Harmonisasi masyarakat plural: Praktik sosial di sekolah teologi untuk membangun nasionalisme Indonesia yang inklusif

Indonesian Nationalism is historic and ethical, not natural. It was born out of a shared history of various groups in Indonesia in their struggle against the colonials, and of an ethical decision that those groups consciously took to become one nation. Such an inclusive nationalism must be intentionally developed structurally, systemically, and continuously by all the elements of the Indonesian nation, lest it would be wiped out by centralism, primordialism disguising in the form of dominant-religion-based nationalism, and unjust distribution of membership along with all its respected rights. Using the analysis from the perspective of Character Ethics, this article shows that theological schools have an important role in the character formation of inclusive nationalism through social practice in theological schools. Social practice is not simply a series of activities, but a series of intentional actions which are done together repeatedly by the whole members of the community. The history of an institution that was intended to prepare pastor assistants in Yogyakarta until it becomes the Faculty of Theology, Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana, at present is presented in this article as a model of effective social practice in the formation of inclusive nationalism. The research focuses on the intersubjective relations between all members of the Duta Wacana community, which reflects the very rich and deeply human experience, that takes place in the local everyday life, including various policies that are born out of that relationship with the religious-cultural identity that becomes its context.  AbstrakNasionalisme Indonesia bersifat historis dan etis, bukan alami. Ia lahir dari sejarah bersama kelompok-kelompok bangsa Indonesia melawan penjajah kolonial dan dari keputusan etis yang mereka ambil untuk menjadi satu bangsa Indonesia. Nasionalisme yang inklusif semacam itu harus dengan sengaja ditumbuh-kembangkan secara terstruktur, sistemik, dan berkesinambungan oleh segenap elemen bangsa agar tidak tergerus oleh ancaman sentralisme, primordialisme yang tersamar dalam bentuk nasionalisme berbasis agama dominan, dan ketidak-adilan distribusi keanggotaan beserta semua hak yang mengikutinya. Dengan menggunakan analisis dari perspektif Etika Karakter, tulisan ini menunjukkan bahwa sekolah-sekolah teologi memiliki peran penting untuk membentuk karakter nasionalisme yang inklusif melalui praktik sosial di sekolah-sekolah teologi terkait. Praktik sosial bukanlah sekadar rangkaian kegiatan, melainkan rangkaian tindakan yang dengan sengaja dilakukan secara bersama-sama berulang-kali oleh segenap anggota komunitas. Sejarah lembaga pendidikan asisten pendeta di Yogyakarta hingga menjadi Fakultas Teologi Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana diangkat dalam tulisan ini sebagai sebuah model praktik sosial yang terbukti efektif membentuk nasionalisme yang inklusif. Penelitian difokuskan pada relasi intersubjektif di antara segenap anggota komunitas ini, yang mencerminkan pengalaman insani yang sangat kaya dan mendalam, yang terjadi sehari-harinya dalam konteks lokalitas hidup, termasuk berbagai kebijaksanaan yang lahir dari relasionalitas tersebut serta identitas kultural religius yang menjadi konteksnya

Tinjauan Teologis-Etis Terhadap Banalitas Kejahatan Korupsi

Abstract. It is an irony for Indonesia, which is well known as a very religious country but at the same time is ranked as the most corrupted country in the world. Law enforcement against perpetrators of corruption is deemed insufficient to eradicate corruption. A moral and ethical revolution is needed to prevent corruptive acts from its’ root because corruption can be categorized as a banality of crime, crime that is considered normal. This article aimed to explore the theological-ethical outlook to the banality of corruption by using a literature review approach. Through this study, it could be concluded that corruption is an act caused by the lost of the virtues that are sourced from the Bible and centered on Christ as the embodiment of divine character.Abstrak. Merupakan sebuah ironi bagi Indonesia yang dikenal sebagai negara yang sangat religius namun sekaligus berada pada peringkat negara yang sangat korup di dunia. Penegakan hukum terhadap pelaku tindak pidana korupsi dirasa tidak cukup untuk memberantas korupsi. Diperlukan revolusi moral dan etis untuk mencegah tindakan koruptif mulai dari akarnya oleh karena korupsi dapat dikategorikan sebagai banalitas kejahatan, yaitu sesuatu yang dianggap biasa dilakukan. Artikel ini bertujuan untuk menggali pendekatan teologis-etis terhadap banalitas kejahatan korupsi dengan menggunakan pendekatan kajian pustaka. Melalui kajian ini dapat disimpulkan bahwa korupsi adalah suatu tindakan yang diakibatkan oleh karena seseorang telah kehilangan nilai-nilai kebajikan yang bersumber dari Alkitab dan berpusat kepada Kristus sebagai perwujudan karakter ilahi

Apakah Aku Penjaga Saudaraku?: Mencari Etika Ekologis Kristiani yang Panentheistik dan Berkeadilan

The damage caused by humankind to nature is an undebatable fact. This article challenges the discriminative attitude that has allowed humans to place ourselves apart from nature and to claim a higher dignity over nature. The belief that humankind is imago Dei who has the right to dominate nature for the sake of their interests has worsened the situation. Faced by the problems, this article proposes a panentheistic and just Christian ecological ethics. It starts from the belief that the universe is one union coherent with and in Christ, in creation, in its history, and in its continuous transformation toward the fullness of that union with and in Christ. Incarnation is not mainly God’s salvific work to save humans, but God’s ethical act embracing and being embraced by nature. In incarnation God is not only present in the world, but is also united in and for the material world in the form of an embodied human, Jesus Christ. Hence human identity is always a perichoresis within which the existence of humans and the existence of nature mutually permeate each other. Neither is ontologically higher than the other, even though each has different function, because the two are sisters/brothers. In this light, a just relationship between humankind and nature must be worked out

Aktualisasi Pancasila Berdasarkan Etika Kebajikan Kristiani

Abstract. Pancasila is a minimal morality, reiteration of maximal moralities lived by various religious groups in Indonesia. As minimal morality, Pancasila is needed for social solidarity and criticism in the public sphere. Hence all religious groups in Indonesia, including Christians, need to continuously actualize the historical essence of the principles of Pancasila from the faith perspective of the respected religious group. This writing intends to demonstrate the actualization of the principles of Pancasila from the perspective of Virtues Ethics. Through this study it can be concluded that the essence of the Pancasila is not something apart from what Christians believe and live. Pancasila has its resonance in specific Christian virtues of hope, vulnerability, humility, forbearance, and empathy.Abstrak. Pancasila adalah moralitas minimal yang merupakan reiterasi dari berbagai moralitas maksimal yang dimiliki oleh kelompok-kelompok agama yang berbeda-beda di Indonesia. Sebagai moralitas minimal, Pancasila dibutuhkan untuk solidaritas sosial dan kritik sosial di ruang publik. Oleh karena itu semua kelompok umat beragama di Indonesia, termasuk orang-orang Kristen, perlu terus menerus mengaktualisasikan esensi historis sila-sila Pancasila dari perspektif iman masing-masing. Tulisan ini bermaksud menunjukkan aktualisasi sila-sila Pancasila dari sudut pandang Etika Kebajikan. Melalui kajian ini dapat disimpulkan esensi sila-sila Pancasila bukanlah sesuatu yang asing dari apa yang diyakini serta dihidupi orang-orang Kristen. Sila-sila Pancasila mendapatkan resonansinya dalam kebajikan-kebajikan Kristiani yang spesifik, yaitu pengharapan, kerentanan, kerendahan hati, kesabaran sepenanggungan, dan empati

Being Chinese Christian in the Totok Chinese Churches in Surabaya: Continuity and Change of Identities

This article explores the identities of Chinese Christians in the totok Chinese churches in Surabaya. The Chinese Christians refer to those who arrived in Surabaya from mainland China as Protestant Christians in the 1900s. They established the first Chinese church - the Tiong Hoa Kie Tok Kauw Hwee (THKTKH) in Surabaya. The THKTKH has become two independent synods, namely Gereja Kristus Tuhan (GKT, or the Church of Christ the Lord) and Gereja Kristen Abdiel (GKA, or the Abdiel Christian Church). The totok Chinese churches refer to churches that conduct the church services in the Chinese language or Mandarin (Guoyu). The article examines the culture, language, and origin of the Chinese Christians. After almost a century in Surabaya, there are some continuity and change of the Chinese Christian identities. They still regard themselves as totok, but the meaning of totok has changed. They embrace not only Chinese culture; but also mixed Chinese culture with Western culture and Indonesian culture, which results in the so-called hybrid culture. The Mandarin is used in the church services, whereas Indonesian language and English are also employed. The originality of the congregations is no longer mono-ethnic, which is Chinese. The Chinese churches have become multi-ethnic churches consist of various ethnicities in Indonesia

Being Chinese Christian in the Totok Chinese Churches in Surabaya: Continuity and Change of Identities

This article explores the identities of Chinese Christians in the totok Chinese churches in Surabaya. The Chinese Christians refer to those who arrived in Surabaya from mainland China as Protestant Christians in the 1900s. They established the first Chinese church - the Tiong Hoa Kie Tok Kauw Hwee (THKTKH) in Surabaya. The THKTKH has become two independent synods, namely Gereja Kristus Tuhan (GKT, or the Church of Christ the Lord) and Gereja Kristen Abdiel (GKA, or the Abdiel Christian Church). The totok Chinese churches refer to churches that conduct the church services in the Chinese language or Mandarin (Guoyu). The article examines the culture, language, and origin of the Chinese Christians. After almost a century in Surabaya, there is some continuity and change of the Chinese Christian identity. They still regard themselves as totok, but the meaning of totok has changed. They embrace not only Chinese culture; but also mixed Chinese culture with Western culture and Indonesian culture, which results in the so-called hybrid culture. Mandarin is used in church services, whereas Indonesian language and English are also employed. The originality of the congregations is no longer mono-ethnic, which is Chinese. The Chinese churches have become multi-ethnic churches consisting of various ethnicities in Indonesia

Proposing Publicity Leaving Church Apolitical Piety

This article seeks to release the Church from the false dichotomy of piety vs activeness in political issues, so that church members can optimally actualize piety and public responsibilities simultaneously. Apolitical piety has been running in GKS since its establishment on January 15, 1947, as the Dutch Reformed Church's evangelism legacy. Apolitical piety places the piety only as an individual's internal affair, not covering the public sphere. This discourse is a direct influence of Pietism, which began to develop in Europe in the 16th century. And Pietism itself was present as a response to Secularism, which originated in European society since the end Middle Ages. Like Pietism, Secularism also places the Church/religion and mystical aspects as personal human affairs because it doesn't want state life to be governed by or based on religion. But ideally, I view apolitical piety as the distorted discourse that should be abandoned and embrace new discourse: politics as an integral part of Church piety.