Christian theologians in the Pacific Islands see Culture as the grounds on which one understands God.
Written in an accessible, engaging style and presenting innovative findings, this book will interest students and scholars of anthropology, world religion, theology, globalization, and Pacific studies..
Tomlinson concludes, however, that the most fruitful topic of dialogue might not be culture, but rather the nature of dialogue itself.
Contextual Theology allows people in Oceania to speak with God and fellow humans through the idiom of Culture in a distinctly Pacific way.
Finally, many contextual theologians engage with the work of other disciplines-- prominently, anthropology--as they develop new discourse on God, people, and the future of Oceania.
A fourth addresses the problems of climate change and environmental degradation to sacred lands by encouraging eco-theological awareness and interconnection.
A third kind of discussion revolves around identity, emphasizing what makes Oceania unique and culturally coherent.
For example, feminist theologians and those calling for prophetic action on social problems propose new conversations about how people in Oceania should navigate difficult times.
A second kind concerns the state of the church and society.
One type is between readers and texts, in which biblical scholars suggest new ways of reading, and even rewriting, the Bible so it becomes more meaningful in local terms.
Each chapter in this book focuses on a distinct type of culturally driven theological dialogue.
This book presents a symphony of voices--engaged, critical, prophetic--from the contemporary Pacific\'s leading religious thinkers and suggests how their work articulates with broad social transformations in the region.
Employing both scholarly research and ethnographic fieldwork, the author addresses a range of topics: from radical criticisms of biblical stories as inappropriate for Pacific audiences to celebrations of traditional gods such as Tagaloa as inherently Christian figures.
In this pathbreaking book, Matt Tomlinson engages in an anthropological conversation with the work of contextual theologians, exploring how the combination of Pacific Islands Culture and Christianity shapes theological dialogues.
Christian theologians in the Pacific Islands see Culture as the grounds on which one understands God
