One theological theme that requires serious consideration is a contextualized
Christology. Too many tribal people envision Jesus in terms of the portrayals presented by
the Euro-American missionaries. Indigenous people continue to imagine Jesus as fair
skinned, blond or red-headed, and blue eyed. This book attempts to construct a contextual
Indigenous Christology that is revealed in Naga cultural values and metaphors. In all,
this book raises a serious question on the adaptability of western Christology by the
tribal people. The author asserts that a Christology must not only incorporate
socio-economic and political realities of the people, but also peoples' values and
traditions.
Any attempt to articulate a Naga-Indigenous Christology must begin by defining
Christology and the gospel for ourselves in ways that might be more compelling and more
culturally appropriate for us. And we do this by asking who Jesus is and what might Jesus
mean for the Naga community? How might we profess and proclaim Jesus in a manner that is
genuinely derived from and centered in the Naga people's experience and cultural reality?
The author in the present brain-storming research work has employed various historical,
political, and cultural resources to move a step beyond the existing Indigenous
theological work by providing a comprehensive and in-depth treatment of the identified
theological theme.
Contents
Foreword-I
Foreword-II
Foreword-III
Abstract
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. Colonialism, Missionaries, and Indigenous : A Critical Appraisal
1.1 Colonialism and Christian
Mission : A General Overview
1.2 Colonialism, Missionaries,
and Nagaland (Northeast India)
1.3 British Colonial Power and
Christian Mission : An Evaluation
1.4 Naming of the Native : Who
Calls the Shot?
1.5 Colonialism, Ethnographers,
and Nagas
1.6 Missionaries in Nagaland :
Their Attitude, Intention, and Impact
1.7 Colonialism, Missionaries,
and Indigenous Christology
2. Situating Indigenous Theology : Historical, Socio-Economic and Political Setting of
Nagaland
2.1 In Search of Identitiy : Who
are the Nagas?
2.2 Origin of the Nagas
2.3 Nagas and their Neighbours
before British Contact
2.4 Nagas and the British : A
Brief Overview
2.5 British Legacy : The Most
Dangerous Legacy
2.6 Naga's Struggle, Resistance
Movement and Freedom
2.7 Pre-Independence of August
1947
2.8 Independent India Scenario :
Conflicts and Negotiations
2.9 The Indo-Naga Peace Process
: A Critical Analysis
2.10 The Roles of Civil Society
in Resistance Movement and Peace Process
2.11 Obstacles to the Solution
2.12 Socio-Economic Situation of
the Nagas : An Overview
2.13 The Most Alienated,
Exploited and Neglected Region
2.14 Situating Naga-Indigenous
Christology
3. Christology : Christological Traditions and Approaches through the Centuries
3.1 Jesus Christ through the
Centuries
3.2 Christ and Culture
3.3 Christological Trajectories
3.4 Cosmological Christology
3.5 Political Christology
3.6 Anthropological Christology
3.7 Contemporary Christology
3.8 Christology in Postmodern
Context
3.9 Theology of Liberation and
Culture
3.10 Liberation and Cultural
Christology
3.11 Christology and
Naga-Indigenous Theology
4. Methodological Issues of Indigenous Theology : Sources of Indigenous Christology
4.1 Postcolonial,
Postcolonialism, and Postcolonial Theory
4.2 Defining Postcolonialism
4.3 Postcolonial Imagination and
Naga Situation
4.4 Postcolonialism : Identity,
Hybridity, and the Nagas
4.5 Liberation Theology and its
Limit
4.6 Liberation and Inculturation
4.7 Indigenous Theology :
Methodological Consideration
4.8 Models of Contextual
Theology
4.9 Indigenous Theology as
Postcolonial Theology : A Further Discourse on Methodology
4.10 Reclaiming the Past :
Sources of Indigenous Christology
4.11 Western Science and
Indigenous Knowledge
4.12 Indigenous Theology and
Indigenous Resources
4.13 Space, Creation, and Land :
Indigenous Theological Point of Reference
5. Dreaming the Future : A Theological Construction of a Naga-Indigenous Christology
5.1 Indigenous Theology in
Northeast India
5.2 Dreaming the Future : A
Naga-Indigenous Christology of Culture and Liberation
5.3 Jesus as the Rooster
5.4 Jesus as the Ancestor and
Elder Brother
5.5 Jesus as the Liberator
5.6 Jesus as the Reconciler
5.7 Naga Indigenous Christology
: Liberation, Reconcilation, and Healing
Conclusions
Bibliography
Appendices
Index
Rev. Dr. Yangkahao Vashum is Associate Professor of Systematic
Theology at the Eastern Theological College, Jorhat, Assam, India. He is Head of
Department of Theology at the College. Earlier, he served as the Dean of Tribal Study
Centre, Executive Editor of the `Journal of Tribal Studies,' and Dean of the Post-Graduate
Studies of the College. He is an ordained Baptist Minister from Ukhrul, Manipur.
He received his BTh, BD and MTh degrees from the Senate of Serampore College
(University); ThM from the Princeton Theological Seminary; and PhD from the Iliff School
of Theology and Denver University, USA. He has edited and co-edited a number of books
including `Tribal Theology and the Bible; Peacemaking in Northeast India; Search for a New
Society; The Quest for Harmony.' He has also written many scholarly papers in reputed
journals, nationally as well as internationally. He is married to Semmichon Shimrang
Vashum; they are blessed with a daughter and a son.
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