An attempt to develop a theology of Naga community in the present day context of social segregation in Nagaland

INTRODUCTION:

The present day sprouting of social problems are thrashing the Naga Community, where once we experienced a harmonious livelihood. Any individual having a mindset of Naganess should not remain passive towards this challenge. An attempt to this Theological task did not come out of nothing, but it is based on social realities. The result of social of social segregation in the Naga Community has been identified as the culmination of myriad social malaise such as individualism, tribalism and structural injustice resulting in a wide chasm between the rich and the poor and polarized inequality in the society.

Therefore, the situation demands that the present task of Christian Theology ought to focus on creating a contextual theology of community from the experiences of communitarian life. Its foremost priority is to search for a common rethinking Church from social perspective.

The Theological task for this persuasion is to juxtaposing the biblical concept of community and the concept of Naga traditional community are the guiding principle for making a Theology of Naga Community.

A THEOLOGY OF COMMUNITY FROM LIBERATION PERSPECTIVE.

THE CONCEPT OF COMMUNITY:

Technically speaking, the concept of community can be either dealt or understood from various ways. No two races of Community life are similar. Keeping this view in mind, an attempt is made to define the concept of community. Contemporary scholars take their own freedom to define the term concept of community in relation to their own context. For example, R.Z. Calhoun describes it as a corporate group in which diversity, unity, freedom and discipline are subtle related, all contributing to ‘the deep unity of life’. Further, Thomas Aquinas, in thirteenth century gives an excellent example of how moral principles developed in community can be used to negotiate a morally realistic relationship with a larger society, without obscuring the essential differences between community and society.

Many scholars in their own ways support Emil Brunners’ conclusion that “ man cannot be a man ‘by himself’, he can only man in community. For love can only operate in community and only in this operation of love is man human”. According to Raldo Waldo Emerson, all human feel some degree of compulsion to value and promote the good, to condemn and eliminate the bad. Humans are conditioned by learning process in the family and in the wider aspects of the social structure. C.S.Song present a simple term of the identity of community. For him, a community is not a place that can be identified be street names or village signposts. It is not merely an open square or a town hall where meetings are held on certain occasion. It is not a place to which members are assigned and houses and shopping centers built. Community is persons engaged in the business of living and dying, believing and hoping. Searching for meaning in this world and beyond it. It is a matter of the spirit. It has to do faith and action that transcends the limitations of the present.

All definitions agree that a community consists of a group of people, but the real concept of community is that where people ‘wish to belong’ or ‘a group of people who are interdependent, share interests and values and agree to work together to achieve common goals’. It is worth mentioning the fifth General Assembly of the World Council of Churches held in Nairobi how it observed about the importance of a community, and thus it says,

‘Christians who suffer together for the cause of justice and liberation find a deep experience of community with each other and Christ. This community transcend differences of ideology, class and Christian tradition.’

Gustavo Gutierrez has also defined in the last chapter of his book, entitled, We Drink From Our Own Wells as devoted to a consideration of the communitarian nature of Christian discipleship.

After having highlighted some scholars’ view of the concept of community, the writer’s humble attempt is to compare and contrast from his own perspective. The central idea of community means from the whole business of its members, it is a matter of relationship between individuals or groups (in a wider sense) for any purpose. This central idea of community can be applicable to any context. However, the context of the Naga Community differs in some ways from the above views. How it differs and what is its peculiarity from other context ?

Firstly, from the beginning of migration, the Naga family is believed to be migrated from Tibeto Burman family, and most of the Naga Community tribes are Mongoloids.

Secondly, a peculiar characteristic of the Naga community is in relation to the nature of the community. The Naga Community is not found by the philosophers, anthropologists, or intellectual people; nor even found by Christian religion or by Western people. In short, the community of Nagas is not at all alienated from other context but it is purely an essence from the nature of the community. And so this nature of the community is understood as communitarianism.

The Nagas in the past had a very strong feeling of community. A feeling of isolation by the individual was not felt in many situations. And there was no place for individualistic tendencies. In most cases, they maintained the same status, there was no distinction between rich and poor nor partiality was practiced. Every individual felt an equal treatment in the community. In any situation, the welfare of the community was given first preference. The respect between elders and younger people were highly maintained. The poor and the needy in the community were taken care by the whole community. In fact, the values and ethos of the Naga in the past vividly shows a clear concept of communitarianism. However, today, in the process of modernization, the essence of communitarian aspect prevailed in the lives of the Nagas is being faded to a great extend.

THEOLOGY OF COMMUNITY:

Our God is the Creator of Community. When God created the Universe, He created both male and female in His own image to live as a companion ( Gen. 1:26, 27) And thereby God is considered as,

God is seen as the originator and the ground of community. Thus the act of creation is regarded not as the potter or artist does, but as, ‘bodying forth as the mother does. This means that the universe including the earth with all its creatures lives and moves and has its being in God’.

Another term of Theology of Community is evident in the Qumran text. The Qumran community is depicted as ‘household’ but of ‘truth’, ‘wholeness’, and ‘perfection’ and ‘members’ and ‘household’. Love and unity of the members for one another is demanded. Similarly, Yahweh is no longer a recluse in the ‘Holy of Holies’, but present among the community.

In the New Testament, there are certain examples that portray the meaning of community. For Paul, the whole doctrine regarding the community has a practical concreteness, a clear common sense about it, such that he is able to restate the doctrine of Christian Love. The Christian community is itself something visible, miraculously guided by the master’s spirit, as he believes a divinely inspired love for the community.

THE COMMUNITY AS A FAMILY:

This metaphor of Community as Family is used by Paul in his writings. He describes himself as the ‘master builder’ in charge of operations or to the interdependence of members of the community and their growth to maturity. So comparison of the Christian community with a family must be regarded as the most significant metaphorical usage of all.

THE COMMUNITY AS A BODY:

This description of the Christian Community as a ‘body’ (Soma) first taken place in the latter half of 1 Corinthians. They emphasize the ‘unity’ of the members with one another, and through that their unity with Christ. Paul’s idea of community is that Christian community must recognize the gifts of all persons for the contribution and for proper functioning of the community. And the closeness of the relationship among the individual in the community should be maintained and Christ is underlinked. The metaphor of body as a community simply discloses the character of this relationship as one of reciprocal loyalty and action.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL

The ecclesia refers to the New Community of believers gathered to praise and serve God and people. The model of the Church as intimate community undoubtedly addresses real human needs, it cultivates a more personal and egalitarian experience of life in community than does the institutional model of the Church. Dietrich Bonhoeffer aptly defined the Church as the community that exists for others. “The Church” he wrote, “must share in the secular problems of ordinary human life, not dominating but helping and serving”. The Church also stands on behalf of the oppressed in their struggle of liberation. According to Ratsinger, “for man or woman is the more himself or herself the more he or she is with the other…” only through the other and through ‘being’ with ‘the other’ does he or she come to himself or herself’. He understands ‘ being with others’ as being for others.

The description which has been made so far about the ecclesiological community gives the idea that ecclesiology stands for the whole phenomena of people. But the ethical question is that whether the Ecclessia as a community today, fulfills its mission justly according to its norms is still doubtful.

SACRAMENTAL

The sacrament system in the Church is an enduring reminder that the event of grace is communitarian; it must be celebrated in the Church through a sacramental rite. Through this symbolic participation, Christians affirm their commitment to God, offer their life, work to Him, and acknowledge the proclamation of the just Kingdom in a believing community.

KOINONIA AS SHARING

The word koinonia, from the verb means, ‘ to chance a share in’, ‘to come into communion’, or ‘to come into fellowship’, it signified participation or partnership. Practical speaking, ‘life’ means that we seek ‘the common good’ (1 Cor. 12:7) and live in fellowship with one another. Therefore, one cannot be a Christian in isolation, only in relationship with others. (see more in the book).

CAUSES OF SOCIAL SEGREGATION:

NATIONALISM:

The concept Nationalism in a simple term means ‘devotion to one’s Nation’. Whatsoever terms of nationalism may be dealt with it. Infact, the struggle of Naga sovereignty is not based on any proper term but it is mostly based on reality of people’s experiences. It is as aspiration of whole native souls to be liberated from the hands of Indians. This witness is supported when 99 % of the Nagas voted in favour of Independence during the Plebiscite in 1951.

Today, peoples support to Naga Nationalism has drastically transcended to other direction. The Naga mass attitude towards Naga National Workers is becoming more negative, unlike in the past days. This view is substantiated by some Naga Leaders, that the spirit of Naga National Workers should create a cohesive atmosphere with the general public or else, the spirit of Naga Nationalism would be certainly at risk. Further, they observe that many of the Naga National Workers are not working with true commitment for Nation’s Independence and thereby attracts criticism of the Naga people and their activities questioned.

The author’s main concern is whether Naga National Workers are trying to unite our people or divide the Naga people.

TRIBALISM:

The tribal set ups of the Nagas, and its difference are the unique difts from God for the Nagas. In spite of various tribes there are many positive elements of cultures that contribute the uniqueness to the Naga tribes from other people / Their uniqueness is appreciable. But on the other side, many unwanted elements are being created due to the variation of tribes so also attachment to their own tribe and ignore the other tribes. Horam concluded that the causes of disharmony or tribalism as such, ignorance of Naga tribes other than one’s language and religion and the other lesser factors like personal dislikes, family feuds, status rivalries and plain envy and jealousy. Even these days, a feeling of one’s own village, tribes, families, clan is in the mind of Nagas. And to some extent, accusations of ethnic favoritism or bias frequently erupt within official ranks among university students and at economic levels, that is, in matter of co operations, loans, building contracts, etc,. The issue of tribalism has seriously challenged the Naga community. It is a call to rethink their common identity. In this regards, Geoffrey Yaden suggests that gospel is the main uniying factor for the Nagas and the commitment to the Word of God (The Bible) should be the identity for the Nagas.

THE CONCEPT OF DOMINATION:

Domination means an ideology to realize the desire to control or subjugate other by means of power. Due to wealth power or feeling of superiority, some class of people want to dominate the other who are weak and poor. Many Naga thinkers also agreed that economic power of the rich has created division among the people.

THE BUREAUCRATS DOMINATION:

The Bureaucrats have a strong monopoly over the Government system in Nagaland. Thus corruption is rampant in all walks of life. With these, the most serious thing is that unlike the past where there was no division, distinction, caste or class today there is a new class system. This is true when Ghosh writes about the emergence of Middle class in Nagaland. The middle class of Nagaland is in fact the top class and cream of the society and brain behind all its socio – economic – political activities. Money is a very powerful weapon in Nagaland. Thus through monetary power the middle class people are breaking away from the traditional social discipline and gradually dominating especially the weak and the poor. Today, a Naga thinks how to get the best share, best position and thinks how to obtain other’s share and thereby, finds ways and means to trample other’s position so that he or she may have the privilege to be in other’s position. If it is a matter of money and position, there is no religion or any ethical concern that can prevent anyone from doing it.

ECONOMIC INEQUALITY:

The result of economic inequality is growing dispararity between the rich and the poor. It has created a feeling of alienation from one another and the sense of belonging to one community is diminishing rapidly. Similarly, Takatemjen also notes seriously and thus he writes,

… today more than eighty percent of the people are still very poor. Only few have been benefited by the centrally sponsored programmes. The reasons are not hard to find. After allotting huge amounts of money, the central Government never bothered to monitor, or demand accountability and check the manner of utilization. The result is that, today, we find in Nagaland the creation of a political economic and social class in whose hands most of our wealth lie.

Nuh also at length, unveils the unjust practices in Nagaland when he writes, we know thousands of rupees comes in the name of development and the poor, but it disappears from the top. Our villages are still gropping in absolute darkness. The rich and wealthy are held in high esteem, while honest, upright persons are scorned and mocked as good for nothing. Hence many Nagas who professed to be Christians are becoming the worshippers of money or wealth rather than God whom they claim to believe.

AN ATTEMPT TO DEVELOP A NEW CONCEPT OF COMMUNITY:

5.1 TOWARDS A COMMON RETHINGKING CHURCH:

In one way, rethinking of Church could mean re ordering of community. And re ordering of community means the quality of relationship of a whole community, transcending all barriers. The Church’s teaching on the dignity and worth of human beings is of the utmost importance today, not only for the sake of our self image and self respects, but even more for the welfare of society. The other way is to find some unifying Christian principle which will hold everything together.

A NEW ECCLESSIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE:

The Church must not consider herself as an exclusive place of salvation but the Church should orient itself towards a new and radical service of people. Its existence is not ‘for itself but rather for others’. Its center is outside itself, it is in the work of Christ and his spirit for the humanity. It is significant that several new religious sects have embodied the social ideal in their religious aims.

RETHINKING OF CHURCH FROM SOCIAL PERSPECTIVE:

The Church’s social teaching is linked with the meaning of life and her overall teaching. This social teaching ‘has truth as its guide, justice as its end, and love as its driving force’. The Church’s mission is ‘to be present in the heart of the world by proclaiming the Good News to the poor, freedom to the oppressed, and joy to the afflicted. Therefore, the Church has the right to proclaim justice and denounce instances of injustice’.

In this respect, Thomas has rightly said, not “self” but “community” is the key to the change of social concepts. In broad areas of social life “outside the Church” an obedient church discover in suffering and in the creation of new relationships and the acceptance of new responsibilities. For Ron Stief, the public Church is present in the action or religious groups in solidarity with workers and organized labour. New perspective on the Bible will have to be explored, specially to find out whether, and if so, how it can address our new situation in a compelling way. Tomorrow’s Church will have public witness or it will not be the Church at all.

CREATING COMMUNITY CONTEXTUAL THEOLOGY:

What is Contextual Theology? And why do we need to develop a contextual Theology?

According to K.C.Abraham, a contextual theology means … without a Context, it is difficult to from a theology, any theological formation has its own context, vice versa, all theologies are contextual … it addresses itself to the contextual realities and its formulation is being influenced by the contextual realities. And so theological reflection is based on the experience of people. More specifically it is based on the articulation of such experience through concepts, symbols, stories and forms of expressions.

Thanzauva affirms in this way, theology arises out of human experiences of life encounters with God in the actual situations of life, it keeps on changing according to the changes of situations. In Naga context, Renthy Keitzar stands as the first proponent in articulating the Naga Christian contextual theology. Thus he expressed an urgent need of contextual theology for the Nagas … we are encountered with problems such as identity crises political corruption, disintegration of traditional tribal solidarity, injustices and all sorts of social evils. In such a context, Christian Theology should come as a liberative force to give the people the message of hope and liberation. For this purpose, Keitzar proposes a concept of “Naganess” theology. In connection to the term Naganization or Naganess, R.R.Shimray profoundly proposed a term “Nagaism”. He tries to define the term Nagaism as ‘ism’ suffix to the proper noun. And Nagaism shall denote “the way of Life”. It shall underwrite norms and principles that function well in the Naga Community.

Shimray articulates the seven “Nobilities” which were practiced by the Nagas: i) Simplicity (ii) Honesty and Truthfulness (iii) Straight forwardness (iv) Helpfulness (v) Regard for others (vi) Fearlessness and (vii) Adventurism. For him, the nobilities culminated in an all prevailing ‘light’ called ‘Nagaism’ which is a part of the ‘Divine Light’. Nagaism itself is eternity. It shall live as long and wide as the Nagas like.

The epistemology of community is not a casual relatedness as person to person, it is more reclined towards “action and praxis” which means the reality of community is seen in the action-oriented such as, mutual love, mutual respect, selfless, where justice and equality are the norms. But today, the Nagas’ situation is at the crossroads. The innate nobility social values and ethos have become a myth rather than reality. Emerging of religious, socio-political and economic problems have sown a myopia mind to all. The result of these problems have created social segregation between tribe to tribe; between group to group, etc. All these said problems are mainly because of polarization of our cultural values and ethos. And on the other hand, the Gospel message has to be re-interpreted for relevancy to the context of the people. Therefore, it is necessary to search for an appropriate source to rediscover a contextual community of theology from the Naga tribal perspective. An attempt should be made to find biblically sound, theologically credible, and culturally adaptable theology.

SOME ASSUMING WORKING DEFINITINS ARE PROPOSED AS:-

Naganess: This definition means to indigenize Naga Christian Theology using our own sources, values and ethos. In other words, indigenization means Naganization of Christian gospel and theology. This is to mean the biblical sources as norms and Naga traditional sources as substance. The purpose of this correlative method is to revive the constructive elements that contain in Naganess so as to reconstruct a refined community.

Festivals: Drawing resources from Naga festivals for reconsidering the importance of developing a refine community is profound. The festivals for the tribal (Nagas) are not simply an occasion of feasting and celebration. But it is a moment of sharing, fellowship, a time to express one’s feeling wholly. It is a moment for a person to become totally submissive to the circumstance. And it is a part of life. Jesus’ fellowship with his disciples at the Table can be used as comparative study for developing a spirit of festival to be observed in a Christian manner.

Besides the point mentioned, there are also other sources like the institutions of morung and dormitory, and some social events such as hunting, fishing, etc. which can be considered as the elements for developing a refined community of true believers of God through Christ.

One of the findings in this research is, regarding the question of “commonality” among the Naga communities. Commonality can be defined in its own course of context. Our preposition centers around in common factor which should be a kind of common mediation to create a consistent communitarianism. It could be custom; ethos; values; language, etc. The fact that Nagas are considered as one distinct race of people, claiming a single originality and nationality. Yet, it is not a false proposition. But a profound consideration about the present-day community life of the Nagas is that there is no commonly shared culture, no common lingua franca (shared language). Hence, a substantial effort has to be invested in search of commonality, which will be a source of mediation to all the Naga tribes to achieve an equilibrium community.

The Nagas need to rethink seriously that Nagaland is a Christian state. The Christians should be able to maintain strictly the axiom of Jesus Christ in relating their lives to the reality. “An essence of true believer is the norm for all the Nagas today”.

By YANBEMO LOTHA

DIMAPUR