to name a few.
In the N.T., it is not illogical to speak of a Mathean theology, a Marcan theology, a Lucan theology and a Johannine theology. God’s unique message is expressed in a multiple way for their various needs.
I. CONTEXTUAL THEOLOGIES
Contextual Theologies manifested a particular sensitivity to three areas:
a) Context: There was a growing awareness that context has a deep impact on theological reflection. In contexts where issues of oppression and conflict were a reality, social, economic and political questions tended to engage the energies.
b) Procedure: Theological reflection tended to constellate in ‘school’ around theological luminaries such as eg. Karl Barth, Karl Rahner and others.
c) History: While the perennial and enduring realities are not overlooked, special attention is paid to the historical dimension.
The three principal roots underpinning the new awareness which characterizes Contextual Theologies, are: Gospel, Church and culture.
J. INSTANCES OF CONTEXTUAL THEOLOGIES
a) Continental and National Contextual Theologies
Contextual Theologies can be continental (Asian theology, Latin American Theology, or Indian Theology.
b) The Theology of Secularisation: D. Bonhoeffer highlights the thrust of this stance, posing query: How can we speak of God in ‘wordly terms’?
c) The ‘Death of God’ Theology: The concern is how can we talk about God in a contemporary urbanized, industrialized and technological society.
d) Black Theology: This is from the Black Community in USA.
e) Feminist Theology: Feminist Theologies articulate the struggle of women who are facing discrimination on the basis of their gender, and struggling to formulate the Christian experience in terms of a God.
f) Ecofeminism: This attempt to link the twin oppression of women and the rest of nature. Ecofeminism argues that the connections between the oppression of women and the rest of nature must be recognized and acknowledged.
g) Dalit Theology: They are the socially and structurally oppressed class of India. The Dalit theology strives for the liberation of these oppressed from the false consciousness of pollution, and protest against the social system that has created it and supports it.
h) Minjung Theology from Korea: They are the powerless and oppressed people.
Sources From:
Thursday, February 4, 2010
1.1 தகுதியான லே பாஸ்டர்களுக்கான அத்தியட்சாதீன இறையியல் கல்வி
1.1 தகுதியான லே பாஸ்டர்களுக்கான அத்தியட்சாதீன இறையியல் கல்வி
1. பரிசுத்த வேதாகம்ம் பழைய ஏற்பாடாகவும் புதிய ஏற்பாடாகவும் பிரிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. பழைய ஏறப்ட்டில் 39 புத்தகங்கள் உள்ளன. புதிய ஏற்பாட்டில் 27 புத்தகங்கள் உள்ளன. வேதாகம்ம் ஒரு நூலகத்திற்கு ஒப்பானது. இயேசு கிறிஸ்துவின் பிறப்புக்கு முன்பு பழைய ஏற்பாடு எழுதப்பட்டது. கிறிஸ்துவின் பிறப்புக்குப் பின் புதிய ஏற்பாடு எழுதப்பட்டது.
2. பழைய ஏற்பாட்டில் சட்ட நூல்கள், வரலாற்று நூல்கள், சங்கீதமும் ஞானப்பாட்டும் கொண்ட நூல்கள், தீர்க்கதரிசன நூல்கள் அடங்கியுள்ளன. அது உலக இலக்கியங்களில் தலை சிறந்த ஒன்று. பழைமை வாய்ந்த மேலும் சில நூல்கள் இருக்க்க் கூடும். ஆனால், வாசிப்பவர் எண்ணிக்கை வழைய ஏற்பாட்டை மிஞ்ச முடியாது.
3. ஒரு புத்தகம் என்ற அர்த்த்த்தையும் கடந்து நிற்கிறது வேதாகம்ம். அது 66 புத்தகங்களைக் கொண்டுள்ள ஒரு முழு நூலகம். ஆபிரகாம், மோசே, யோசுவா, தாவீது போன்றோரின் புராணக் கதைகளில் இருந்து யோபு, பிரசங்கி போன்ற த்த்துவப்பாடல்களும் அனைவரின் தேவையைப் பூர்த்தி செய்யும் புத்தகங்கள் இதில் அடங்கியுள்ளன.
4. பழைய ஏற்பாட்டை எழுதியவர்கள், தங்கள் சமுதாயம் சமூக, பொருளாதார, அரசியல் அழுத்த்த்த்த்தின் மத்தியில் மட்டும் தோன்றாமல், தேவன் மற்றும் அவருடைய நடவடிக்கை மூலம் தோன்றியதாக உறுதியடு நம்புகின்றனர். இது ஒரு சமய நூலும் கூட. இந்த உலகமும் அதன் செயலாக்கமும் தற்செயலாக நடைபெறவில்லை என்று கூறுகிறது. அவை உச்சுமட்ட தேவக் கட்டுப்பாட்டில் இருக்கின்றன. தொலை தூறத்திலும் அறியப்படாத்துமான தேவ சக்தி அல்ல. ஆணும் பெண்ணும் தங்கள் சொந்த்த்திற்கு உறவாடக் கூடிய சக்தி அது. இச்செய்தியை ஆதியாகமத்தில் முதல் சில பக்கங்களில் காணலாம். அதனைத் தொடர்ந்து வரும் புத்தகங்கள் இச்செய்தியை மீண்டும் மீண்டும் வலியுறுத்துகின்றன.
5. தேவன் தமது ஜனங்களோடு கொண்டுள்ள உறவே கதையாகப் பிணையப்பட்டுள்ளது. தொலைநோக்கோடும், உணர்ச்சிப்பூர்வமாகவும் ஓசியா தீர்க்கதரிசி தேவனை அன்பான தந்தை என்றும், இஸ்ரவேலர்கள் அவருடைய குமார்ர்கள் என்றும் வர்ணித்துள்ளார் (ஓசியா 11.1-4).
6. பழைய ஏற்பாடு, யுத்தங்களும் சவால்களும் நிறைந்த உத்தீபனமும் நிறைந்த புத்தகமாகும். தேவனுக்கும் ஜனங்களுக்கும் உள்ள உறவைக் கருவாக்க் கொண்டு எழுதப்பட்டுள்ளது.
7. இதிகாசத்தைப் புரிந்து கொள்ளுதல்:
a) பழைய ஏற்பாடு யூதர்களுக்கும் கிறிஸ்தவர்களுக்கும் பொதுவான வேதாகம்ம். அதில், அவருடைய ஜனங்களின் வளர்ச்சியையும் இஸ்ரவேலர்களுக்குத் தேவன் வழங்கிய வாக்குத் த்த்தங்கள் அனைத்தையும் காண்கிறோம். இந்த்த் தீர்க்கதரிசனங்கள் நிறைவேறுவதைப் புரிந்து கொள்வதில் உள்ள வேற்றுமையே நம்மைப் பிரிவுபடுத்துகிறது.
b) நம்மில் பலர் பழைய ஏற்பாட்டைக் கிறிஸ்தவ வேதகமத்தின் முதல் பகுதி என்று நன்கு உணர்ந்திருக்கிறோம். கிறிஸ்தவப் பார்வையில் பழைய ஏற்பாட்டையும் புதிய ஏற்பாட்டையும் பிரித்துக் காண முடியாது.
8. பல யுக காலக்கட்டத்தை பழைய ஏற்பாடு அடக்கியுள்ளது. புதிய ஏற்பாடோ 60-70 ஆண்டு காலக்கட்டத்தையே அடக்கியுள்ளது.
9. பல நாகரிகங்கள் பழமையான பிறகுதான் இஸ்ரவேல் ஜனங்கள் தோன்றினார்கள். யுப்பரோட்டஸ் நதிக் கரையோறம் தோன்றிய பாபிலோனியக் கலாச்சாரமும் கல்வியறிவும் குறிப்பிடும் வகையில் பழைய ஏற்பாட்டோடு தொடர்பைக் கொண்டிருக்கிறது.
10. யூதர்களும் கிறிஸ்தவர்களும் மனித குலத்திற்குத் தேவன் தம்மை எப்படி வெளிப்படுத்தினார் என்பதை விளக்கும் கருவியாக இப்புத்தகத்தைக் காண்கிறார்கள். இந்தச் செய்தி உலக மாந்தர்கள் அனைவருக்கும் உரியது. (யோவான் 3.16)
11. ஆயினும் பழைய ஏற்பாட்டுக் காலம் பல வகைகளில் தற்காலத்திற்கு அப்பாற்பட்டு இருக்கிறது. எனவே, இந்த வேறுபாடுகளை நாம் அறிந்திருக்க வேண்டும். இருந்த போதிலும் நாம் அனைவரும் பொதுவான மனித தன்மையையே பகிர்ந்து கொள்கிறோம்.
12. புராணமும் விசுவாசமும். பழைய ஏற்பாட்டுப் புத்தக்க் களஞ்சியத்தை ஆராய்வோம்:
ஆகமங்கள்: ஆதியாகம்ம், யாத்திராகம்ம், லேவியராகம்ம், எண்ணகம்ம் உபாகம்ம் ஆகிய புத்தகங்களைக் கொண்டுள்ளன.
இதிகாசம்: யோசுவா, நியாயாதிபதிகள், ரூத், சாமுவேல் 1ம், 2ம் புத்தகங்கள், ராஜாக்கள் 1ம், 2ம் புத்தகங்கள், நாளாகம்ம் 1ம், 2ம் புத்தகங்கள், எஸ்ரா, நெகேமியா மற்றும் எஸ்தர்.
கௌடம் (சங்கீதம்) மற்றம் ஞானப்பாட்டு: யோபு, சங்கீதங்கள், நீதிமொழிகள், பிரசங்கி, உன்னதப்பாட்டு.
தீர்க்கதரிசனங்கள்: ஏசாயா, எரேமியா, புலம்பல், எசேக்கியேல், தானியேல், ஓசியா, யோவேல், ஒபாதியா, யோனா, மீகா, நாகூம், ஆபகூக், செப்பனியா, ஆகாய், சகரியா மற்றும் மல்கியா.
13. இதிகாசத்திற்கும் மேலான விஷயங்கள் பழைய ஏற்பாட்டில் உண்டு. கற்பனையின் மிகுதியால் தங்கள் பேரானந்த்த்தையும் ஆராதனைப் பாடல்களையும் (உம்- சங்கீதம்) பேரழகை வர்ணிக்கும் கவிதைகளும் நிறைந்துள்ளன.
மேற்கோள் நூல்கள்:
David F Winson, OT Introduction (TEF Study Guide 7) (SPCK) 1973.
John Drane, Introducing the Old Testament (Lion Book) 1987.
J Alberto Soggin, Introduction to the Old Testament (SCM, 1980).
பழைய ஏற்பாட்டின் முதல் பாடமாக விசுவாசத்தின் தந்தையாகிய ஆபிரகாமைப் பற்றிக் காணப் போகிறோம்.
1. பரிசுத்த வேதாகம்ம் பழைய ஏற்பாடாகவும் புதிய ஏற்பாடாகவும் பிரிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. பழைய ஏறப்ட்டில் 39 புத்தகங்கள் உள்ளன. புதிய ஏற்பாட்டில் 27 புத்தகங்கள் உள்ளன. வேதாகம்ம் ஒரு நூலகத்திற்கு ஒப்பானது. இயேசு கிறிஸ்துவின் பிறப்புக்கு முன்பு பழைய ஏற்பாடு எழுதப்பட்டது. கிறிஸ்துவின் பிறப்புக்குப் பின் புதிய ஏற்பாடு எழுதப்பட்டது.
2. பழைய ஏற்பாட்டில் சட்ட நூல்கள், வரலாற்று நூல்கள், சங்கீதமும் ஞானப்பாட்டும் கொண்ட நூல்கள், தீர்க்கதரிசன நூல்கள் அடங்கியுள்ளன. அது உலக இலக்கியங்களில் தலை சிறந்த ஒன்று. பழைமை வாய்ந்த மேலும் சில நூல்கள் இருக்க்க் கூடும். ஆனால், வாசிப்பவர் எண்ணிக்கை வழைய ஏற்பாட்டை மிஞ்ச முடியாது.
3. ஒரு புத்தகம் என்ற அர்த்த்த்தையும் கடந்து நிற்கிறது வேதாகம்ம். அது 66 புத்தகங்களைக் கொண்டுள்ள ஒரு முழு நூலகம். ஆபிரகாம், மோசே, யோசுவா, தாவீது போன்றோரின் புராணக் கதைகளில் இருந்து யோபு, பிரசங்கி போன்ற த்த்துவப்பாடல்களும் அனைவரின் தேவையைப் பூர்த்தி செய்யும் புத்தகங்கள் இதில் அடங்கியுள்ளன.
4. பழைய ஏற்பாட்டை எழுதியவர்கள், தங்கள் சமுதாயம் சமூக, பொருளாதார, அரசியல் அழுத்த்த்த்த்தின் மத்தியில் மட்டும் தோன்றாமல், தேவன் மற்றும் அவருடைய நடவடிக்கை மூலம் தோன்றியதாக உறுதியடு நம்புகின்றனர். இது ஒரு சமய நூலும் கூட. இந்த உலகமும் அதன் செயலாக்கமும் தற்செயலாக நடைபெறவில்லை என்று கூறுகிறது. அவை உச்சுமட்ட தேவக் கட்டுப்பாட்டில் இருக்கின்றன. தொலை தூறத்திலும் அறியப்படாத்துமான தேவ சக்தி அல்ல. ஆணும் பெண்ணும் தங்கள் சொந்த்த்திற்கு உறவாடக் கூடிய சக்தி அது. இச்செய்தியை ஆதியாகமத்தில் முதல் சில பக்கங்களில் காணலாம். அதனைத் தொடர்ந்து வரும் புத்தகங்கள் இச்செய்தியை மீண்டும் மீண்டும் வலியுறுத்துகின்றன.
5. தேவன் தமது ஜனங்களோடு கொண்டுள்ள உறவே கதையாகப் பிணையப்பட்டுள்ளது. தொலைநோக்கோடும், உணர்ச்சிப்பூர்வமாகவும் ஓசியா தீர்க்கதரிசி தேவனை அன்பான தந்தை என்றும், இஸ்ரவேலர்கள் அவருடைய குமார்ர்கள் என்றும் வர்ணித்துள்ளார் (ஓசியா 11.1-4).
6. பழைய ஏற்பாடு, யுத்தங்களும் சவால்களும் நிறைந்த உத்தீபனமும் நிறைந்த புத்தகமாகும். தேவனுக்கும் ஜனங்களுக்கும் உள்ள உறவைக் கருவாக்க் கொண்டு எழுதப்பட்டுள்ளது.
7. இதிகாசத்தைப் புரிந்து கொள்ளுதல்:
a) பழைய ஏற்பாடு யூதர்களுக்கும் கிறிஸ்தவர்களுக்கும் பொதுவான வேதாகம்ம். அதில், அவருடைய ஜனங்களின் வளர்ச்சியையும் இஸ்ரவேலர்களுக்குத் தேவன் வழங்கிய வாக்குத் த்த்தங்கள் அனைத்தையும் காண்கிறோம். இந்த்த் தீர்க்கதரிசனங்கள் நிறைவேறுவதைப் புரிந்து கொள்வதில் உள்ள வேற்றுமையே நம்மைப் பிரிவுபடுத்துகிறது.
b) நம்மில் பலர் பழைய ஏற்பாட்டைக் கிறிஸ்தவ வேதகமத்தின் முதல் பகுதி என்று நன்கு உணர்ந்திருக்கிறோம். கிறிஸ்தவப் பார்வையில் பழைய ஏற்பாட்டையும் புதிய ஏற்பாட்டையும் பிரித்துக் காண முடியாது.
8. பல யுக காலக்கட்டத்தை பழைய ஏற்பாடு அடக்கியுள்ளது. புதிய ஏற்பாடோ 60-70 ஆண்டு காலக்கட்டத்தையே அடக்கியுள்ளது.
9. பல நாகரிகங்கள் பழமையான பிறகுதான் இஸ்ரவேல் ஜனங்கள் தோன்றினார்கள். யுப்பரோட்டஸ் நதிக் கரையோறம் தோன்றிய பாபிலோனியக் கலாச்சாரமும் கல்வியறிவும் குறிப்பிடும் வகையில் பழைய ஏற்பாட்டோடு தொடர்பைக் கொண்டிருக்கிறது.
10. யூதர்களும் கிறிஸ்தவர்களும் மனித குலத்திற்குத் தேவன் தம்மை எப்படி வெளிப்படுத்தினார் என்பதை விளக்கும் கருவியாக இப்புத்தகத்தைக் காண்கிறார்கள். இந்தச் செய்தி உலக மாந்தர்கள் அனைவருக்கும் உரியது. (யோவான் 3.16)
11. ஆயினும் பழைய ஏற்பாட்டுக் காலம் பல வகைகளில் தற்காலத்திற்கு அப்பாற்பட்டு இருக்கிறது. எனவே, இந்த வேறுபாடுகளை நாம் அறிந்திருக்க வேண்டும். இருந்த போதிலும் நாம் அனைவரும் பொதுவான மனித தன்மையையே பகிர்ந்து கொள்கிறோம்.
12. புராணமும் விசுவாசமும். பழைய ஏற்பாட்டுப் புத்தக்க் களஞ்சியத்தை ஆராய்வோம்:
ஆகமங்கள்: ஆதியாகம்ம், யாத்திராகம்ம், லேவியராகம்ம், எண்ணகம்ம் உபாகம்ம் ஆகிய புத்தகங்களைக் கொண்டுள்ளன.
இதிகாசம்: யோசுவா, நியாயாதிபதிகள், ரூத், சாமுவேல் 1ம், 2ம் புத்தகங்கள், ராஜாக்கள் 1ம், 2ம் புத்தகங்கள், நாளாகம்ம் 1ம், 2ம் புத்தகங்கள், எஸ்ரா, நெகேமியா மற்றும் எஸ்தர்.
கௌடம் (சங்கீதம்) மற்றம் ஞானப்பாட்டு: யோபு, சங்கீதங்கள், நீதிமொழிகள், பிரசங்கி, உன்னதப்பாட்டு.
தீர்க்கதரிசனங்கள்: ஏசாயா, எரேமியா, புலம்பல், எசேக்கியேல், தானியேல், ஓசியா, யோவேல், ஒபாதியா, யோனா, மீகா, நாகூம், ஆபகூக், செப்பனியா, ஆகாய், சகரியா மற்றும் மல்கியா.
13. இதிகாசத்திற்கும் மேலான விஷயங்கள் பழைய ஏற்பாட்டில் உண்டு. கற்பனையின் மிகுதியால் தங்கள் பேரானந்த்த்தையும் ஆராதனைப் பாடல்களையும் (உம்- சங்கீதம்) பேரழகை வர்ணிக்கும் கவிதைகளும் நிறைந்துள்ளன.
மேற்கோள் நூல்கள்:
David F Winson, OT Introduction (TEF Study Guide 7) (SPCK) 1973.
John Drane, Introducing the Old Testament (Lion Book) 1987.
J Alberto Soggin, Introduction to the Old Testament (SCM, 1980).
பழைய ஏற்பாட்டின் முதல் பாடமாக விசுவாசத்தின் தந்தையாகிய ஆபிரகாமைப் பற்றிக் காணப் போகிறோம்.
Friday, January 15, 2010
1.1 தகுதியான லே பாஸ்டர்களுக்கான அத்தியட்சாதீன இறையியல் கல்வி
1. பரிசுத்த வேதாகம்ம் பழைய ஏற்பாடாகவும் புதிய ஏற்பாடாகவும் பிரிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. பழைய ஏறப்ட்டில் 39 புத்தகங்கள் உள்ளன. புதிய ஏற்பாட்டில் 27 புத்தகங்கள் உள்ளன. வேதாகம்ம் ஒரு நூலகத்திற்கு ஒப்பானது. இயேசு கிறிஸ்துவின் பிறப்புக்கு முன்பு பழைய ஏற்பாடு எழுதப்பட்டது. கிறிஸ்துவின் பிறப்புக்குப் பின் புதிய ஏற்பாடு எழுதப்பட்டது.
2. பழைய ஏற்பாட்டில் சட்ட நூல்கள், வரலாற்று நூல்கள், சங்கீதமும் ஞானப்பாட்டும் கொண்ட நூல்கள், தீர்க்கதரிசன நூல்கள் அடங்கியுள்ளன. அது உலக இலக்கியங்களில் தலை சிறந்த ஒன்று. பழைமை வாய்ந்த மேலும் சில நூல்கள் இருக்க்க் கூடும். ஆனால், வாசிப்பவர் எண்ணிக்கை வழைய ஏற்பாட்டை மிஞ்ச முடியாது.
3. ஒரு புத்தகம் என்ற அர்த்த்த்தையும் கடந்து நிற்கிறது வேதாகம்ம். அது 66 புத்தகங்களைக் கொண்டுள்ள ஒரு முழு நூலகம். ஆபிரகாம், மோசே, யோசுவா, தாவீது போன்றோரின் புராணக் கதைகளில் இருந்து யோபு, பிரசங்கி போன்ற த்த்துவப்பாடல்களும் அனைவரின் தேவையைப் பூர்த்தி செய்யும் புத்தகங்கள் இதில் அடங்கியுள்ளன.
4. பழைய ஏற்பாட்டை எழுதியவர்கள், தங்கள் சமுதாயம் சமூக, பொருளாதார, அரசியல் அழுத்த்த்த்த்தின் மத்தியில் மட்டும் தோன்றாமல், தேவன் மற்றும் அவருடைய நடவடிக்கை மூலம் தோன்றியதாக உறுதியடு நம்புகின்றனர். இது ஒரு சமய நூலும் கூட. இந்த உலகமும் அதன் செயலாக்கமும் தற்செயலாக நடைபெறவில்லை என்று கூறுகிறது. அவை உச்சுமட்ட தேவக் கட்டுப்பாட்டில் இருக்கின்றன. தொலை தூறத்திலும் அறியப்படாத்துமான தேவ சக்தி அல்ல. ஆணும் பெண்ணும் தங்கள் சொந்த்த்திற்கு உறவாடக் கூடிய சக்தி அது. இச்செய்தியை ஆதியாகமத்தில் முதல் சில பக்கங்களில் காணலாம். அதனைத் தொடர்ந்து வரும் புத்தகங்கள் இச்செய்தியை மீண்டும் மீண்டும் வலியுறுத்துகின்றன.
5. தேவன் தமது ஜனங்களோடு கொண்டுள்ள உறவே கதையாகப் பிணையப்பட்டுள்ளது. தொலைநோக்கோடும், உணர்ச்சிப்பூர்வமாகவும் ஓசியா தீர்க்கதரிசி தேவனை அன்பான தந்தை என்றும், இஸ்ரவேலர்கள் அவருடைய குமார்ர்கள் என்றும் வர்ணித்துள்ளார் (ஓசியா 11.1-4).
6. பழைய ஏற்பாடு, யுத்தங்களும் சவால்களும் நிறைந்த உத்தீபனமும் நிறைந்த புத்தகமாகும். தேவனுக்கும் ஜனங்களுக்கும் உள்ள உறவைக் கருவாக்க் கொண்டு எழுதப்பட்டுள்ளது.
7. இதிகாசத்தைப் புரிந்து கொள்ளுதல்:
a) பழைய ஏற்பாடு யூதர்களுக்கும் கிறிஸ்தவர்களுக்கும் பொதுவான வேதாகம்ம். அதில், அவருடைய ஜனங்களின் வளர்ச்சியையும் இஸ்ரவேலர்களுக்குத் தேவன் வழங்கிய வாக்குத் த்த்தங்கள் அனைத்தையும் காண்கிறோம். இந்த்த் தீர்க்கதரிசனங்கள் நிறைவேறுவதைப் புரிந்து கொள்வதில் உள்ள வேற்றுமையே நம்மைப் பிரிவுபடுத்துகிறது.
b) நம்மில் பலர் பழைய ஏற்பாட்டைக் கிறிஸ்தவ வேதகமத்தின் முதல் பகுதி என்று நன்கு உணர்ந்திருக்கிறோம். கிறிஸ்தவப் பார்வையில் பழைய ஏற்பாட்டையும் புதிய ஏற்பாட்டையும் பிரித்துக் காண முடியாது.
8. பல யுக காலக்கட்டத்தை பழைய ஏற்பாடு அடக்கியுள்ளது. புதிய ஏற்பாடோ 60-70 ஆண்டு காலக்கட்டத்தையே அடக்கியுள்ளது.
9. பல நாகரிகங்கள் பழமையான பிறகுதான் இஸ்ரவேல் ஜனங்கள் தோன்றினார்கள். யுப்பரோட்டஸ் நதிக் கரையோறம் தோன்றிய பாபிலோனியக் கலாச்சாரமும் கல்வியறிவும் குறிப்பிடும் வகையில் பழைய ஏற்பாட்டோடு தொடர்பைக் கொண்டிருக்கிறது.
10. யூதர்களும் கிறிஸ்தவர்களும் மனித குலத்திற்குத் தேவன் தம்மை எப்படி வெளிப்படுத்தினார் என்பதை விளக்கும் கருவியாக இப்புத்தகத்தைக் காண்கிறார்கள். இந்தச் செய்தி உலக மாந்தர்கள் அனைவருக்கும் உரியது. (யோவான் 3.16)
11. ஆயினும் பழைய ஏற்பாட்டுக் காலம் பல வகைகளில் தற்காலத்திற்கு அப்பாற்பட்டு இருக்கிறது. எனவே, இந்த வேறுபாடுகளை நாம் அறிந்திருக்க வேண்டும். இருந்த போதிலும் நாம் அனைவரும் பொதுவான மனித தன்மையையே பகிர்ந்து கொள்கிறோம்.
12. புராணமும் விசுவாசமும். பழைய ஏற்பாட்டுப் புத்தக்க் களஞ்சியத்தை ஆராய்வோம்:
ஆகமங்கள்: ஆதியாகம்ம், யாத்திராகம்ம், லேவியராகம்ம், எண்ணகம்ம் உபாகம்ம் ஆகிய புத்தகங்களைக் கொண்டுள்ளன.
இதிகாசம்: யோசுவா, நியாயாதிபதிகள், ரூத், சாமுவேல் 1ம், 2ம் புத்தகங்கள், ராஜாக்கள் 1ம், 2ம் புத்தகங்கள், நாளாகம்ம் 1ம், 2ம் புத்தகங்கள், எஸ்ரா, நெகேமியா மற்றும் எஸ்தர்.
கௌடம் (சங்கீதம்) மற்றம் ஞானப்பாட்டு: யோபு, சங்கீதங்கள், நீதிமொழிகள், பிரசங்கி, உன்னதப்பாட்டு.
தீர்க்கதரிசனங்கள்: ஏசாயா, எரேமியா, புலம்பல், எசேக்கியேல், தானியேல், ஓசியா, யோவேல், ஒபாதியா, யோனா, மீகா, நாகூம், ஆபகூக், செப்பனியா, ஆகாய், சகரியா மற்றும் மல்கியா.
13. இதிகாசத்திற்கும் மேலான விஷயங்கள் பழைய ஏற்பாட்டில் உண்டு. கற்பனையின் மிகுதியால் தங்கள் பேரானந்த்த்தையும் ஆராதனைப் பாடல்களையும் (உம்- சங்கீதம்) பேரழகை வர்ணிக்கும் கவிதைகளும் நிறைந்துள்ளன.
மேற்கோள் நூல்கள்:
David F Winson, OT Introduction (TEF Study Guide 7) (SPCK) 1973.
John Drane, Introducing the Old Testament (Lion Book) 1987.
J Alberto Soggin, Introduction to the Old Testament (SCM, 1980).
பழைய ஏற்பாட்டின் முதல் பாடமாக விசுவாசத்தின் தந்தையாகிய ஆபிரகாமைப் பற்றிக் காணப் போகிறோம்.
2. பழைய ஏற்பாட்டில் சட்ட நூல்கள், வரலாற்று நூல்கள், சங்கீதமும் ஞானப்பாட்டும் கொண்ட நூல்கள், தீர்க்கதரிசன நூல்கள் அடங்கியுள்ளன. அது உலக இலக்கியங்களில் தலை சிறந்த ஒன்று. பழைமை வாய்ந்த மேலும் சில நூல்கள் இருக்க்க் கூடும். ஆனால், வாசிப்பவர் எண்ணிக்கை வழைய ஏற்பாட்டை மிஞ்ச முடியாது.
3. ஒரு புத்தகம் என்ற அர்த்த்த்தையும் கடந்து நிற்கிறது வேதாகம்ம். அது 66 புத்தகங்களைக் கொண்டுள்ள ஒரு முழு நூலகம். ஆபிரகாம், மோசே, யோசுவா, தாவீது போன்றோரின் புராணக் கதைகளில் இருந்து யோபு, பிரசங்கி போன்ற த்த்துவப்பாடல்களும் அனைவரின் தேவையைப் பூர்த்தி செய்யும் புத்தகங்கள் இதில் அடங்கியுள்ளன.
4. பழைய ஏற்பாட்டை எழுதியவர்கள், தங்கள் சமுதாயம் சமூக, பொருளாதார, அரசியல் அழுத்த்த்த்த்தின் மத்தியில் மட்டும் தோன்றாமல், தேவன் மற்றும் அவருடைய நடவடிக்கை மூலம் தோன்றியதாக உறுதியடு நம்புகின்றனர். இது ஒரு சமய நூலும் கூட. இந்த உலகமும் அதன் செயலாக்கமும் தற்செயலாக நடைபெறவில்லை என்று கூறுகிறது. அவை உச்சுமட்ட தேவக் கட்டுப்பாட்டில் இருக்கின்றன. தொலை தூறத்திலும் அறியப்படாத்துமான தேவ சக்தி அல்ல. ஆணும் பெண்ணும் தங்கள் சொந்த்த்திற்கு உறவாடக் கூடிய சக்தி அது. இச்செய்தியை ஆதியாகமத்தில் முதல் சில பக்கங்களில் காணலாம். அதனைத் தொடர்ந்து வரும் புத்தகங்கள் இச்செய்தியை மீண்டும் மீண்டும் வலியுறுத்துகின்றன.
5. தேவன் தமது ஜனங்களோடு கொண்டுள்ள உறவே கதையாகப் பிணையப்பட்டுள்ளது. தொலைநோக்கோடும், உணர்ச்சிப்பூர்வமாகவும் ஓசியா தீர்க்கதரிசி தேவனை அன்பான தந்தை என்றும், இஸ்ரவேலர்கள் அவருடைய குமார்ர்கள் என்றும் வர்ணித்துள்ளார் (ஓசியா 11.1-4).
6. பழைய ஏற்பாடு, யுத்தங்களும் சவால்களும் நிறைந்த உத்தீபனமும் நிறைந்த புத்தகமாகும். தேவனுக்கும் ஜனங்களுக்கும் உள்ள உறவைக் கருவாக்க் கொண்டு எழுதப்பட்டுள்ளது.
7. இதிகாசத்தைப் புரிந்து கொள்ளுதல்:
a) பழைய ஏற்பாடு யூதர்களுக்கும் கிறிஸ்தவர்களுக்கும் பொதுவான வேதாகம்ம். அதில், அவருடைய ஜனங்களின் வளர்ச்சியையும் இஸ்ரவேலர்களுக்குத் தேவன் வழங்கிய வாக்குத் த்த்தங்கள் அனைத்தையும் காண்கிறோம். இந்த்த் தீர்க்கதரிசனங்கள் நிறைவேறுவதைப் புரிந்து கொள்வதில் உள்ள வேற்றுமையே நம்மைப் பிரிவுபடுத்துகிறது.
b) நம்மில் பலர் பழைய ஏற்பாட்டைக் கிறிஸ்தவ வேதகமத்தின் முதல் பகுதி என்று நன்கு உணர்ந்திருக்கிறோம். கிறிஸ்தவப் பார்வையில் பழைய ஏற்பாட்டையும் புதிய ஏற்பாட்டையும் பிரித்துக் காண முடியாது.
8. பல யுக காலக்கட்டத்தை பழைய ஏற்பாடு அடக்கியுள்ளது. புதிய ஏற்பாடோ 60-70 ஆண்டு காலக்கட்டத்தையே அடக்கியுள்ளது.
9. பல நாகரிகங்கள் பழமையான பிறகுதான் இஸ்ரவேல் ஜனங்கள் தோன்றினார்கள். யுப்பரோட்டஸ் நதிக் கரையோறம் தோன்றிய பாபிலோனியக் கலாச்சாரமும் கல்வியறிவும் குறிப்பிடும் வகையில் பழைய ஏற்பாட்டோடு தொடர்பைக் கொண்டிருக்கிறது.
10. யூதர்களும் கிறிஸ்தவர்களும் மனித குலத்திற்குத் தேவன் தம்மை எப்படி வெளிப்படுத்தினார் என்பதை விளக்கும் கருவியாக இப்புத்தகத்தைக் காண்கிறார்கள். இந்தச் செய்தி உலக மாந்தர்கள் அனைவருக்கும் உரியது. (யோவான் 3.16)
11. ஆயினும் பழைய ஏற்பாட்டுக் காலம் பல வகைகளில் தற்காலத்திற்கு அப்பாற்பட்டு இருக்கிறது. எனவே, இந்த வேறுபாடுகளை நாம் அறிந்திருக்க வேண்டும். இருந்த போதிலும் நாம் அனைவரும் பொதுவான மனித தன்மையையே பகிர்ந்து கொள்கிறோம்.
12. புராணமும் விசுவாசமும். பழைய ஏற்பாட்டுப் புத்தக்க் களஞ்சியத்தை ஆராய்வோம்:
ஆகமங்கள்: ஆதியாகம்ம், யாத்திராகம்ம், லேவியராகம்ம், எண்ணகம்ம் உபாகம்ம் ஆகிய புத்தகங்களைக் கொண்டுள்ளன.
இதிகாசம்: யோசுவா, நியாயாதிபதிகள், ரூத், சாமுவேல் 1ம், 2ம் புத்தகங்கள், ராஜாக்கள் 1ம், 2ம் புத்தகங்கள், நாளாகம்ம் 1ம், 2ம் புத்தகங்கள், எஸ்ரா, நெகேமியா மற்றும் எஸ்தர்.
கௌடம் (சங்கீதம்) மற்றம் ஞானப்பாட்டு: யோபு, சங்கீதங்கள், நீதிமொழிகள், பிரசங்கி, உன்னதப்பாட்டு.
தீர்க்கதரிசனங்கள்: ஏசாயா, எரேமியா, புலம்பல், எசேக்கியேல், தானியேல், ஓசியா, யோவேல், ஒபாதியா, யோனா, மீகா, நாகூம், ஆபகூக், செப்பனியா, ஆகாய், சகரியா மற்றும் மல்கியா.
13. இதிகாசத்திற்கும் மேலான விஷயங்கள் பழைய ஏற்பாட்டில் உண்டு. கற்பனையின் மிகுதியால் தங்கள் பேரானந்த்த்தையும் ஆராதனைப் பாடல்களையும் (உம்- சங்கீதம்) பேரழகை வர்ணிக்கும் கவிதைகளும் நிறைந்துள்ளன.
மேற்கோள் நூல்கள்:
David F Winson, OT Introduction (TEF Study Guide 7) (SPCK) 1973.
John Drane, Introducing the Old Testament (Lion Book) 1987.
J Alberto Soggin, Introduction to the Old Testament (SCM, 1980).
பழைய ஏற்பாட்டின் முதல் பாடமாக விசுவாசத்தின் தந்தையாகிய ஆபிரகாமைப் பற்றிக் காணப் போகிறோம்.
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