<![CDATA[This article examines the Ma'nene tradition in Tana Toraja from theological and social perspectives, focusing on the dialogue between Christian faith and local culture. Ma'nene is a ritual of cleaning and changing the garments of ancestors' bodies, performed periodically by the Torajan people as a form of honoring their forebears. The presence of Christianity, now embraced by the majority of Torajans, raises questions about the theological position of this tradition, alongside social challenges stemming from modernization and tourism commodification. This study aims to formulate a contextual-theological meaning of Ma'nene and to map its social dynamics amid the transformation of Torajan society. The method used is qualitative research with a literature review approach, employing content analysis of sources on contextual theology, Torajan ethnography, and social studies. The analytical framework integrates H. Richard Niebuhr's Christ and Culture typology, Stephen B. Bevans's six models of contextual theology, and Theodorus Kobong's local theology of Injil dan Tongkonan. The findings indicate that Ma'nene is best read through the Christ the Transformer of Culture model combined with Bevans's anthropological-synthetic models, where the tradition is neither wholly rejected nor naively accepted, but transformed as an expression of honoring ancestors that culminates in love for God. The practical consequence is the need for contextual catechesis by local churches so that the faithful may distinguish veneration from idolatry.]]>
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