Indonesian Journal of Theology
Indonesian Journal of Theology is a theological journal published by Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia. It is established to enhance theological discourse among theologians across denominations and faith traditions, particularly in the Indonesian context. We also aim to contribute to the wider academic theological discourse in global Christianity, especially in the Asian context, by publishing the works of authors from all over the world. We welcome contributions from scholars of theological studies, religious studies, and other related fields. Indonesian Journal of Theology receives a wide range of manuscripts of interdisciplinary nature related to theology and religious studies as it aims to bridge academia, ecclesia, and society. It publishes articles and book reviews as resources for theological education, pedagogy, and ecumenical and interreligious learning on topics related to Theology, Biblical studies, and Religious studies. IJT commits to publish high quality academic articles. Managed and edited by a diverse team of scholars from different institutions, all articles are processed through a double blind peer review by respected scholars in their field.
Articles
199 Documents
<![CDATA[Like Priests Set Apart: A Source-Critical Problematization of Circumcision, Religious Othering, and Intermarriage ]]>
<![CDATA[Tumanan, Perdian]]>
<![CDATA[ Indonesian Journal of Theology Vol 7 No 2 (2019): Edisi Reguler - Desember 2019 ]]>
Publisher : <![CDATA[Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia ]]>
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DOI: 10.46567/ijt.v7i2.129
<![CDATA[There is no biblical conception that so interferes with public life and invites endless debates and controversies as the theology of election. From a religious studies perspective, the theology of election has created a tremendous, hideous impact on the history of humankind, from colonialization to Shoah to the politics of identity and populism today. Rather than being the doctrine that unites humanity, the concept of election has been regarded as the core cause that creates otherness. This article argues that the ideation of otherness in the theology of election is deeply connected to and cannot be separated from sexuality issues. The notion of circumcision, as the main feature of post-exilic priestly election theology, inevitably constructs the ideal of lineage purity, thus forbidding intermarriage. The unfaithfulness of God’s people during the Judean monarchy era would later be perceived as the main cause for the suffering and traumatic experience of exile. Radical holiness in the form of religious separation from other nations must be observed for the priests to enjoy the continuation of God’s promise in the form of descendants. The continuation of priestly lineages would assure the continuity of the Temple's existence and worship.]]>
<![CDATA[Ruang-ruang Keadilan bagi Sang Margin ]]>
<![CDATA[Kurniawan, Danang]]>
<![CDATA[ Indonesian Journal of Theology Vol 7 No 2 (2019): Edisi Reguler - Desember 2019 ]]>
Publisher : <![CDATA[Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia ]]>
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DOI: 10.46567/ijt.v7i2.131
<![CDATA[This essay examines just space(s) from the perspective of Christian hospitality towards the marginalized. The focus for Letty Russell in her theology addresses those considered the ‘unfortunate’ or those victimized by the variegated visage of injustice (the ‘unfair’) as that face is set against ‘the outsiders’; Miroslav Volf focuses on the ‘other,’ as does Amos Yong concerning “the stranger.†Nevertheless, they use these three terms interchangeably. To build just space(s) for the marginalized, I intend to approach the justice discourse via two arguments: first, by claiming that every theory of justice derived philosophically tends to get trapped in matters of techno-calculation; second, by proposing the relevance of a theological approach for “patching†such philosophical shortcomings. Following the parable of the workers in the vineyard in Matthew 20:10-16, we see that a theological approach yields a conceptualization of generosity—as the commentaries of Michael Green show—thereby demonstrating the relevance of such theological praxis. As a study in Christian hospitality, this essay proposes several ethical tenets for the building of just space(s) as spaces for justice that take as their point of departure the very same marginalized toward whom these spaces are oriented.]]>
<![CDATA[Eksklusivisme dan Radikalisme dalam Kitab Ezra: Upaya Menelaah Penyebab Eksklusivisme dan Radikalisme Bangsa Israel dalam Kitab Ezra serta Menemukan Refleksi bagi Pembaca Kristen Indonesia pada Masa Kini ]]>
<![CDATA[Agetta Putri Awijaya]]>
<![CDATA[ Indonesian Journal of Theology Vol 7 No 2 (2019): Edisi Reguler - Desember 2019 ]]>
Publisher : <![CDATA[Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia ]]>
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DOI: 10.46567/ijt.v7i2.134
<![CDATA[The story of Israel’s journey in the Book of Ezra provides a description of how exclusivism and radicalism were able to grow among the group of Israelites returning from exile with Ezra. By paying attention to the social and political dynamics underlying the writing of this book, the reader can suss out how the situation of historical events provoked concerns related to identity within Ezra’s own cohort, eventually changing them to become an exclusivist and radicalized group. This article presents an excavation of the social and political context for the Book of Ezra, including a critique concerning the point of view of its author. The purpose of such an excavation is to investigate how exclusivism and radicalism emerged in the post-exilic period. Through this critical reading, readers, especially Indonesian Christians, can see how the seeds of exclusivism and radicalism grew in this given group of people, as well as how to prevent these seeds from causing conflict in order to preserve the unity in diversity of Indonesia [cf. Bhinneka Tunggal Ika].]]>
<![CDATA[Eksklusivisme dan Radikalisme dalam Kitab Ezra: Upaya Menelaah Penyebab Eksklusivisme dan Radikalisme Bangsa Israel dalam Kitab Ezra serta Menemukan Refleksi bagi Pembaca Kristen Indonesia pada Masa Kini ]]>
<![CDATA[Awijaya, Agetta Putri]]>
<![CDATA[ Indonesian Journal of Theology Vol 7 No 2 (2019): Edisi Reguler - Desember 2019 ]]>
Publisher : <![CDATA[Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia ]]>
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DOI: 10.46567/ijt.v7i2.134
<![CDATA[The story of Israel’s journey in the Book of Ezra provides a description of how exclusivism and radicalism were able to grow among the group of Israelites returning from exile with Ezra. By paying attention to the social and political dynamics underlying the writing of this book, the reader can suss out how the situation of historical events provoked concerns related to identity within Ezra’s own cohort, eventually changing them to become an exclusivist and radicalized group. This article presents an excavation of the social and political context for the Book of Ezra, including a critique concerning the point of view of its author. The purpose of such an excavation is to investigate how exclusivism and radicalism emerged in the post-exilic period. Through this critical reading, readers, especially Indonesian Christians, can see how the seeds of exclusivism and radicalism grew in this given group of people, as well as how to prevent these seeds from causing conflict in order to preserve the unity in diversity of Indonesia [cf. Bhinneka Tunggal Ika].]]>
<![CDATA[Menyoal Agapisme Klasik di Indonesia : Sebuah Dialektika Mengenai Anders Nygren dan Apropriasi Terhadap Eros dalam Etika ]]>
<![CDATA[Abel Kristofel Aruan]]>
<![CDATA[ Indonesian Journal of Theology Vol 7 No 2 (2019): Edisi Reguler - Desember 2019 ]]>
Publisher : <![CDATA[Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia ]]>
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DOI: 10.46567/ijt.v7i2.145
<![CDATA[In Indonesia, the discussion concerning the meta-ethical basis for the doing of good to others is still dominated by agapism, which is the line of thought claiming that agape is the highest form of love, done by God, and that which is proper for a Christian to bear out. Theological refutations have begun to emerge there, from theologians such as Ferry Mamahit and Joas Adiprasetya. Mamahit criticizes the dichotomous polarization of agape apart from eros, while Adiprasetya restores the goodness of philia vis-à-vis agape. This essay criticizes agapism, especially the classical agapism of Anders Nygren, from an overtly philosophical angle. With assistance from the philosophical anthropological apparatus of Christian thinker James K. A. Smith, I explicate how desire (erotic-love) is an inherent quality of being human. The problem does not lie in whether humankind should want to jettison eros—which is the normative prescription of Nygren—because eros is the ultimate impulse that in actuality underlies good deeds toward others. The issue lies precisely in what is to be the final purpose (causa finalis) of any good deed. To complement Smith’s thought, this essay employs Nicholas Wolterstorff’s proposal that shalom serve as the causa finalis of a person’s doing good. The intent of all this effort is to underscore that the Smith/Wolterstorff model is more in line with reality than is agapism.]]>
<![CDATA[Menyoal Agapisme Klasik di Indonesia : Sebuah Dialektika Mengenai Anders Nygren dan Apropriasi Terhadap Eros dalam Etika ]]>
<![CDATA[Aruan, Abel Kristofel]]>
<![CDATA[ Indonesian Journal of Theology Vol 7 No 2 (2019): Edisi Reguler - Desember 2019 ]]>
Publisher : <![CDATA[Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia ]]>
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DOI: 10.46567/ijt.v7i2.145
<![CDATA[In Indonesia, the discussion concerning the meta-ethical basis for the doing of good to others is still dominated by agapism, which is the line of thought claiming that agape is the highest form of love, done by God, and that which is proper for a Christian to bear out. Theological refutations have begun to emerge there, from theologians such as Ferry Mamahit and Joas Adiprasetya. Mamahit criticizes the dichotomous polarization of agape apart from eros, while Adiprasetya restores the goodness of philia vis-à -vis agape. This essay criticizes agapism, especially the classical agapism of Anders Nygren, from an overtly philosophical angle. With assistance from the philosophical anthropological apparatus of Christian thinker James K. A. Smith, I explicate how desire (erotic-love) is an inherent quality of being human. The problem does not lie in whether humankind should want to jettison eros—which is the normative prescription of Nygren—because eros is the ultimate impulse that in actuality underlies good deeds toward others. The issue lies precisely in what is to be the final purpose (causa finalis) of any good deed. To complement Smith’s thought, this essay employs Nicholas Wolterstorff’s proposal that shalom serve as the causa finalis of a person’s doing good. The intent of all this effort is to underscore that the Smith/Wolterstorff model is more in line with reality than is agapism.]]>
<![CDATA[Menampakkan Corak Biru Kekristenan Indonesia: Sebuah Perspektif Ekoteologi ]]>
<![CDATA[Maggang, Elia]]>
<![CDATA[ Indonesian Journal of Theology Vol 7 No 2 (2019): Edisi Reguler - Desember 2019 ]]>
Publisher : <![CDATA[Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia ]]>
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DOI: 10.46567/ijt.v7i2.149
<![CDATA[This paper seeks to interpret that which is blue of Indonesia—the largest archipelagic nation in the world—by way of proffering for Indonesian Christianity a range of blue hues (corak biru) following an ecotheological perspective. I start by discussing ecotheology and its contribution within Christianity to illustrate how this sub-discipline becomes a “brush†that for Christianity can render such blue hues. This is followed by a discussion on why and how a responsive ecotheology to the environmental/marine ecosystem crisis could render as “blue paint†for that subdisciplinary brush—a blue ecotheology (ekoteologi biru). To accomplish this, both Christianity’s abject appraisal of the sea, as well as Christianity’s own blue-hued anthropocentrism (corak biru antroposentrisme), are parsed and addressed in turn by the paradigm of a community of creation as “sketch.†These discussions summarily affirm the conviction that the sea must be considered and treated not as an object of human exploitation but as a proper subject working to support the life that is common among all of God’s animate creation. Humankind and the sea itself, alike, participate in that life. The spectrum of blueness I propose to be displayed across the “canvas†of Indonesian Christianity is this: to be sea-friendly in both outlook and attitude, in ways that safeguard the sea’s ongoing involvement in life. To conclude, this paper invites Indonesian Christianity to put the full array of its blue hues on display within both theological discourse and its activities as the church.]]>
<![CDATA[Mystical Hunger: Memaknai Lapar dalam Teologi Mistik sebagai Upaya Transformasi Sosial ]]>
<![CDATA[Leksmana Leonard]]>
<![CDATA[ Indonesian Journal of Theology Vol 8 No 1 (2020): Edisi Spesial - Memikirkan Kembali Pertanyaan "Siapakah Sesamaku Manusia?" ]]>
Publisher : <![CDATA[Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia ]]>
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DOI: 10.46567/ijt.v8i1.103
<![CDATA[This article endeavors to discuss hunger as a site for mystical encounter with God. The history of Christian mysticism shows that our experiences play a significant role in the sourcing of its very theology. Upon consideration of a clarifying definition for mystical theology, I elaborate on Simone Weil’s view of hunger as mystical experience along with Dorothee Sölle’s notion that mystical experience impacts social transformation. With help from both, hunger can be seen as an experience of intimacy with God and at once possesses the dimension for hospitality, for the purposes of breaking down social barriers.]]>
<![CDATA[Postcolonial Practice of Interfaith With-ness: Christian Expropriations from India ]]>
<![CDATA[Baiju Markose]]>
<![CDATA[ Indonesian Journal of Theology Vol 8 No 1 (2020): Edisi Spesial - Memikirkan Kembali Pertanyaan "Siapakah Sesamaku Manusia?" ]]>
Publisher : <![CDATA[Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia ]]>
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DOI: 10.46567/ijt.v8i1.120
<![CDATA[An attempt to develop the postcolonial practice of interfaith with-ness as a means of radical protest and resistance against the religious fundamentalism and crony capitalism in India has enormous significance today. The postcolonial practice of interfaith with-ness is not only a theoretical postulation but also a radical with-ness (being with) shared with the religious others. The idea proposes a radical politics of recognition, politics of difference, and politics of creative dialogue, rather than an apolitical “practice of tolerance” on which the traditional idea of interreligious dialogue is grounded. As a humble attempt, several Christian expropriations of the idea are being voiced in this essay with a spirit of religious confidentiality. And, the study uses empire criticism and intersectionality as the primary analytical tools.]]>
<![CDATA[Reading the Book of Job and Camus's La Peste during COVID-19 ]]>
<![CDATA[Erwin Susanto]]>
<![CDATA[ Indonesian Journal of Theology Vol 8 No 1 (2020): Edisi Spesial - Memikirkan Kembali Pertanyaan "Siapakah Sesamaku Manusia?" ]]>
Publisher : <![CDATA[Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia ]]>
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DOI: 10.46567/ijt.v8i1.127
<![CDATA[The pandemic crisis that is COVID-19 has caused unprecedented suffering throughout the world. At such a time, the religious person can legitimately ask why God allows this and how one’s faith might wrestle with such tragedy. In my search of the Scriptures to respond to these questions, I find the Book of Job to be a fruitful dialogue partner—be it in the way it urges one to consider aspects of suffering that are not apparent or in how it resists attempts at oversimplifying God’s character. In this essay, I compare the Book of Job with Albert Camus’s novel La Peste, the latter being set during an epidemic. I argue that both literary works provide space for a theological voice to recognize and articulate suffering in terms of divine justice; both works also enable one to resist any concrete framework for explaining suffering. I then suggest that La Peste complements one’s reading of Job as Scripture by highlighting both the importance of active response to suffering as well as the relational dimension of suffering in the world, which should prove to be helpful in this time of crisis and beyond.]]>
