Mapping Postcolonial Theory: Appropriations in Contemporary Theology (original) (raw)

The case for Postcolonial Theology

2021

This draft paper provides an introduction to postcolonial theology and makes the case for postcolonial theology as a genuinely global theology. It challenges the centrality and dominance of the traditional systematic theology of the West which it argues should be set in its cultural context. This is a draft paper for an article published in Modern Believing 62:4 (Autumn 2021) 327-348

Postcolonial Studies in Practical Theology

International Handbook of Practical Theology

Ahugedisconnect existsbetween the orthodox, official theologyofthe ruling classes of religious institutions on the one hand,a nd the living faiths of believers on the other.Official church dogma is often not what most Christians live by.Whereas official statements emphasize the 'purity' of the faith, most Christians in the pews and practitionerso fo ther living religious faiths, live what can be described as am ixed, pragmatic version which is ac ombination of orthodoxy and heterodoxy,o fficial teachinga nd local cultural practices,r eligious understandings, and experiential realities. Thisp henomenon is observable in most if not all faith traditions. Christian systematic theologyh as focused on the statements of faith (creeds,c ouncils,a nd doctrines) of officialdom and the writingso fr ecognized authority figures whereas manyp ractical theologians have by and large grappled with the livede xperience and daily-life faith of ordinary believers. This historic divide has been the case down through the years and arguablylies at the heart of the reason for the Councils and Creeds of EarlyC hristianity, whose primary purpose was to clearly define the core, essential, pure, and true faith to which all believers weret ob ed irected and by which heresies could be detected and expunged, corrected, or punished. An example of this in contemporary times takes the form of the conflicts and controversies between purists who insist on the exclusive claims of Christian doctrine and the 'multiple religious belonging' thatc haracterize the liveso fm anyC hristians. It is also evident in postcolonial studies in practical theology. In this chapter Ishall be focusingonthe practical theological disciplines of pastoral theologya nd pastoralc are in tracing the trajectory of postcolonial criticism in the work of practical theology, especiallyemphasizing the work of those whose cultural and historicalh eritage, likem yo wn,i st raceable to the African continent.¹ Pathways in postcolonial thought and practice typicallyseek to enhance an engagement with the cultural heritageo ft he formerlycolonized in ways that lift up subjugated knowledge for the purpose of am ore authentic future in which suppressed ways of being and knowing are represented and clearlya rticulateda tt he table of all pastoralt heology.  See Lartey(2018, 79-97). In this chapter,a si nt hat one, for the purposes of brevity and focus,I stayw ithin the discipline of pastoral theology understood as exploringt he theological underpinnings,implications,and practices of pastoral care and counselingasasub-discipline of practical theology.P ractical theology,a sawhole, Iw ould define as encompassing the four disciplines of Religious Education, Liturgy and Worship, Homiletics,a nd Pastoral Theology.

Postcolonial Theological Methods Presentation (Outline)

1 POSTCOLONIAL THEOLOGY 1.1 DEFINITION 1.1.1 "Postcolonial theology is an academic discipline within religious thought whereby structures of power, dominant systems, and embedded ideologies are examined, critiqued, and negotiated in order to make social transformations that recognize and validate the perspectives of marginalized peoples, cultures, and identities." 1 1.1.2 "Post" not chronological, meaning beyond 2

Mapping Postcolonial Theory (Asian Christian Review)

Appeals to the past are among the commonest strategies in interpretations of the present. What animates such appeals is not only disagreement about what happened in the past and what the past was, but uncertainty about whether the past really is past, over and concluded, or whether it continues, albeit in different forms, perhaps.

Post/decolonialism and Theology – A Short Survey and Critical Engagement

This paper critically surveys the similar yet independently-developed Postcolonial and Decolonial studies that have emerged in the last fifty years. I will begin by providing a short historical overview of the emergence of each school of thought. I will then compare and contrast highlighting primarily their differences. I will then survey their intersection with theology as Christianity played a crucial role in the colonial project. I will argue that building on the foundation of a critique of colonization of knowledge, Decolonial and Postcolonial theory must move beyond binary conceptions of power to take into account multiple relations of dependence and antagonism within postcolonial societies. This is especially true in their interaction with theology that continues to be tied to reductionist notions that Christianity is synonymous with colonialism. While this critique is still necessary as colonial tendencies persist in globalized capitalism; the emergence of a multi-polar world demands a greater understanding not only of the Western colonial legacy but also the inter-relationships between and within postcolonial nations. Only by doing so, can post/decolonial thinking transcend its deconstructive nature to truly become a constructive theory for alternative futures.

Theology and Mission Between Neocolonialism and Postcolonialism

Mission Studies, 2004

In this article Joerg Rieger writes about the historical connection between colonialism and mission, and the connection between neocolonialism and mission in the present situation of globalization. Thinking on mission today, he argues, does not always see the subtle connection between mission and neocolonialism, even though it has recognized and renounced the former colonialism. While mission as "outreach" and "relationship" have some positive aspects, they can easily be tainted with neocolonial attitudes. In contrast, Rieger advocates an understanding of mission as "inreach," by which one approaches the other as truly other, and opens oneself to be changed in the encounter. A dialogical approach to mission -indeed a "multilogical" approach is "no longer optional but essential to the future of both mission and theology." KEYWORDS Neocolonialism, Postcolonialism, Mission Theology "To missionize is to colonize and to colonize is to missionize." 1 Ever since the conquest of the Americas, Christian mission and colonialism have been inextricably related. And while the forms of both colonialism and mission have changed over the centuries, they have continued their alliance.