VU Research Portal Wédha Utama Adi, B. 2015 document version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link to publication in VU Research Portal citation for published version (APA) Adi, B. (2015). Wédha Utama: A Framework for GKJ to Formulate Principal Teachings in the Context of Java. General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal ? Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. E-mail address: [email protected] Download date: 09. Oct. 2021 VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT WÉDHA UTAMA: A Framework for GKJ to Formulate Principal Teachings in the Context of Java ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad Doctor aan de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, op gezag van de rector magnificus prof.dr. F.A. van der Duyn Schouten, in het openbaar te verdedigen ten overstaan van de promotiecommissie van de Faculteit der Godgeleerdheid op woensdag 2 september 2015 om 13.45 uur in de aula van de universiteit, De Boelelaan 1105 door RADEN BIMA ADI geboren te Wates, Indonesië promotor: prof.dr. M. E. Brinkman copromotor: dr. A. G. Hoekema iii iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for his mercy and grace for making it possible for me to present this dissertation. I am blessed and grateful for the many people, family members, friends, and institutions that helped me along the way. Only through the contribution, support, and encouragement of so many could this project be realized. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my promotor, Prof. Dr. M.E. Brinkman, for his excellent guidance, care, and patience. He received me with great hospitality during our supervision and displayed great patience when making many invaluable suggestions and prevented me from unnecessary errors. I would also like to thank Dr. A.G. Hoekema as my co-promotor for his guidance, critique, and suggestions throughout the writing of this work. Moreover, he and his wife were supportive and encouraging beyond the academic issues, receiving me with friendliness, patience, and great understanding, so that I felt completely at home. I would like to thank Prof. Dr. E.G. Singgih, Prof. Dr. A. van der Beek, Prof. Dr. E.A.J.G. van der Borght, Prof. Dr. H.C. Stoffels, Prof. Dr. J.H. de Wit, Prof. Dr. H.M. Vroom, Prof. Dr. Anton Wessels, Prof. Dr. P.A. van Doorn-Harder, J.D. Gort, Dr. Djaka Soetapa, Dr. Sutarman S. Partonadi, Dr. Th. Sumartana, Prof. Dr. J.B. Banawiratma, Prof. Dr. Donna Runnals, Dr. Bernhard Kieser, and Prof. Dr. Olaf Schuman, for guiding my study for the past several years and helping me develop my background in contextual theology. I feel privileged to know and to have worked with them. Special thanks goes to Dr. Simon Rae of Otago University, New Zealand, and to Dr. Henry Jansen, the Netherlands, for his enormous help in improving the draft of this dissertation and transforming the manuscript into a smooth English text without affecting its content. I would like to thank my best friends across the world: Xolani Sakuba, Billa John Ratnaraj, Idan Topno, Barath Raj, Alvaro Ramis, Andres Ortis, Tom Hawkes, Emmanuel Ayedzi, Anlené Taljaard, Ezequias, Rachel Iwamony, Almira Manapbaeva, Hoang Vu Nguyen, Alexey Kolodkin, Adriana Delgado Herera, Katja Rybakova, Bethany Percha, Stelios Sotiriou, Iveta Petrova, Paulina Rymanowska, Gergana Kuzmova, Magdalena Zemanovà, Eszter Fuleky, Raghuram Ambadipudi, Sonat Kaya. Especially to my fellow Indonesian PhD students at the faculty of theology at VU University Amsterdam: Simon Rachmadi, Wahyu S. Wibowo, Daniel K. Listijabudi, and Yolanda Pantou. I am grateful to them for the unique friendship they have shown me. I would also like to thank Ward Kint, Fleur Scheele, Alistair Nijmeier, Mirella Klomp and Jacco Calis, Florisca van Willegen, iv iv Daniel and Wati Lo, Annewieke Vroom, Felicia Zsüliett Dávid, Nieke Atmadja, Dyah Ayu Krismawati and Arendra Wimardo, Kusumorestu MW, Adham Khrisna, Eben Haezer Lalenoh, and Amalia Tambotto. I am grateful for their support and assistance during my journey away from home. My life and work would have turned out differently without their help, support, and friendship. I owe and express my heartfelt thanks to the following: The Faculty of Theology of VU University Amsterdam, the Faculty of Theology of Duta Wacana Christian University, the Center for Humanities Studies, and the Center for the Study and Promotion of Peace at Duta Wacana Christian University, the International Reformed Theological Institute (IRTI), the Centre for Intercultural Theology Interreligious Dialogue Missiology and Ecumenism (Centre IIMO), the university libraries of VU University Amsterdam, of Leiden University, Utrecht University, of the Duta Wacana Christian University inYogyakarta, of St. Ignatius College in Yogyakarta, Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta. Arsip Nasional Republik Indonesia inJakarta, the Dutch National Archives of the Netherlands in The Hague, the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV) in Leiden, the Koninklijke Bibliotheek in The Hague, the Stichting Zonneweelde, Kerkinactie, the GKIN, the PERKI, and the Sinode Gereja Kristen Jawa. This study could never have been completed without each and every one of these institutions. Last but not least, I would like to thank my family in Yogyakarta: my mother Octy Suryandari, my brother Purwandaru, and especially my wife Kaprananing Tyas for her great patience and understanding, as well as her willingness to take on the task of father as well as mother in nurturing our sons, Albert Theomarvel Adi and Alexeyfino Theovere Adi, during my absence. Their enthusiasm and encouragement have been an enormous strength; without it this dissertation would never have been written. Raden Bima Adi v v TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IV TABLE OF CONTENTS VI INTRODUCTION Motivation 1 Significance of the Study 1 The Historical Existence and Identity of GKJ 2 The Inadequate Principal Teachings Used by GKJ 3 The Complex Context of Java 4 The Possibility of Accommodating Wédhatama 7 The Adaption of Sadrach’s Contextual Theology 8 Research Question 9 The Field and Purpose of this Study 9 Methodology 10 Composition of the Dissertation 11 Chapter I. SERAT WÉDHATAMA A. Introduction 12 B. K.G.P.A.A Mangkunagara IV 14 1. Family background 14 2. Work and service 15 a. In the Government and the Military 15 b. Society and Economics 15 c. Culture 15 C. The Key Concept 16 1. Pangkur 16 a. Translation 16 b. Analysis 19 2. Sinom 22 a. Translation 22 b. Analysis 27 3. Pucung 31 a. Translation 31 b. Analysis 34 4. Gambuh 37 a. Translation 37 b. Analysis 41 D. Concluding Remarks 45 Chapter II. SADRACH’S NGÈLMU SEJATI A. Introduction 46 B. Sadrach and His Community 47 1. Sadrach’s life 47 a. Radin 47 b. Radin Abas 50 c. Sadrach 53 d. Kiai Sadrach Surapranata 61 vi 2. Sadrach’s community 67 a. Early development of the congregation 67 b. Sadrach becomes the leader – the vaccination episode 69 c. Collaboration with Jacob Wilhelm - Golongane Wong Kristen Kang Mardika 72 d. Termination of the Connection with the NGZV 77 e. The arrival of L. Adriaanse - Sadrach becomes the Apostle of Java 78 C. The Contextual Theology of Sadrach 83 1. Ngèlmu Sejati 84 2. “The face of Jesus in Java”: portrayal of betrayal 87 3. Ngèlmu Sejati as Sadrach’s authentic contextual theology: between “Syncretism” 90 and “Bijbelgetrouw” 4. A comparative review of the concept of ngèlmu in the Serat Wédhatama and 95 the Ngèlmu Sejati of Sadrach D. The Role of Sadrach’s Ngèlmu Sejati 98 1. Difference of opinion between Sutarman S. Partonadi and Th. Sumartana 98 2. A critical review of the difference of opinion 99 a. Sutarman S. Partonadi: condition of the congregation following Sadrach’s death 100 b. Th. Sumartana: policy changes in the Gereformeerd mission at the beginning of the 101 20thcentury. c. Critical review 102 3. The contribution of the difference of opinion between. Partonadi and 107 Sumartana 4. The role of the theology of Ngèlmu Sejati for Sadrach’s community 107 a. Holiness of life: Javanese pietism and Imitatio Christi 107 b. To become Wong Kristen Kang Mardika 108 5. The role of Sadrach’s Ngèlmu Sejati theology in the development of the 109 Christian religion in Java a. In the village context 109 b. The Islamic Context 110 E. Concluding Remarks 112 Chapter III. CASE STUDY: IMAN KRISTEN A. Introduction 114 B. Harun Hadiwijono 117 1. Family background 117 2. Education 119 3. Ministry 121 4. Writings 124 C. A Critical Review of Iman Kristen 127 1. The ‘uniqueness’ 127 2. Christian faith and the Javanese culture 134 3. The Christian faith and other religions 140 D. Concluding Remarks 148 Chapter IV. GKJ’S PRINCIPAL TEACHINGS A. Introduction 149 1. The Origin of GKJ 149 2. The GKJ’s Identity as a Church of the Heidelberg Catechism 150 B. PPAG 152 1. Systematics 153 2. The status of the PPAG as a Church Document 154 3. Background of its Formulation 154 vii ii 4. Process of Compilation 156 5. Simplification and Refinement 157 6. Continuity and Change 158 7. Approach 158 8. Development 159 C.