The Prophetic Voice of the Church
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THE PROPHETIC VOICE OF THE CHURCH A study course looking at the radical nature of the gospel, with a special focus on the church in India THE PROPHETIC VOICE CONTENTS OF THE WORLD CHURCH SNAPSHOTS OF INDIA 4 ANGLICANS IN INDIA 6 The prophetic voice arises in the heart remember justice and mercy and walk of God and flows out into all of Creation, humbly with God. MAKING THE MOST OF 7 urging us to become all we can be. Sometimes the prophets were THIS STUDY COURSE The prophetic voice calls us to change ‘foretelling’ in the sense of predicting the for the better – to change our attitudes, future. However, at other times they were STUDY 1: COMMUNITY 8 our lifestyle, even our beliefs – and this ‘telling forth’, which means challenging prophetic voice is found in Jesus, who can feel scary because change brings with injustice and standing up for the poor, the reveals to us the heart of God. And it is the STUDY 2: INJUSTICE 12 it uncertainty and the unknown. widow, the orphan and the alien – and Holy Spirit who enables us to tune into the The Old Testament prophets were this is the definition of prophecy that we prophetic heart of God. STUDY 3: GENDER 16 often unpopular because they challenged will be concentrating on in this study Today, many prophets can be found people to step outside their comfort (eg Amos 5:21-24). throughout the world church. These voices STUDY 4: CLIMATE 20 zones. They challenged the people to The ultimate expression of this are challenging because they alert us to issues we might want to ignore. But these STUDY 5: HOPE 24 voices cannot be silenced – they call us to be like Jesus, who stood on the margins, PLEASE DONATE AND 28 comforting the oppressed and challenging MAKE A DIFFERENCE those who are comfortable. This study course explores what the prophetic voice of the world church might mean, with a particular focus on the church in India. So let us open our ears and be open to change. And may we be inspired to find our own prophetic voice. ▪ This edition published 2019. Cover: A member of the Tagar self-help group, Kalinagar village, near Kolkata. Left: Sanatan Mandi, community leader in Bhalukchira village, Durgapur. Above: Church of Hope, Asrapur village, North India. Bible passages taken from the NRSV All photographs in booklet: USPG/Leah Gordon 2 3 • India has nuclear power and nuclear weapons. SNAPSHOTS OF INDIA • India sends satellites into space. • India is one of the world’s largest FACTFILE the world’s mangoes, with several producers of renewable energy. Population: 1.3 billion hundred varieties. • The Taj Mahal, built in Agra between 1631 Languages: Hindi, English, more than and 1648 by order of Emperor Shah Jahan 20 other official languages DEMOGRAPHY in memory of his wife, is one of the seven Religions: Hinduism (80%), Islam (14%), • India is the world’s seventh largest country wonders of the modern world. Christianity (2.3%), Sikhism (1.7%), and second most populous country, and • India has the world’s largest film industry, Buddhism/other (2%) the world’s largest democracy. with more than 1,100 films produced each Life expectancy: 67 years (men), • More than 1,000 languages are spoken year on average, which is twice as many trafficking in the world. Many victims are 70 years (women) in India. The main languages are Hindi, as America. from poor rural areas and are lured by Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil and • Cricket is by far the most popular sport traffickers with promises of good jobs, Urdu. Hindi and English are considered in India. Football is the second most only to find themselves or their children the ‘official’ languages. watched game by Indian sports fans. Field forced to work in fields or brick kilns, • Despite Islam being a minority religion hockey is also popular; India has won enslaved in homes as domestic workers, (14% of the population), different more medals at the Olympics than any or sold to brothels. sources suggest India has the second other team in this sport. or third highest population of Muslims FAMILY AND CHILDREN in the world – with almost the same CHALLENGES • Family values are important in the Indian number of Muslims in India as there • India struggles with an ever-widening tradition. Multi-generational patriarchal are in Pakistan. gap between rich and poor. It is the joint families have been the norm, though • India’s caste system is one of the country with the fourth highest number nuclear families are becoming common in world’s oldest surviving forms of social of billionaires, yet an estimated two- urban areas. ENVIRONMENT AND GEOGRAPHY stratification. The system divides Hindus thirds of the population is living below • Child marriages are common, especially • The name ‘India’ is derived from the into four main categories: Brahmins the poverty line. in rural areas; many women wed river Indus, which runs through India, (teachers and intellectuals), Kshatriyas • India is shaped by many conflicts, before reaching 18, which is the legal Pakistan and China. (warriors and rulers), Vaishyas (traders) including religious and caste-related marriageable age. Female infanticide • India’s geography is extremely varied. and the Shudras (menial workers). violence, various insurgent and separatist and female foeticide have caused a In the north there are the Himalayas, Outside the system are the Dalits, or movements, and unresolved territorial discrepancy in the sex ratio, with an coniferous forests and the floodplains so-called untouchables (BBC). disputes with China and Pakistan. estimated 37 million more males than of the Ganga and Indus river systems; • 300 million Indians have no access females in 2011. there is desert in the north-east and ECONOMY AND CULTURE to power and millions more live with ▪ tropical rainforest on the Andaman • India is one of the world’s fastest sporadic supplies of electricity. (Sources: BBC, CIA World Factbook, Islands in the south. growing economies. Agriculture • Environmental concerns in India include jagranjosh.com, knowindia.gov.in, Reuters, • Natural hazards in India include provides jobs for over half the air pollution, energy conservation, waste Sporteology, Washington Post, Wikipedia) monsoon floods, flash floods, population. The industry sector includes management, oil and gas conservation, earthquakes, droughts and landslides. mining, construction and energy. and forest conservation. Above: Hindu temple in Delhi. • The mango is India’s national fruit. Services, including IT, is the fastest • South Asia, with India at its centre, is one Left: Jyothi at the Kurnool Skills Training India grows nearly 40 per cent of growing sector. of the fastest-growing regions for human Centre, Nandyal. 4 5 ANGLICANS IN INDIA MAKING THE MOst OF churches, including Baptist, Brethren, Anglican, Methodist and THIS stUDY COURSE other protestant denominations. Its You are invited to use this course as an opportunity to develop your skills motto is ‘Unity, Witness, Service’ and in listening and empathy. its mission priorities include evangelism, renewal, restructuring, education, 1. Commit to attend all five sessions. 5. Give space for everyone to speak, reconciliation and the protection The more you are able to attend, though no-one need feel obliged to NORTH of livelihoods. holding the continuity of the group, the speak. If you are someone who tends more you will benefit. Give yourself to share a lot, remember to leave space Factfile: CHUrch OF North INDIA permission to refuse any other for others who find it harder to share. Dioceses: 27 engagements or invitations that might 6. Read the material in advance and SOUTH Members: 1.5 million arise at your regular study time. spend time allowing the content to Churches: 4,500 INDIA 2. Begin each study with prayer to help sink in – not necessarily needing to find Clergy: 2,204 centre the group. the answers. It’s ok not to know! Schools/colleges: 564 Theological colleges: 7 3. Commit to sharing honestly and to 7. Remember that religious and Hospitals/nursing schools: 65/9 listening without judgement or trying theological words can mean different Website: new.cnisynod.org to ‘fix’ someone else’s life for them. things to different people. Share your Christians are in a tiny minority in Seek to create a safe atmosphere in perspective and allow others to hold India – and Anglicans are a minority The Church of South India was founded which people feel able to share openly. different perspectives. within this minority. They operate with in 1947 following Indian Independence. Remember that none of us are perfect; a space for religious freedom that is It brought together a number of Anglican 8. Remember the Bible contains different our aim is to be real, authentic and currently shrinking amid a rise in Hindu and Protestant denominations in India, genres of literature – history, poetry, whole – not perfect! nationalism. including the Church of England, the wisdom, letters, etc – so it can be read Two churches in India are members Methodist Church and the Church of 4. Acknowledge that everyone’s in many ways. We can listen to its of the Anglican Communion: the Scotland. The church’s motto draws on experience of life and faith is unique poetry. We can consider the contextual Church of North India and the Church the words of Jesus in John 17:21: ‘That and valuable. Seek to accept one and cultural meaning. We can simply of South India. Both are United Churches, they all may be one.’ another just as we truly are, just as reflect on how the passage impacts on meaning they are comprised of a God accepts each one of us. us emotionally. There is no one way. range of protestant denominations, Factfile: CHUrch OF SOUTH INDIA not just Anglicans.