Towards A Christian Pastoral Approach To Cambodian Culture

2y ago
25 Views
2 Downloads
561.79 KB
86 Pages
Last View : 15d ago
Last Download : 2m ago
Upload by : Raelyn Goode
Transcription

Thesis Title:Towards a Christian Pastoral Approachto Cambodian CultureIn fulfilment of the requirements ofMaster’s in Theology(Missiology)Submitted by: Gerard G. RavascoSupervised by: Dr. Bill Domeris, Ph DMarch, 2004

Towards a Christian Pastoral Approach to Cambodian CultureTable of ContentsPageChapter 11.01.11.21.31.41.51.6IntroductionThe world we live inThe particular world we live inOur target location: CambodiaOur Particular Challenge: Cambodian CultureAn Invitation to InculturationMy Personal Context1.6.1 My Objectives1.6.2 My Limitations1.6.3 My Methodology1112234455Chapter 22.02.12.22.32.42.52.62.72.82.9Religious Influences in Early Cambodian HistoryThe Beginnings of a PeopleEarly Cambodian KingdomsFunanZhen-laThe Founding of AngkorAngkorean KingshipTheravada Buddhism and the Post Angkorean CrisisAn Overview of ChristianityConclusion6678101215181920Chapter 33.03.13.2Religions that influenced Cambodian CultureAnimism3.1.1 Animism as a Philosophical Theory3.1.2 Animism as an Anthropological Theory3.1.2.1Tylor’s Theory3.1.2.2Counter Theories3.1.2.3An Animistic World View3.1.2.4Ancestor Veneration3.1.2.5Shamanism3.1.3 Animism in Cambodian Culture3.1.3.1Spirits reside with us3.1.3.2Spirits intervene in daily life3.1.3.3Spirit’s power outside CambodiaBrahmanism3.2.1 Brahmanism and Hinduism3.2.2 Brahmin Texts22222223232424252627272829303031

3.2.33.2.43.2.53.2.63.2.73.2.83.33.4Early Brahmanism or VedismPopular BrahmanismPantheistic BrahmanismEarly Hinduism (2nd Century BC – 4th Century AD)Later or Sectarian HinduismBrahmanism in Cambodian Culture3.2.8.1The more gods the better3.2.8.2The Sacred High Places3.2.8.3The King’s Divine Right3.2.8.4Literary InfluenceBuddhism3.3.1 Buddhism – a breakaway from Brahmanistic thought3.3.2 Buddha – the Founder3.3.3 Buddha’s Teachings3.3.4 Early Development3.3.5 Buddhist Literature3.3.6 Spread of Buddhism3.3.7 Buddhism in Cambodian Culture3.3.7.1Buddhism instead of Brahmanism3.3.7.2Buddhism as a way of viewing society3.3.7.3Buddhism mixed with Animism and Brahmanism3.3.7.4Buddhist View of the 494949505151Chapter 44.04.14.24.34.44.54.6In Search for Possible Routes to Pastoral ActionThe Christian Re-entryAn Intertwining of ReligionsA Danger of AssimilationA Difficulty of ProclamationBridges across the Two Worlds4.5.1 The Theological Bridge4.5.1.1Buddha and Christ4.5.1.2Eightfold Path and Ten Commandments4.5.1.3Buddhist Compassion and Christian Love4.5.2 The Catechetical Bridge4.5.2.1From the Spirits to the Christ4.5.2.2From the Hindu Gods to the Christian God4.5.2.3From Buddhist “Divinity” to Christian Divinity4.5.2.4From Buddha to Christ4.5.2.5From a Buddhist Religion to a Christian Religion4.5.3 The Practical Bridge4.5.3.1Intellectual Interchange4.5.3.2Social Awareness Programs4.5.3.3Education Programs4.5.3.4Common Heart for the Poor4.5.3.5Occasions for Prayers that Unite4.5.4 The Personal BridgeA Hope for the 676768

End Notes70Bibliography77Appendix A - Modern Map of Cambodia80Appendix B - Ancient City of Angkor81Appendix C – The Angkor Kingdom and What Became of It82iii

Towards a Christian Pastoral Approach to Cambodian CultureChapter 11.0Introduction1.1The world we live inWe live in a time of Globalization, where we find ourselves rubbing shoulders,working together and living with all kinds of people belonging to different races anddifferent creeds. This could have been a fulfillment of that Biblical passage: “Behold,how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” (Ps 133)Unfortunately we see a stark contrast to this passage happening before ourvery eyes. Our world is enveloped in deep global conflicts including those whichmany attribute to religious fanaticism. Misunderstanding of another’s culture or creedoften leads to conflict. If we wish a peaceful co-existence to triumph in our world, ourgreatest challenge today would be to maintain that respect for each other’s beliefswithout necessarily giving up ours.1.2The particular world we live inFor those of us who live far from our own native land and live with people ofanother culture, understanding their cultural context and milieu will certainly help usunderstand the people of that place.Jesus Christ was born in a particular time and place. He spoke a particularlanguage and mingled in a particular culture. The Bible speaks about him using alanguage which communicates that particular time’s way of living. We know that wecan understand more the message of the Bible when we can understand better the

world of Jesus. We can better understand Him when we understand the very milieuHe lived in.1.3Our target location: CambodiaThis brings us to our target location – Cambodia. Cambodia is a country inSoutheast Asia and is also known as “Kampuchea.” 1 This country lies at the heart ofIndochina, bordered by Thailand to the west, Laos and Thailand to the north andVietnam to the east. It is a fascinating place that, despite its tiny size and its large,powerful neighbors, it has managed to remain uniquely Khmer.2 Its cultural traditionspredate those of Thailand, and unlike Vietnam, which was always influenced byChina, its dominant influences stem from the Indian subcontinent.At least 85 percent of Cambodia’s inhabitants adhere to Theravada Buddhism,which is the dominant religion in most Southeast Asian nations. Buddhism arrived inCambodia during the first centuries AD. At first Mahayana Buddhism predominated,but after the 14th century Theravada gradually replaced the older school as theprimary religion. Christianity and Islam are also practiced by a minority.3In a country where a Buddhist philosophy is dominant, how does one go aboutintroducing his own culture and creed? In the words of Pope John Paul II to thePontifical Council for Culture: “You must help the Church to respond to thesefundamental questions for the cultures of today: how is the message of the Churchaccessible to the old and new cultures, to contemporary forms of understanding and ofsensitivity?”41.4Our Particular Challenge: Cambodian CultureOur challenge then is the process known as inculturation. Umoren offers thefollowing definition: “Inculturation refers to the missiological process in which theGospel is rooted in a particular culture and the latter is transformed by its introductionto Christianity.” 5People of different places and cultures think differently. Jesus Christ lived asa Jew – his language, way of thinking and doing is definitely different from theCambodian people. If we want the Cambodians to know Jesus, we have to present2

him in a language they can understand and in a manner attuned to their thinking. ThePontifical Council for Culture asserts:For all culture is an effort to ponder the mystery of the world and in particularof the human person: it is a way of giving expression to the transcendentdimension of human life. The heart of every culture is its approach to thegreatest mystery: the mystery of God. The decisive challenge of a pastoralapproach to culture, for a faith that does not become culture is a faith not fullyaccepted, not entirely thought out, not faithfully lived.61.5An Invitation to InculturationPope John Paul II in a special Synod which he had with the Asian Bishops andproduced the document Ecclesia in Asia tells us why knowing the culture of thepeople we live with (in our case, Cambodia) is of paramount importance for us:Culture is the vital space within which the human person comes face to facewith the Gospel. Just as a culture is the result of the life and activity of ahuman group, so the persons belonging to that group are shaped to a largeextent by the culture in which they live. As persons and societies change, sotoo does the culture change with them. As a culture is transformed, so too arepersons and societies transformed by it. From this perspective, it becomesclearer why evangelization and inculturation are naturally and intimatelyrelated to each other. The Gospel and evangelization are certainly not identicalwith culture; they are independent of it. Yet the Kingdom of God comes topeople who are profoundly linked to a culture, and the building of theKingdom cannot avoid borrowing elements from human culture.7Christians in Cambodia should therefore take upon themselves this challengeof striving to understand their culture, to know the minds and hearts of those they livewith, their values and customs, their problems and difficulties, their hopes and theirdreams. It is only when we immerse ourselves in this task of inculturation that theKhmers will see that the message we bring is one of universal value that does not takethem away from their cultural upbringing but rather enriches it via a process oftransformation. John Paul II further adds:In the process of encountering the world's different cultures, the Church notonly transmits her truths and values and renews cultures from within, but shealso takes from the various cultures the positive elements already found inthem. This is the obligatory path for evangelizers in presenting the Christianfaith and making it part of a people's cultural heritage.83

Although this task of inculturation has been part of a Christian’s pilgrimagethroughout history, this challenge becomes all the more pressing for us here in Asia(and more specifically here in Cambodia) because of its multi-ethnic, multi-religiousand multi-cultural situation and where Christianity is still too often seen as foreign. Infact many Khmers, especially in the past, called Christianity the “religion of theenemy,” since many of the Christians here are of Vietnamese origin; Cambodia wasunder the Vietnamese regime for many years after the Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge wasdefeated by them.The task of inculturation is indeed great. But as a Chinese proverb says: “Thejourney of a hundred miles begins with the first step.” Our paper then will try tomake these first small steps which could lead us on to that long journey of sharing ourfaith with the Cambodian people.1.6My Personal ContextI have been walking the roads of Cambodia these past four years. I am aCatholic priest belonging to the Salesians of Don Bosco. In our technical school herein Phnom Penh we help orphaned and poor out-of-school youth learn a trade theycould use in order to find a place in the workforce. The students are mainly Buddhist.It is in my journeying with them that I encounter the difficulties of sharing what I holddear, what I value and what I believe. This is not just because of the difficulty inexpressing sophisticated ideas in a foreign tongue but also because of our differencesin culture as well as in faith. It is in this context that I want to journey with you in thisresearch.1.6.1 My ObjectivesI would like to take you on a journey towards inculturation by workingtowards a Christian pastoral approach to Cambodian culture. This can be done if wecan trace out the various religious influences the Cambodian culture has gone throughand their extent. And from the understanding of these influences to the culture, wecould create a practical roadmap towards a true dialogue with the Cambodian people.4

1.6.2 My LimitationsThe many wars that have come and gone in this country have madetheological and religious sources in the English language hard to come by. This is notonly because few have been written, but also because Cambodia is still struggling pastthe mortal wounds dealt by a regime that wiped out its literature and systematicallyexterminated all its intellectuals just some twenty-five years ago. This explains thedearth of literary materials, which along with my location outside of the reach ofacademic libraries, limits my research.1.6.3 My MethodologyThus in this short paper we shall try to attain my objectives through these steps:¾ First I shall present a historical overview of Cambodia pinpointing out theorigins and duration of her religious influences.¾ Then I shall describe in detail each of the three pre-Christian religions havinga great influence on Cambodian culture.¾ After that I shall point out the particular influences of each of these religionsto the Cambodian way of living.¾ Finally I shall infer some insights on the observations made focusing on howto present the Christian perspective in a manner attuned to Cambodianthinking.5

Chapter 22.0Religious Influences in Early Cambodian HistoryIn this chapter, we shall go through Cambodia’s early history and see howdifferent religions came and influenced its culture. For the purpose of our study, thehistorical survey we shall undertake will focus on the formative period prior to the16th century AD. From this period on, other religions will arrive includingChristianity, but with a reduced impact on Cambodian present life styles, and a simplehistorical overview will suffice. But from this century however, we shall also includea short overview of the history of Christianity to see some trends of how it developeduntil the present.2.1The Beginnings of a PeopleAround 4200 BC, men were already living in the south of the Indochinesepeninsula. They were a people of brown skin, of Melanesian type, close relatives ofthe aborigines living in the islands of the warm waters of Indonesia and Malaysia.Some of their tools dating from the neolithic period have been found around theseareas.Living in the forest, these men built cabins in the trees, a habit that theirdescendants transformed into building their houses on piles. Their principal food wasfish but they already cultivated rice, and for this work had domesticated oxen andbuffalo. They were relatively well adapted to this malaria-infested forest, thanks tothe presence in their blood of hemoglobin “E” which partially immunized themagainst this fever.Ponchaud best describes their belief:These remote ancestors of Khmer people seemed to have already honored thedead souls. They worshiped the spirits of earth and water, the “Neak Ta”, “theAncient People”, according to popular etymology. These spirits of the dead,6

or mythic founders of their villages were the true masters of the soil. Theyassured protection of the villages, the health of the people, regular rains,therefore, it was proper to offer them fruit, food and alcohol. To forget themor to offend them made one sick or exposed one to accidents. The cobra wasrepresented with three or seven heads; this “Naga” symbolized all divineforces, both beneficial and deadly, and it was essential to agree with it.12.2Early Cambodian KingdomsBy AD 400, the first Southeast Asian kingdoms appeared. Increased riceproduction freed some people to engage in other work, such as elaborate boatbuilding, house decoration, bronze manufacture and making arrangements forfeasting. Others were freed to be soldiers, and a few became priests and rulers. Thesemen soon became the most honored people in society. Often they demonstrated theirpower by the size of their followings and the amount of their wealth.In Cambodia, the present Khmers claimed that they were descended from theNeak Ta (ancestral spirits) who had been the first settlers in a given region. Theancestors, in turn, were seen as responsible for a community’s well-being, expressedin terms of agricultural production, peace, and good health. In short they wereanimists.Seanglim Bit comments on this:Folk religious beliefs in spirit worship and the supernatural existed inCambodia long before the Hindu influences. An array of guardian spirits(both benign and malevolent) called “Neak Ta” inhabited the mountains, ricepaddies, trees, etc. of the physical environment. Others were ancestral spirits,and still others are composites of mythological heroes from legends Thecults combined astrology, magic, animism, sorcery, talismanism, etc. inattempts to tap the spirit world for its magical powers to provide the protectionurgently sought by believers to ward off evil. Spirit worship has centuries-oldroots in Cambodia . 2Those Khmers who claimed high status demonstrated it by sponsoring feastsand by displaying their accumulated wealth which in the case of chieftains oftenincluded several wives, married to form alliances between families from differentvillages. There is no evidence, however, that these societies were literate or that theydrew their inspiration from abroad.7

It was at this stage ( around 1st -6th century AD) that Indian traders andmissionaries little by little began to appear on the Southeast Asian mainland in searchof spices, tropical birds, ivory, and other forest products. Another important exportfrom Southeast Asia at this time was gold and precious stones. From the earliesttimes, this Mekong region was known in India as Suvarnabhumi (The Golden Land).Unfortunately, written records of these early visits have not survived.32.3FunanThe coastline of what is now southern Vietnam, then inhabited by Khmer,made an ideal stopping place, where traders turned the corner of Southeast Asia asthey plied between the Roman Empire, India, and China, hugging the coasts wherepossible. Because of the monsoons, the Indian ships that reached Southeast Asiaoften had to stay for several months, waiting for the prevailing winds to change. It islikely that during these layovers, local chieftains became interested in certain Indianpractices, such as those that measured the solar year and others that set priests andchieftains above and apart from the rest of society by means of a system of ranks, orcastes. Chiefs were also interested in technology useful for the royal displays ofgrandeur that was made possible by gold working and silk weaving. From hencestarted India’s influence over the Khmer kingdoms, especially through the Brahmantraditions.In fact the very legend of Cambodia’s origin as told by Chandler proves thisearly influence: an Indian priest named Kaundinya, armed with a magical bow, appearedone day off the shore of Cambodia. The dragon princess in a dugout, paddledto meet him. The priest shot an arrow in her boat and frightened her intomarrying him. Her father, the dragon king, enlarged the possessions of hisson-in-law by drinking up the water that covered the country. He later builtthem a capital, and changed the name of the country to Cambodia.4The dragon’s action may be a reference to the drainage canals that were built in theMekong Delta of southern Vietnam perhaps in the second century AD and are stillvisible from the air.8

Chinese visitors in the third century AD first reported this legend but calledthe coastal kingdom “Funan.” Funan sent tributary gifts to China between AD 250and 519, but there is no archaeological evidence of such a powerful, centralizedkingdom anywhere in the region at this time. Probably Funan was a loose federationof coastal settlements, with several local chieftains, allied with inland groups ofvillages, who may have called themselves “kings” when writing to the Chinese court.Chandler documents a Chinese visitor in the fourth century AD who reported that:The king’s dwelling has a double terrace on it. Palisades take the place ofwalls in fortified places. The houses are covered with leaves of a plant whichgrows on the edge of the sea. These leaves are six to seven feet long, and takethe form of a fish. The king rides mounted on an elephant. His subjects areugly and black; their hair is frizzy; they wear neither clothing nor shoes. Forliving, they cultivate the soil; they sow one year, and reap for three Thesebarbarians are not without their own history books; they even have archivesfor their texts.5We have seen in the Kaundinya myth that drainage was attributed to the goodoffices of a dragon king; one of the few inscriptions from Funan mentions a king“rescuing’ his territory from the mud. But the most important passage related to thisinnovation and to Indianization, is a Chinese one, which appears at first to be agarbled version of the original myth as documented by Briggs:Then the kingdom was ruled by a Brahman named

At least 85 percent of Cambodia’s inhabitants adhere to Theravada Buddhism, which is the dominant religion in most Southeast Asian nations. Buddhism arrived in Cambodia during the first centuries AD. At first Mahayana Buddhism predominated, but after the 14th century Theravada gradually replaced the older school as the primary religion.

Related Documents:

The skills, models and methods of pastoral care Typical pastoral care contexts Community resources for pastoral care The administrative requirements of care Be able to: Explain the aims and methods of pastoral care Discuss the skills of pastoral care Analyse typical pastoral care contexts Observe and practice the methods and skills of pastoral care Be in a position to: Integrate perspectives .

3 Christian - Anglican 25.06 Christian - Anglican 15.48 4 Christian - Uniting 5.44 Christian - Other Protestant 6.79 5 Christian - Other Protestant 2.55 Christian - Uniting 2.88 6 Christian - Presbyterian/Reformed 2.53 Christian - Presbyterian/Reformed 1.35 7 Christian - Other 1.83 Christian - Lutheran 0.87

Pan-African Baha’i Muslim Interfaith Zoroastrian Taoist Scientologist Catholic Christian Swedenborgian Christian Christian Orthodox Christian Mormon Protestant Christian Jehovah’s Witnesses Hispanic Christian Anglican Christian Ethiopian Orthodox Christian . Founding of the first Church of Scientology in the U.S., the Church of .

Pastoral Care Handbook 4 It is important to note, however, that a clear and distinctive focus for pastoral care does not constitute a boundary or limit of care.Although the ministry of pastoral care is inherent in the act of baptism, impelling Christians to care for one another as sisters and brothers in Christ, their duty of

Telephone: 07 3336 9362 Fax: 07 3336 9177 Email: mcl.fl@bne.catholic.net.au . The Pastoral Council and the Pastoral Staff/Team The Pastoral Council and Parish Groups . considerable numbers of Catholics, especially those involved in many lay apostolic organisations worldwide, have seen their

Pastoral Development in Ethiopia: Trends and the Way Forwarddraws lessons from 50 years of pastoral and agropastoral development investment interventions imple - mented in Ethiopia to outline more resilient, prosperous, and sustainable path-ways for pastoral and agropastoral livelihoods in the future.

A pastoral associate is a professional minister who shares with the pastor, the parish life director or on-site pastoral team in the overall care of the parish. S/he is a member of the parish staff and is accountable to the pastor or parish life director. The ministry of the pastoral

visiting is in largest part a pastoral ministry and why this course is called An Introduction to Pastoral Care. As a Eucharistic visitor you will be part of the larger team of pastoral care providers in your community. Through your ministry of listening, caring, and presence you will serve