"OPO" and God the Father: A study of the encounter of Tribal Religion and Christianity in Minahasa

Abstract

The aims of this study are: (1) to describe the characteristics of the Minahasan understanding about the High God before the coming of Christianity in Minahasa, and its relation to the "Opoism" in their daily life, (2) to describe the positive and or negative impact of Minahasan Tribal Religion towards Minahasan Christianity in their daily life, especially their understanding concerning "God as the Father'. And also to scrutinize similarities with Biblical Tradition and Christian Tradition, especially with the Patristic Period; (3) to attempt to do theology as a particular concept, with Tribal culture and religion without ignoring the universal and ecumenical spirituality, as its character, and (4) to stimulate the Christian evangelical Church in Minahasa (GMIM) and the other Churches, in order that they can appreciate and accept the fact that they have certain heritages from the Tribal Religion and thus making them parts of their theological works and thinking.

To achieve the aims above, step by step investigations are made, as follows: identification of the Tribal Religion of the Minahasa concerning their belief to the High God with its relation to "Opoism" in their daily life - reflected in rites, myths, poetries/proverbs, songs and dances, prayers, reliefs and symbols. Later, identification of GMlM's concepts about God with its relation to "God as the Father" - which, too, are reflected in rites, myths, poetries/proverbs, songs, prayers, reliefs, symbols and doctrines and their impact in daily life. Finally, to analyze the whole materials systematically and then comparing them with Biblical Tradition, Christian Tradition, especially the Patristic Period, to see the similarities among them and to point out their relevance for doing theology contextually.

The first chapter dealing with the characteristic of Minahasan Tribal Religion - which reflected in rites to symbols, as follows: (1) their style and reflection on life is inseparable from its relation with the High God, ancestors, and fellow human beings, family, social community, and their environment, (2) their reasoning is not influenced yet by science so that most of their life style is influenced by irrational, symbolic and intuitive experiences, (3) they maintain a concept of High God as single, and the name given to Him, namely "Si nimema" in tana" or "Si nimema' tana wo langit" (meaning: He who creates the earth or He who creates the earth and heaven). But the familiar name is "Opo" (Father), as: Opo Wailan (The Rich Father), Opo Wailan Wangko (The Richest Father), Opo Mangko-Wangko (The Biggest Father or The Almighty Father) – they also named him: Kasuruan, Amang Kasuruan, Empung, Empung Wangko, Empung Renga-Rengan, Opo Wana Natas (see appendix number three); (4) His essence, attributes and functions are difficult to be differentiated and separated from each other and that is why theyconceived and perceived them as manifestation by God Himself into the world; (5) they gave place and appreciation to ancestors and other mediators, however, in fact tendencies toward distortion is observable, in forms of excessive veneration towards mediators - which then moves to the direction of idolatry - although they are aware that the mediators are not able to save them because of their limited capacity: (6) they conceive that the ancestors are keepers, sustainers, and protectors of the earth and heaven and their attributes are full of mercy and friendly to all creation. On the one side, the ancestor's essence, attributes and functions are applied to the High God, and on the other side, all of these are actualized by the ancestors as manifestation of the active and dynamic presence of the High God.

The second chapter dealing with the characteristics of Christianity in Minahasa – reflected in rites to symbols and doctrines, is as follows: (1) their style and reflection on life are inseparable from their relation with God, human being and environment, (2) their reasoning is influenced by science and technology so that science and technology play a leading role in their life style, (3) their living is characterized by worship, witness, service as the result of faithfulness and allegiance in response to God's saving work to the world - and in fact unavoidable distortion can be observed, that is they rely excessively on their abilities, possession, job, ideology and other facilities - and they are prone to adopt modem idolatry, (4) they believe that the Bible is the book of faith and source of the Church's tenets, (5) they have many variants of concepts of God the Father, and they come from: (a) earthly father (and his essence, attributes, functions), (b) Spiritual Father (in Him the completeness essence, attributes, functions), (c) Father of His people (community), (d) God the Trinity (Father of Jesus, His Son, and Father of who believes in Christ Jesus), (e) God as Father, Creator, Master of all creation and that's why He is the Father of all men.

The third chapter presents a systematic and reflective consideration, which is focused on points on the comparison of the system and dynamics of tribal religious belief and Christian belief in Minahasa, which in fact has undergone intermixing processes and the impact is clearly observable in the rites to symbols - particularly, which focuses its attention to their perspective concerning "God as the Father". To do this, with comparison to Biblical Tradition, Christian Tradition, especially the Patristic Period, particularly to see the similarities among them and to point its relevance for doing (and thinking) theology. This chapter ends with some proposal as the consequence of doing theology elaborated in short above.

The abstract of this chapter is as follows: (1) The general similarities of Tribal Religion and Christianity in Minahasa, are:

a) Worship is a means of manifestation of man and God relation and it has cultic, diaconal and ecologic aspects

b) Their perspective about the manifestation of power and presence of God is always to be conceived as the presence of "the Sacred" in all time, place and the whole reality, and especially in time, place, person, and certain animals - by "hierophany" and "kratophany" in them

c) The Sacred always is incomprehensible, which cannot be expressed verbally, but can only be experienced and sensed in their daily life - And the Sacred expresses himself as a "majestic" and "fascinating" mystery

d) Their perspective about the Creator is as the All Inclusive One, He is the Father, Keeper, Sustainer, Protector of all creation.

e) They usually give place and appreciation toward mediators (particularly the ancestors) and also usually mention the ancestors’ names in their worship. Because they believe that the ancestors are perceived as an indirect revelation of the power and presence of God. The fact must be noticed that there is an unavoidable tendency in which they are prone to replace God with mediators and demigods. But in critical situations they usually are back into the straight way and are compelled to look to the true God once again.

f) They have many symbolic expressions with regard to their perspective about God and human relation and environment. And the first and foremost in their life is to build welfare in their world because according to them this is the prototype of the world to come

(2) The similarities among the Tribal Religion, Christianity in Minahasa, The Biblical Tradition and Patristic Period about their perspective to "God as the Father”:

a) Their belief in God as the Father is always in a singular form. This monotheistic concept is not in the sense as a progress originated in polytheistic belief, or not as a development process of honoring the "Opos" and then "culminating to the Chief Opo. But in this case, the concept of God is very close to the Father (as familiar title) as Creator, Keeper, Sustainer and Protector.

b) As already mentioned above, their perspective to God is a bottom up process, very earthly and humanly (except the Early Fathers) - that is related to man's experiences.

c) The Father and Son relation is always conceived as not in a biological or physical sense, but in the sense that God as Creator and man as creature, God as Keeper and man as being totally dependent upon His maintenance.

(3) The Uniqueness of Christianity in Minahasa a) Their own religious and cultural roots are strongly influenced by the Tribal Religion. The issues of human relation (solidarity), family, social community (interrelation and solidarity) grow from their own heritages, from which they have some noble values, particularly, the understanding of God and its impact in their daily life.

b) Their perspective about Opo Wailan, Opo Wailan Wangko, Opo Wana Natas, Opo Mangko-Wangko, and so on, departs from the concept of earthly father (as heritage, life experiences, from Church's doctrine) - the concept of Spiritual Father (particularly, heritage, from Christian Tradition) - the concept of God the Father of His people (as adoptive, symbolic: from Biblical Tradition, Christian Tradition, Church's doctrine) - the concept of Trinitarian God (as Christian Tradition, Church's doctrine) - the concept of God the Father related to God as Creator (as heritage, from Church's doctrine, Biblical Tradition, and Religious Christian Education in Schools).

c) The Father and Son relation among God and Christians in Minahasa was conceived from the Bible message which is strongly related to three points: (1) Father of Jesus (2) Father of Jesus's disciples (3) Father of all creation. Their relation to Jesus causes the relation to God the Father to become more clear, definite and unique. And also their relation with fellow men and environment becomes more focused and hopeful. d) Their perspective to the manifestation of power and presence of God departs from two sides. The first, as direct revelation of God, which has the apex in Jesus Christ. The second, the indirect revelation of God by the reality of all creation. Both revelations are inseparable - incomprehensible - but always a wonderful and fascinating mystery.

(4) Conclusion a) It has already been shown how the elements of the Minahasan culture and religion form the basis of Christian understanding in Minahasa, particularly the Christian concept of God. As a matter of fact they prepare and enrich the Christian understanding about God as the Father,

b) The "Opoism" or "Fatherism" concept which relates to "God as the Father , is in fact not only the Minahasan uniqueness, but it has been the property of the Christian communities in many places and time - and in their own languages and articulations.

(5) Proposals From a Systematic - Theology perspective of Minahasan understanding about God, some proposals could be raised to GMIM Church and other Churches:

a) Unavoidably any discussion of God today has to face the challenge of inculturation, indigenization, or contextualization of the concept of God "from within" each culture and religion.

b) From an ecumenical perspective, the Minahasan belief and approaches to God are a much needed complements to the over rationalistic approaches of Traditional Theology (Western Theology). It means that the irrational, symbolical and intuitive approaches should be regarded as valid in doing theology (not an "either/or" but a "both/and" or a "dipolar" system).

c) Theological perspectives and approaches like these should use "theology", "anthropology", and "ecology" as components in theologizing. As the consequence of doing theology elaborated in short above, it is necessary for the Church to consider the system of doing theology which gives emphasis on "God as the Father" and "His functions" and the hermeneutical key to find what and how man is, according to the biblical perspective, while emphasis should be placed neither on the literal-historical analysis, nor on the socio-economical and ethnic-ideological analysis, but on the cultural anthropological analysis.