This is a cursory examination of the meaning of contextual theology as explored by Robert McAfee Brown in his article "What is Contextual Theology?" Question: How can this theology be integrated in John Paul II's spirituality of mission in diverse cultures and beliefs?
According to Robert McAfee Brown, the basic stance is to accept that no theological position is normative, and that there is a need to accept all theologies as a product of factors in the many cultures theologians have been immersed. If this is the basic theological position, then all theologians will be open to learn other theological perspectives, and be open to dialogue and learn from one another.
Theology in context
Brown writes that Jesus is God, and he was incarnated in a specific time, in a specific culture, and in a specific geographic place in the world. Jesus was born two millenia ago as a Jewish man who healed the sick, taught people, and preached itinerantly about the Kingdom of God. This is the context which many have come to learn about Jesus. God came as man through the Jewish culture and during the time when Rome ruled over Israel. It was also a time when the Jewish people were awaiting and expectant of the coming of a Messiah to save them.
Acceptance of diversity
Author Robert Brown writes that when theologians meet, there is an impulse for some to make their theology normative; then they consider the others as relative to their absolute position. This creates a problem for theologians who live in contexts that experience much oppression and repression. The solution therefore would be not to make one's theology normative over the others, because only Christ is the "same yesterday, today, and forever". And any theology, which may predominate others because of influence, trend or popularity, is in reality also contextualized. Jesus is understood always according to the context a believer comes from - a context with a specific time, culture and place. "We hold God's treasures in earthen vessels."
Unity in diversity
Theologians can still be united even with the diversity of contexts each theology is born. What would lead to unity is the person of Jesus Himself whose historicity was revealed in Scripture and in the many archaeological studies that give evidence of His Jewish cultural context. As long as theologians have a basic accepting attitude of one another's differences in theological thinking, and focus instead on the person of Jesus, then a level of dialogue can be achieved. Through this dialogue, each theologian will get a richer understanding of the person of Jesus because of his openness to the others' theologies.
Openness brings in understanding
When a certain level of dialogue is achieved, there is a degree of unity experienced because of the acceptance of each other's differences in theological thinking. If this thinking were to overflow into one's context, there would be a new attitude of understanding mission. Instead of bringing one's understanding of the Gospel and imposing it on others, one would be wiser to have a listening ear for understanding the context of the people. One will see how others already have a seed of the gospel born in their way of thinking.
John Paul II's mission of life
John Paul II has shown all that every human culture is worthy of respect in its life-giving elements. He concretely exemplified this thinking through kissing the ground whenever he travels to visit a country and comes down from the airplane. John Paul II's mission was to bring the gospel of life and peace to other cultures through an attitude of dialogue, respect and openness. This mission was successful since people of different cultures and beliefs feel that this gospel
of life and peace gives an experience of freedom - which
is important in being human.
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