Contextual Theology as Heritage Formation: The Preservation of Moluccan Culture, Christianity, and Identity

Description

In this paper the case of Moluccan Protestantism is used to argue that contextual theology is not merely a postcolonial theological movement, but also needs to be understood as part of a larger project of heritage formation in the context of post-independence nation-building. Both contextual theology and heritagization can be seen as a postcolonial response to the denigration and negation of native religion and culture in the colonial period. The analysis explores the parallel developments between the processes of contextual theology and heritage formation that take place in the national context of Indonesia, when in the shift from Dutch colonial rule to independence a highly diverse archipelago had to be conceptualized as one coherent and unified nation. It is shown how the interests of the Moluccan Protestant church (GPM) and the Indonesian government coincided in two central political periods. The move from purification to inculturation demonstrates the theological adaptation of the Moluccan church to consecutive national political regimes.

The word ‘heritage’ (warisan) is central to the Moluccan contextual discourse, and the development of contextual theology resembles characteristics of heritage formation through a controlled political process of careful selection of cultural forms, aimed at a sense of authentic local identity. The sources of contextualization are the religious as well as cultural heritage, in the form of a legacy of colonial Calvinism, Moluccan culture, and their centuries-long inevitable entanglement. Furthermore, the implementation of Moluccan contextual theology partakes in the socio-political effort of preservation of Moluccan cultural heritage. At the same time, paradoxically, the majority of Moluccan Christians does not self-theologize a profound relation between culture and religion, but merely supports contextualization through the discursive regime of preservation and heritage. Hence, a double development of sacralization of heritage and heritagization of religion appears. On the one hand, a selection of cultural forms – taken to be tokens of authentic Moluccan identity – is the source of contextual theology that sacralizes this cultural heritage as part of Moluccan Christianity. On the other hand, while intending to counter certain aspects of the colonial legacy, contextual theology also draws on the Dutch Reformed tradition as Moluccan religious heritage. Moreover, the theology of inculturation as it is implemented is interpreted by congregants as an effort of heritage preservation.

This paper is based on anthropological research on Moluccan theology. I make the conceptual point that Moluccan contextual theology is both a theological exercise of inculturation and an expression of Indonesia’s heritage politics.

Period	3 Nov 2021
Event title	NGG conference: Religion and Heritage
Event type	Conference
Location	Amsterdam, NetherlandsShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International