Toward Recontextualization of Christianity with Popular Catholicism: a Study Of
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Any duplication, reproduction, or modification of this material without express written consent from Asbury Theological Seminary and/or the original publisher is prohibited. Contact B.L. Fisher Library Asbury Theological Seminary 204 N. Lexington Ave. Wilmore, KY 40390 B.L. Fisher Library’s Digital Content place.asburyseminary.edu Asbury Theological Seminary 205 North Lexington Avenue 800.2ASBURY Wilmore, Kentucky 40390 asburyseminary.edu ABSTRACT Toward Recontextualization of Christianity with Popular Catholicism: A Study of Dialogical and Cooperative Mission with Popular Catholicism through the Perspectives of Methodist Christians in Batangas, Philippines This study is an investigation of Methodists' understandings of popular Catholicism in the Batangas province in the Republic of the Philippines. Popular Catholicism is the popular form of Christianity most commonly practiced in the Philippines, and thus the religion to which these Methodists previously belonged. Thek understandings will provide a foundation from which to suggest and present the possibility of the recontextualization of Christianity, as a way to formulate the "Filipinized Church" in the Century, through dialogical and cooperative mission between the Methodist Church and popular Catholicism. This study, thus, represents Christian mission as a particular effort to recontextualize Christianity in the context of an "already-Christianized area" through dialogue and cooperation between a new form of Christianity (e.g. the Methodist Church) and a previously existing form of Christianity (e.g. popular Catholicism). The empirical research for this study demonstrates that all of the Methodist Christians interviewed in Batangas came from popular Catholic backgrounds, which means that they had already experienced popular Catholic religion and culture in theu- lives. However, the research also revealed that these Methodists had different understandings of, and reactions to, popular Catholicism, which affect the way they conceive and practice missions and ministry within the context of popular Catholicism in Batangas. Catholic beliefs and practices in the Philippines were greatly impacted by Spanish colonialism for more than 300 years, and this influence is still seen in the cultiue of popular Catholicism today. Christianity in the Philippines, thus, has been inculturated with colonialism and Filipino indigenous religious influences in forms of popular Catholicism. In this inculturated Christian context, this study suggests a concept of deculturation of Christianity through a critical examination of the culture and inculturated Christianity, in order to get rid of colonial and cultural impacts from Filipino popular Catholicism, and to suggest recontextualization of Christianity which is the purpose of Christian mission in Batangas, Philippines. Consequently, deculturation is a prerequisite for recontextualization of Christianity in this popular Catholic context. Finally, bible study as missional evangelism, social gospel as missional cooperation, and Pentecostalism as missional ecumenism are suggested as the best ways to achieve dialogue and cooperative mission in order to deculturate and recontextualize Christianity in Batangas, Philippines. Different lenses are used to investigate popular Catholicism and its relationship to Methodist mission in this study: religious comparison to examine the foundations of popular Catholicism; examination of religious expression in popular Catholicism compared with Protestantism; and, ethnographical research to explore Methodists' understandings of popular Catholicism. DISSERTATION APPROVAL SHEET This dissertation, entitled Toward Recontextualization of Christianity with Popular Catholicism: A Study of Dialogical and Cooperative Mission with Popular Catholicism through the Perspectives of Methodist Christians in Batangas, Philippines Written by Eugene Kim and submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy has been read and approved by the undersigned members of the Faculty of Asbury Theological Seminary D^Stevc^ J. Ybarrola, Mentor Dr. Eunice L. Irwin, Reader December 2012 Toward Recontextualization of Christianity with Popular Catholicism: A Study of Dialogical and Cooperative Mission with Popular Catholicism through the Perspectives of Methodist Christians in Batangas, Philippines A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Asbury Theological Seminary Wilmore, Kentucky In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation Committee: Steven J. Ybarrola, Ph.D., Mentor Eunice L. Irwin, Ph.D., Reader By Eugene Kim December 2012 Copyright 2012 Eugene Kim All rights reserved TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures ix List of Tables ix Acknowledgements xi Chapter One: Overview of Study 1 Introduction 1 Background to the Problem: Protestant Views of Filipino Popular Catholicism 2 Statement of Problem 5 Research Questions 10 Delimitations 11 Definition of Key Terms 1 1 Recontextualization 1 1 Religiosity 13 Colonialism 13 Folk Catholicism 14 Popular Religions 14 Popular Catholicism 16 Batangas 18 Dialogue and Cooperation in Mission 19 Framework of This Study 20 Religious Comparison 21 Religious Expression 23 Synthetic Model of Contextual Theology 26 Dissertation Outline 28 Data Collection 29 Anthropological Research 29 Library Research 31 General Information of Field Research and General Statistics 31 Significance of This Research 32 iv Chapter Two: Historical Review of Christianization and Contextualization in the Philippines 35 Who are the Filipinos? 36 A Relationship-Centered People 37 Filipinos' Religious Tendency 40 Pre-Colonial Context 44 Geography and Society 44 Religion 46 Spanish Colonialism and Catholic Mission 48 Spanish Colonialism and Catholicism 48 Christianization in the Philippines 52 Emerging Popular Catholicism 55 American Colonialism and Protestant Mission 59 Shifting Colonialism from Spain to the U.S 59 Arrival of Protestantism and Westernization 60 Protestantism Encounters Filipinos 63 Protestantism Encounters Catholicism 65 Two Different Reactions to Catholicism 67 Co-existence of Protestantism with Catholicism 68 Cultural Gods and Resistance within Popular Catholicism 69 Cultural Gods: Colonial Vestiges 70 Filipinos' Resistant Spirit 72 Religious Resistance to Cultural Gods 74 Conclusion 77 Chapter Three: The Religious, Cultural, and Theological Foundations of Popular Catholicism 79 Understandings of Popular Religions 79 Religious Category: Metacosmic (Formal) Religions and Cosmic (Folk) Religions 80 Split-Level Christianity 82 v Dualistic Worldview and the Excluded Middle 84 Cultural Foundations of Popular Catholicism in the Philippines 87 Culturalization of Catholicism 88 Popular Catholicism and Local Christianities 90 Theological Foundations One: Truth in Popular Catholicism 92 The Meaning of Truth 93 Different Understandings of Truth: Solo Crista? 94 Theological Foundations Two: Salvation in Popular Catholicism 95 Two Concepts of Salvation: Vertical and Horizontal 96 Understandings of Salvation and Rituals in Popular Catholicism 98 Theological Foundations Three: Christology in Popular Catholicism 100 Incamational Natiu-e of Jesus Christ: Man and God 101 Christ as the Image of God 102 Divinity and Humanity of Christ in Popular Catholicism 104 Theological Foundations Four: Deity System in Popular Catholicism 106 Between God and Idolatry 106 Mariology: A Female Deity in Popular Catholicism 109 Sto. Nino: A Child Deity in Popular Catholicism 112 Religious Expressions in Popular Catholicism 114 Difference of Religious Expression in Popular Catholicism and Protestantism 115 Overseeing Religious Expressions in Popular Catholicism and Protestantism 117 Manifestation as Religious Expression in Popular Catholicism 119 Proclamation as Religious Expression in Protestantism 122 Integration Between Manifestation and Proclamation 123 Conclusion 125 Chapter Four: Methodists' Understandings of Popular Catholicism and Their Missional Implication in Batangas 128 General Survey Results 129 vi Genders, Ages 129 Length of Being a Methodist Christian 130 Methodists' Identity in Popular Catholic Context 131 Methodists' Understandings of Popular Catholic Beliefs 134 Methodists' Understandings of Truth in Popular Catholicism 135 Methodists' Understandings of Salvation by Baptism 137 Methodists' Understandings of God in Popular Catholicism 139 Methodists' Understandings of Popular Catholic Religious Practices 140 Acceptance of Popular Catholic Practices 141 Mary and Sto. Nino in Popular Catholic Practices