INTRODUCTION
Religion is once again beginning to play a very significant role in public domain, leading to increased interest in public theology. Public theology stresses the need for Catholic theology to engage with the major issues of public life. However, much of Catholic theology in Asia remains academic and urban, primarily aimed for the church leaders. And the Church’s neutral stance has resulted also to a disconnect between Catholic theology and the realms of public life and civil society. The author noted that the challenge now is to integrate traditional theologies with public theology to address contemporary economic, political, and cultural issues and shape public policy.
Public theology as describes by Martin Marty, emerges when the public church examines and critiques existing social practices and cultural understandings in the light of its deepest religious insights into justice and the just society. In recent decades, we’ve recognized that churches globally exist in diverse contexts, requiring different public theologies. Similarly, Asian churches also need distinct approaches due to their unique and diverse socio-cultural and political situations. The Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) and the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), during post-Vatican II, though remain neutral in position, has supported the theology of greater public involvement.
The focus of this article is about the relevance of the public theology in Asian Churches, encouraging everyone to not just limit their theological investigation within the Christian Community but also to include all people in the public life. This article also clarifies some key theological concepts and explores the scope and challenges of public theology in Asian contexts. Finally, an attempt is made to relate public theology and Asian Churches.
CLARIFICATION OF SOME TERMS
Asian Church or Asian Churches
Theology describes the Church as having a divine origin as well as socio-historical roots, which is perceived differently over time based on societal contexts and on the dominant theologies, often emphasizing on the divine or human aspect. But this diversity, does not indicate disunity, rather, it stands as a witness to the fact that the Church by its nature is always open, and therefore can read the signs of the times to make the message of Christ meaningful. Thus, in order to effectively proclaim the message of the Gospel and to address the socio-cultural concerns of the people, the Church must become a human Church with its own local face.
Asian countries, although they share common experiences, have unique socio-cultural contexts and challenges. Therefore, it is arrogant to assume of having knowledge of all these differences and to generalize all Asian Churches. This complexity of Asia’s socio-political and historical realities as well as its diverse cultures signifies that the concept of “Asian Churches” expresses the distinct localness of each Church within the communion of Churches in Asia.
Civil Society and Public Theology
Civil society is understood as the voices of the non-governmental groups advocating for social rights and try to influence political and economic policies. However, it is argued that this voice often reflects the bourgeoisie, not the rural concerns. While civil society allows some subaltern discourse, it rarely facilitates power transfer that matters to the periphery. Felix Wilfred noted that while civil society promotes freedom of association, this freedom could also co-exist with inequality, excluding the marginalized voices such as the Dalits, tribals, the women of the lower castes and classes. While Bishnu N. Mohapatra questions whether all groups in civil society can form associations and, if not, what happens when the state denies recognition to certain groups.
Fortunately, civil society is beginning to include and take up issues of the silenced and oppressed. A key question for public theologians is whether the Church considered as part of these civil society or does the civil society considered the church as part of itself? The truth is that often, the Church’s voice does not align with civil society’s concerns, and many Churches support government policies that civil society contests.
SCOPE OF PUBLIC THEOLOGY IN THE ASIAN CHURCHES
Public theology, a relatively new discipline, is concerned with how the Christian faith addresses matter in society at large. It emphasizes that Christian beliefs and doctrines should extend beyond serving just the Christian community. They must be inclusive of all humanity, regardless of class, creed, or race. Public theology does not focus solely on political matters, rather it encompasses broader spectrum of public issues, including artistic, cultural, environmental, medical, and technological matters. In seeking to engage the public structures, Asian public theology highlights the broader narrative of God’s work in the diverse contexts of Asia, through God’s concern for justice, truth and salvation. Thus, public theology is both prophetic- addressing societal challenges, and transformative- seeking to eliminate social stagnation.
Public theology also reminds Asian Churches that while they are essentially local, they are also in communion with global Church and that they also shared common mission— to promote life in its fullness for all.Public theology can transform Asian Churches into public Churches, imperative for a rapport with Asian societies. It challenges faith to become more personal and social, moving beyond private practices. To become a public Church, Asian Churches must engage with society, open their doors to all, and redefine their mission in the Asian scenario by learning to dialogue with the changing times and by seeking to create a socially aware Church in Asia- a Church that does not focus on its own need and sheep. Public theology enables the Church to understand God and the depths of the missio Dei, and to reflect on its role amid Asia’s religious, cultural, and ethnic diversity, and in contexts of poverty and exploitation. Despite the Church being viewed by some as just one among many relative truth claims, the Church’s public role remains incontestable.
THE ASIAN PUBLIC LIFE
Public theology without social thinking may be anything but public or liberative. The FABC identifies three key elements of the Asian context: plurality of cultures, religions and the poor. Consequently, the essential tasks for Asian Churches, according to FABC, are inculturation, interreligious dialogue, and liberation. These three are intertwined dimensions of the Church’s one mission of prophetic evangelization and should not be discussed separately.
Within this broad framework of the triple tasks of one mission, the author seeks to highlight some crucial issues affecting public life in Asia and which calls for a public theology that could motivate the Asian Christians to respond pro-actively. Threats to and violation of life are increasing both globally and continentally, affecting all aspects of public life, yet it remains untouched. Therefore, the Churches of Asia are challenged today to reflect on their commitment to service of life.
Economic Realities
The economic base in most Asian countries is dismal and in others it is uncertain. A culture of consumerism and competition has spread across the continent, disregarding ethics and the future. In the globalized liberal economy, mass media promotes greed and strong desire to become wealthy, leading to corruption, bribery and other unethical practices that-affects all citizens. Liberal economy views everything, including human beings as marketable commodity.
In addition, the lack of political justice, combined with the relentless pursuit of short-term economic gains, is jeopardizing the age-old ecological balance and wealth of natural resources in Asia that our ancestors preserved. This has led to the destruction of forests, depletion of water resources, and increasing pollution, exacerbating environmental crises and increased the miseries of Asians. Only serious engagement of prophetic quality can take on this market onslaught. Such being the situation, the world of economy should be an essential part of Asian public theology and its theologizing process.
Political Realities
Many Asian countries, having gained political independence only in the last century, are still struggling for political stability, which is essential for progress. Unfortunately, many Asian economies remain dependent on Western political agendas, and the poor are often treated as mere vote banks. Many people are deprived of their rights and dignity due to disgraceful practices such as greed for power, false promises to the poor, abuse of state machinery, and the manipulation of ethnic, caste, and communal issues.
Political power is still mostly held by upper classes and elites despite Constitutional rights granted for minorities like Dalits. In response, subaltern movements are demanding more power, which threatens the upper classes, leading them to often try to buy over the subalterns or use violence to silence them when necessary. Integrating political processes into public theology can enhance Asian ecclesiology. Asian Churches play a crucial role in the political life of the nations in order to promote just, participative and democratic governance in the society.
Violation of Human Rights and Dignity: The Poor, Women, Dalits, Tribals, Youth and Environment
FABC views socio-political and economic liberation as a key priority in the Church’s activities in Asia, given the widespread poverty and dehumanization in Asia. Its documents emphasize a preferential option for the poor and solidarity with marginalized groups, including migrants, refugees, tribals, Dalits, children, and women. The 1999 Asian Synod also highlighted the importance of protecting life—both human and cosmic—promoting education, and addressing the marginalization caused by globalization.
Women remain one of the most marginalized, powerless and unrepresented groups, excluded from the mainstream life in society, politics, and the Church, particularly in Asia. Meanwhile, issues like rights, dignity, and empowerment remains inadequately addressed. Female migrant workers face anxiety due to job insecurity and women continue to suffer from sexual exploitation, forced labor, and violence. To build a nation, we need a participatory democracy and restructured gender relations, as development is not possible without women’s contributions. Addressing these concerns in public theology will enable Asian Churches amplify the voices of marginalized women.
The Church sees youth as a crucial life stage. A 2002 study highlighted that Asia has the largest youth cohort ever, characterized by community engagement, political interest, and idealism. Today’s Asian youth, often called the ‘internet generation’, are forming new relationships through online platforms, with mobile phones as a primary tool. However, while technology promotes communication and solidarity, it can also create isolation and widen the gap between digital age youth and digital native adults. For the Asian Churches to meet the challenges of the digital age and respond to the new questions the youth raise, public theology could be very important, and even indispensable.
In a multi-religious Asia, fundamentalism, nationalism, terrorism, and extremism are rising, leading to human rights violations. Some countries with a one religion as state resist pluralism and undermine others’ religious freedom, treating them as second-class citizens. Even those other nations claiming to be democratic and secular are becoming increasingly intolerant and discriminatory towards minority religions.
DO THE CHURCHES IN ASIA RAISE THEIR PROPHETIC VOICE IN PUBLIC LIFE?
Asian ecclesiology hasn’t fully matured and has not really accepted yet the challenges of the public engagement. Western theology was introduced to Asia without fully adapting to its diverse religious context. Later efforts were made to explore how God is revealed within Asian religious traditions and practices. The inculturation project limited its interpretation of faith and mission involvement to the Christian domain. And it was only with the emergence of Asian liberation theology that the Church began to engage with socio-political realities. Now, the challenge is on integrating Asian theology of religions and liberation theology with public theology to encourage the Asian Churches to commit themseves more prophetically to public causes. The crucial question for the Church leader and theologian now to consider is if the Church is ready to seriously engage themselves in public life and if there are sufficient tools and support for Christian involvement for the social transformation? What concrete steps are taken to empower marginalized groups like women, Dalits, and Tribals? Are we really building a participatory Church for social change? The Churches in Asia need to begin once again to ask simple but fundamental questions.
ASIAN CHURCHES AND PUBLIC THEOLOGY
The Fifth Lateran Council (1512-17) stated that the Church should change humans, not vice versa, reflecting the church classicist mentality. However, Vatican II aimed to end cultural isolation, and enter a relationship with the world, by initiating a new freedom within the Church. The Gaudium et Spes represents a defining moment in the Catholic understanding of the relationship between the Church and the world., viewing the world not as opposed to God but as totality of creation.
Over the years, the Church’s focus shifted toward social transformation for a just world, beginning with Pope Leo XIII’s support for the poor although with caution against union involvement and continuing with Pope Pius XI’s, who calls for the Church to become a major societal agent of change. Popes Paul VI who further analyzed global poverty caused by colonialism, and emphasized integral development on his letters Populorum Progressio. He was known also for his Octogesima Adveniens (1971), where he emphasizes the need for just social order and the importance of political solutions to economic problems, and for the Synodal document “Justice in the World” (1971).
Where he affirms that any actions on behalf of justice and transforming the world is essential to the Church’s mission. While John Paul II on his Apostolic Exhortation in 1975, emphasizes the Church’s role in fostering liberation from all forms of oppression. And in Laborers Exereens (1981) and Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (1987), he also defines solidarity as a struggle for justice, not against people or classes. FABC documents address the challenges of “being Church in Asia,” highlighting trends in Catholic social teachings that criticize those oppressive systems that marginalize the poor.
Asian Churches today are challenged to relive the life of Jesus in the public life, engaging in human struggles and hopes to advance the Good News. The church needs to develop a relevant Asian public theology through active participation in societal issues. Thus, the question today is how the Church can become a public movement as the ecclesial communities of the apostolic times. Michael Amaladoss responds saying we need “to transform society into a cosmotheandric communion both by being its symbolic and prophetic presence in the world and by actively working for it.” And to transform society into a cosmotheandric communion, it’s important to outline the theological framework within, which the Churches in Asia are called to engage in public life. The Church’s commitment to public life is focused on promoting the Reign of God.
Churches in one city, each functioning independent of the other with no communion among them, and Christians divided on the basis of caste, ethnicity, gender are major blocks to effective commitment and contribution to public life. This also includes, the overly institutionalized structure of the Church, distancing Christians from social, civil, and political life where critical decisions and policies are shaped. And lastly, is the lack of integration of philosophy-theological formation with the socio-cultural and political ethos of the nation.
CONCLUSION
Public theology necessarily involves socio-historical and cultural analyses and continuous awareness of social issues. One of the greatest challenges for academic theology is to bring one branch of theology to bear on the other. The emergence of liberation theology or public theology, programmes, it leaves much to be desired. Answers are given; simple and relevant questions are not raised. Social analysis is taught once for all, and does not serve as foundation for the rest of theological debate. This may be one reason why the Asian Churches are failing to respond to the challenges and burning issues of Asian societies.*
