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Public Theology in the Face of Pain and Suffering: a Proletarian Perspective Florence Juma

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Public Theology in the Face of Pain and Suffering: a Proletarian Perspective Florence Juma Consensus Volume 36 Article 6 Issue 2 Public Theology 11-25-2015 Public Theology in the face of pain and suffering: A proletarian perspective Florence Juma Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus Part of the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation Juma, Florence (2015) "Public Theology in the face of pain and suffering: A proletarian perspective," Consensus: Vol. 36 : Iss. 2 , Article 6. Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol36/iss2/6 This Articles is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by an authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Juma: Public Theology in the face of pain and suffering Public Theology in the face of pain and suffering: A proletarian perspective Florence Juma* Introduction basic understanding of theology is the quest for knowledge of the Divine—the study of God.1 But why, one may ask, undertake such an endeavour, and to what end? My A simple response would be, to know God is to enhance and enrich my life and service. To know God is to understand His creation – humanity and, the created context. I practice theology to learn more about God and His creation. In the process, that knowledge serves to improve my professional practice as a spiritual care provider in a public health institution. Thus, originates the burden of this task – the implication of doing theology in a public domain. My hope is to reflect on the implications of my professional practice as a spiritual care provider engaging in theological discourse in a public health institution. I’ll attempt a discussion of the implications of public theology in a specific context – public health institution, employing a specific approach. By its nature, public theology may serve as a medium through which all the other branches of theology interact with the other disciplines and seek to promote the idea of individuals living out their spiritual values and beliefs for the good of the general public.2 This can be applied in any field including, educational, social, health, political, and/or religious institutions, whether public or private. Public theology may vary depending on the context and practitioners at any given time and place, but have similar goals. Before getting to how I practice theology publicly, I’ll first discuss my understanding of the term public theology. Public Theology My engagement in theological discourse publicly precedes my attempts to understand the phrase, public theology. The goal of my theological training was to be equipped for service in the world, not in the church. In the process, communities of faith were formed. Whereas the goal was service, the object of my theology has always been my love for God. That love drives my desire to know God, knowing him points me back to his creation. Mulhall describes this concept using the terminology “divine author and his creations.”3 Erickson’s definition of theology4 – the study or science of God – also implies this idea of what may be termed a down to earth theology in touch with contemporary life. Erickson expands on his definition stating that theology is: That discipline which strives to give a coherent statement of the doctrine of the Christian faith, based primarily on the Scriptures, placed in the context of culture in general, worded in a contemporary idiom and related to issues of life.5 *Florence Juma is an associate professional faculty at the Waterloo Lutheran Seminary and a spiritual care practitioner at the Grand River Hospital in Kitchener, Ontario. Her graduate work was in historical theology that serves to provide a framework for her ongoing focus on practical theology. Her journey at the Seminary began with post graduate diploma in spiritual care and psychotherapy. Published by Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 2015 1 Consensus, Vol. 36, Iss. 2 [2015], Art. 6 Erickson’s definition underscore the argument that the two pursuits of knowing and serving God do not happen in isolation, they happen within a community. It is a relational pursuit. As Moltmann also observes “knowledge and community are mutually related,”6 while Ramsay refers to “the significance of the community in care giving”. As a community, we engage in theology to inform our service to another for the sake of God.7 Thus for me, theology has never been a private endeavor, it has always been as public as my profession – the helping relationship. A helping relationship modelled after the divine-human relationship. It is a self- emptying relationship that sets stage for theological dialogue to form communities. On the subject of God’s love as a basis for thriving human relationships, Sremac posits that “theologically, this means that all human beings are called to participate and respond to God’s creative and redemptive project of love…love is the most intimate way to encounter the Sacred and experience spiritual transformation.”8 Therapeutic encounters that are driven by divine love and concern for others may foster environments that encourage others to engage in theological discourse as lives intersect both personally and professionally in the public sphere. This involves ongoing dialogue to uncover parallel narratives as starting points in public theology. In my situation, engaging in public theology is not just a requirement of my position; it aligns with my identity and calling in life. My quest in theology serves me well in my efforts at understanding and enhancing humanity— creation. It just happens to be in the public sphere. In an ideal situation, knowing God would draw us to knowing others which leads to forming sacred relationships of trust be it within faith communities or elsewhere. Thiemann captures a similar understanding when he states that: “public theology is faith seeking to understand the relation between Christian convictions and the broader social and cultural context within which the Christian community lives.”9 Ramsay’s definition however, indicates that public theology has evolved from practical theology. In her definition, Ramsay argues that the “redefinition of pastoral theology as public theology also means new delineation of pastoral care’s central functions.”10 This may be understood to mean that one branch of theology was rebranded as public theology. In my understanding, it is more that practical theology finds expression, not replacement in public theology. The discourse on public theology, like pastoral theology, tends to be contextual.11 It arises out of and is influenced by contemporary religious, socioeconomic, cultural and/or political factors. Much as the pluralistic nature of our contemporary world presents a portrait for the pursuit of a global unity that seeks to rally around specific unifying causes like, politics, environment, education, healthcare and economics there is no denying that the global context is formed by local communities with unique histories that interact with these global issues on different levels. In the process, these localized histories translate into unique narratives that unite the local communities and influence their interaction in the global context in specific ways. This would mean that public theology may look different depending on both the local and global context of the given narratives. Lartey used the term “internationalization” in his discussion of the three major processes that characterized the development of pastoral care and counseling globally.12 Byron Williams also presents an argument for public theology in USA, stating that http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol36/iss2/6 2 Juma: Public Theology in the face of pain and suffering Public theology is concerned with how the Christian faith addresses matters in society at large. It is concerned with the “public relevance” of Christian beliefs and doctrines. Theology is a perennial contextual enterprise.13 Williams proceeds to pose the question asking: “How is God interfacing with the human condition of the moment?” in response to his question, Williams argues that a “theology unable to meet this challenge may be useless in the pursuit of affecting human transformation.”14 His argument may be considered rather harsh by some. However, Williams writes to address the church’s response to human pain and suffering of a different kind – poverty. His discussions are taken from specific issues within the United States context. In some circumstances however, issues that influence theology in the West have proven to have ripple effects globally. Williams conclude that his paper is but a starting point of a discussion that allows “room for others who may not embrace the theology that spawned the document at the micro level but support the macro objectives.”15 My attempt at defining public theology is augmented by the works consulted above and informed by my specific context, which is spiritual care in a health care setting. A definition of public theology in my context then, is engaging with others of diverse faith traditions and religious groups in spiritual discourse so as to make sense of our common situations and identify divine interventions. Our common situation is the place of pain and suffering, marked by diverse health challenges that tend to plague humanity equally despite their religious affiliation or the lack thereof. At the basic level, human beings are needy beings whose longings are met by the divine being. I’m approaching this paper from a specific perspective. A perspective formed and influenced by a specific Christian faith tradition. My early theological understanding was formed within the Pentecostal faith tradition in the African context. I am a relatively recent immigrant, living and serving in Canada both within the congregation and in the wider community. Whereas my spiritual formation is grounded in African expression of faith and worship, my graduate and post-graduate education occurred within an ecumenical context, and to some extent, with a North American flavour.
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