The Role of the Church in Myanmar for Social Transformation : A Practical and Ecumenical Approach

Ro Hlut Puia Graduate School of Theology, Hanshin University 2019 국내석사

This thesis examines the definition and background of the church to revive the nature and scope to the church whose mission must include local and universal. Then a thorough understanding ecumenical theology is stated to give full understanding of the importance of ecumenism for the contextual ministry. From this, one can learn the mission of the church toward the society and why the church needs to act out for social transformation. This thesis also explores the social condition of Myanmar; the suffering of the people from poverty, injustice, violence against humanity, as well as the rise religious extremism among Buddhists in the country. The later part of the thesis gives insightful prospects of wider ecumenism and a must-inter-religious dialogue. These two are the urgent challenges of ecumenical movement in Myanmar to bring about social transformation in the community for witnessing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Role of GBKP Church in Social Justice : A Critical Review on the Book of Amos toward the Prophetic Voice of the Church

Sembiring, Erdian Graduate School of Theology, Hanshin University 2019 국내석사

This thesis examines and studies the significant role of the GBKP Church for its prophetic voice in society. A discussion of the prophetic voice is still very relevant in many ways with the current conditions now days. The study as noted that our current issues of social justice in our society show that a sense of social justice is increasingly difficult to find. People were crying, seeking and expecting for social justice in their lives in the society. There are many peoples begin to feel pessimistic and lose faith in the church when they face suffering and misery. Consequently this thesis concludes that Churches have long established a polarity between theology and social reality. as Christians we are all witnesses to proclaim the truth of the word of God, nevertheless, these reasons and others account for the situation of misery and the absence of the Church to raise its prophetic voice to the societies; hence, the need and the significant role of the prophetic voice of the church is relevant to the realities context of the society especially in Karo context particularly by GBKP Church.

Incorporating Naga Indigenous Music into Christian Worship in Naga Churches

Lotha, Abeni Graduate School of Theology, Hanshin University 2019 국내석사

Nagaland, a land of indigenous people with rich cultural diversity and same faith professing Christ, is slowly losing its culture and tradition in the midst of imitating the western culture. Many Naga Christians in the past were ignorant of the western culture and took it as Christian culture. The consequence of adopting western culture led to abandoning of many of our cultural practices under the western missionaries. The same thought was somehow carried forward from one generation to another, which is also one of the reasons why the present generation is too influenced by the western culture. The present generation does not seem to give much importance in learning or implementing their cultural practices. Although, Nagaland has many tribes with various languages and culture, almost all the Nagas are Christians. With the coming of Christianity to the Nagas in 1872, today around 87.93% of Nagas are Christians with 80% belonging to Baptist denomination. However, there is a threat of losing our culture and tradition if the present generation does not give importance in preserving their indigenous culture. This study focuses on making the present generation aware of their rich culture by implementing our Naga Indigenous music into our Christian worship. By incorporating our indigenous music into our Naga churches will enable the Nagas to worship God as a Naga Christian. Music is the focal attention here because in the past generation everything about the Nagas life revolved around music. In fact, some even say that Nagas’s historical events were narrated orally through music which was passed down from one generation to the other. This research holds to the view that God is the source of every culture and being a Christian does not mean we have to discard our indigenous culture.

A Study on Women Pastors Leadership in Gereja Kristen Pasundan : A Critical Feminist Approach

Gultom, Titin Meryati Graduate School of Theology, Hanshin University 2019 국내석사

Female pastor's leadership wants to represent how women are still struggling with a powerful patriarchal system. It is not only on the religious matter but also on the other issues which illustrate the struggle of female leaders that not only happened in the present but also the past — many women leaders who demeaned and not even recognize their leadership abilities. As a Church, Gereja Kristen Pasundan is in the stage of accepting female pastor leadership. It is supported by a church system that allows anyone, women, and men to become pastors. Although, in practice, there are still obstacles and challenges faced by female pastors in actualizing their leadership, both those coming from church members and fellow partner, namely from fellow pastors or church elders. These challenges are faced and dealt with by continually actualizing style of feminist leadership.

A critical study of the mysticism of Rev. Lee Yong-do

Lee, Seung Chon Hanshin Graduate School in Theology 1997 국내박사

Yong-do's mysticism is 'Minjung-oriented Mysticism' developing 'Passion Mysticism' into 'Love Mysticism'. Up to now the studies on his mysticism have had an interest in this subject: when did he cater to Wonsan pseudo-mystics? But it is more important subject when his mysticism changed, because it involves his final view of a spiritual life. In the course of his change he gave his heart to Minjung and his mysticism was changed into Minjung-oriented mysticism. In other words, his 'Love Mysticism' was no less than 'Minjung-oriented Mysticism' that sublimed his sufferings and utmost love for Minjung into faith and experience in Christ. And the decisive reason why his mysticism movement resulted in failure was that he took sides with Minjung in his own judgment. The leading pastors in the Korean church in those days were too narrow-minded to accept mysticism and too conservative to tolerate Minjung-oriented things, much less Minjung- oriented Mysticism. It is necessary that his mysticism movement should be reevaluated because his cooperation with Wonsan pseudo-mystics was due to his mistake them for the forsaken, that is, Minjung. And consenquently his Minjung-oriented faith brought his failure. And the absence of the mysticism tradition in Korea made him fail to perceive what Wonsan pseudo-mystics were. Moreover laymen in those days were incapable of accept his mysticism because they had neither experienced nor had any chances to learn such kind of faith styles before. Accordingly we must not charge Yong-do's failure to his own account totally. Because of those, his mysticism should be reevaluated. And I'd like to ask those who blame him for his fanatic-like conducts if they can love Minjung wholeheartedly, give their lives to them, and follow and believe in Christ like Yong-do did. I think his life itself established the truth of his mysticism. So many people and christians lived in same circumstances that he went through, but all of them didn't wish to live like Jesus. But Yong-do did and tried to do it at the risk of his life. If there had been any mysticism traditions in Korea in the 1920s, if Yong-do and laymen had had any chances to learn them, so if he had been able to perceive that Wonsan mystics were pseudo, if the faith of laymen had been wide, long, and high enough to understand him, and if the leaders in the Korean church in those days had had Minjung-oriented faith so that they had tolerated Yong-do's activities, he wouldn't have failed. But it was impossible to meet all the conditions in those days. After all his mysticism was the mysticism that couldn't but fail. The times was not mature enough to estimate him rightly. From now on what we have to do is not to repeat those kind of mistakes. By the way our society is not mature enough to accept christian mysticism willingly yet. Even if a lot of people are gradually interested in spirituality these days, we hardly consider that Korean people are ready to receive mysticism. Unfortunately our interest in spirituality is prone to connect with Pentecostalism, not Mysticism. But the more I think it is, the more we need to have to establish mystical tradition in order to keep balance between progressive circle and conservative one that have divided Korean christianity into two parts. In order to do this, it is necessary to make a special study of Yong-do's mysticism.

A Study on the missionary movement in manipur and its impact on the society

하우 Hanshin Graduate School of Theology 2009 국내석사

The Christian Missionaries came to the State of Manipur in the later part of the 19th century. The new religion had played a great role in transforming the life of the people specially the Tribals who practice animism. The present State of Manipur is a small country peopled by various communities, the Meitei (Hindu), the Muslims, the Nagas and the Zomi-Chin-Kuki-Mizo group in the Valley as well as in the Hills respectively. The tribal live mainly in the hills occupying almost nine-tenth of the total area of Manipur territory. Before the advent of Christianity, the Meiteis had embraced Hinduism and the tribals practiced animistic religion. Manipur and its people were almost unknown to the outside world until the arrival of the Western Missionaries. William Pettigrew of Scotland was the first missionary who landed into the state of Manipur on 6th January, 1894. He was followed by Rev. Watkin R. Roberts (1910), a Welsh Missionary who worked in the Southern part. The two missionaries along with the native newly converts started to spread the new religion to the four corners within the state. The missionaries brought the Christian Gospel, Western education and modern medicines too. Truly, it was the Christian mission which introduced the tribal to the comity of nations. The missionaries alone are responsible for both good and the bad effects of modern civilization of the people. The advent of Christianity has changed the outlook of the people at large. When we narrow down our perspective on the presence of Christianity in Manipur, it has been deeply imprinted in the minds of the people in general and particularly the tribal. Although quite a few research work and literature work had been produced about the history of Christianity in Manipur, no systematic attempts had been made to the on the missionary movement and its impact on the society (social and religious life of the tribal till death). For example, who are the first missionary who comes to Manipur and its mission policies? What changes were brought by the new religion on society particularly the tribal? How far the new religion was responsible for the transformation of the people? So on and so forth. So this study tries to attempt how the new religion played a role for the changed the people and the society (social and religious life of the people specially the tribal). This study will be from the period before and after of 1894, the year in which they call themselves as a Christian community and subsequent establishment of the indigenous Church to the present day. Moreover, the study will give the history of the advent of missionary movement in Manipur, especially among the tribal, the subsequent impact on the society and so forth. Since the tribal are still far back in literature (English), the research will be also is relying on vernacular literature. The study will be a combination of Library and empirical research. It will limit itself to resources (books, journals, periodical, etc.), available in English and local dialects. The empirical research would be on a questioner and interview with some of the church leaders. Chapter one will give a brief description of the land, the people and their religion in Manipur. Chapter two give a brief account of the missionary movement in the state and their mission works at different places in the state of Manipur. Chapter three give a brief idea of how the different major Christian churches were established along with their mission activities. Chapter four make an attempt of how far the new religion, that is Christianity had transformed the people and their society or in other word, its impact on the society. In conclusion, the researcher would analyze the various findings through out the research work and would like to make few recommends for the future mission works /activities in Manipur.

A Biblical Reflection on Marriage, Divorce and Laws of Inheritance of Mizo Women through the Story of Abigail in 1 Samuel 25

Lal Lian Puii Hanshin Graduate School of Theology 2009 국내석사

1. 1 The purpose of the study The purpose of the study is to pursue the equal rights of males and females in marriage and divorce. In Burmese society we live under a patriarchal system whether we are Buddhist or Christian. There are many problems women are facing problem in the way of marriage or in divorce systems. There is discrimination against divorced woman and widow. I believe in God’s equal creation, as Gen1.27 state “God created man in his own image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” But our society still requires women to summit to her husband. We are living within a non-Christian world. There are many influences from them. In the teaching of Buddhism women are absolutely lower than men. When Buddha was seeking for his enlightenment his wife was there just to give whatever he needed. Much of this teaching influences our society. Women have been taught to respect and adhere to the “virtues” of meekness, obedience, and self-denial. We have been taught that aggression does not become a “lady.” Women, we have been taught, that they should be nurturers, helpers, supporters of their mates and children; they should expect to be taken care of financially in return for taking care of the realms of morals and emotional support. I would like to show in this thesis that women, created equal to men by God, have the right to choose what she thinks is best for her; she does not belong to anybody but God. Many women don’t even realized they are treated as someone else’s (man), as an object, they think they can not decide for themselves because man knows better. In this paper I will try and point out that women too have the right for survival, security, belonging and to choose and freedom to do what they think is right in the same way men do in our society. I will give an example from the life of Abigail, the wife of David and Nabal. Abigail was brave and brilliant with power to choose what she thought was right. If we think men are more able to handle things than women how can we explain Abigail’s case? She is the one who saved many lives. Abigail has moral wisdom, unlike her foolish husband; Abigail acted and did things at the right time. She knew how to control the situation and play meaningfully. Abigail’s prudence was marked by both activity and insight. She was able to both remedy her family’s desperate situation and to discern the deeper purpose of God. Her active wisdom was at once moral and messianic. But even though Abigail was such important women in the Bible she didn’t appear in other passages as an important person. The reason is the narrator is not interested in the women’s role and part in Biblical world. I strongly believe Abigail represents women’s strength and calmness with wisdom. 1.2 The scope and methodology In this thesis I will mainly focus on the life of women in marriage and divorce. I will not go through all the Burmese women of different ethnic groups, but focus on the life of Mizo women. The method that I will employ in this study is feminist approach to relate and compares the life of Abigail with contemporary Mizo women’s situation. Mainly I will look at the life of Mizo women in their marriages, divorces and inheritance under the Burmese patriarchal Burmese. Mizo society is a male- dominated society where the patriarchal practices and systems still exist. This traditional patriarchal system and its non- Christian practice have had a tremendous influence on the society and culture of Mizo women. I believe that by providing a broader understanding of the life of women from Biblical, socio-cultural, and theological perspectives can give us more meaningful to our culture and society. Primary sources include books, unpublished theses, articles from some Burmese journals and magazines (in both Mizo and Burmese literature) and internet resources. The main purpose of this research is to show the suffering of Mizo women and the contribution they made to the society and home, to expose their God given giftedness and, rediscover their excellence hidden by the dominating patriarchal power. It will also show and relate to the wisest woman in the Old Testament. For this purpose, the whole paper is divided into three chapters with an introduction and conclusion. The first chapter will provide a brief and general introduction of Myanmar followed by a brief history of Myanmar and its religions and, the beginning of Christianity in Myanmar it will also explain the contribution made by the wife of Christian missionary Miss Ann Hasseltine Judson, to the life of Myanmar women. In the last part of first chapter I will explain the influence of non- Christian religion to the life of Christian women and culture. The second chapter will examine the life of Mizo women, and the structure of Mizo society. It will mainly focus on the social structure of marriage, divorce and inheritance this will be done in order to point out that the loss of women’s value and the discrimination upon women are not just from the culture but in some way even from the teaching of our misunderstanding of the Bible itself. It is important to know that Mizo women do the same labor as men in the family and society. In some cases women play more crucial role than men, but in the instance of inheritance and divorce women lose everything. This chapter is to draw attention to point out the lost of value and dignity of Mizo women. The third chapter will be a study of Abigail, biblical narrative of 1 Sam 25, while discussing the historical background of the book of Samuel. It will provide a sudy on the relationship between David and Abigail, her contribution to the life of David and her own family. It will mainly focus on the wisdom of Abigail, but even though she played a very important role, her contribution to her family was never been heard again.