Theology Is A Service To Foster Life: Felix Wilfred
By Fr. Desmond de Sousa CsSR, SAR News
PANAJI, Goa (SAR NEWS) -- Dr. Felix Wilfred is internationally recognised
as one of the most distinguished priest-theologians of India. He was the
head of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Thought, University of
Madras, and a member of the International Theological Commission of the
Vatican and secretary of the Theological Advisory Commission of the
Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences.
After eleven years of training in Europe, he returned to India and was
confronted and haunted by the stark poverty, abysmal misery and
destitution of millions of the people in the country. His classical
mindset began to crumble in the face of the questions affecting the daily
life of the people. His books, including 'On the Banks of the Ganges:
Doing Contextual Theology', are a living testimony to his disciplined
search for answers.
For Father Wilfred, "Theology is a service to foster life, to protect it
from various threats and uphold it." In the encounter between daily life
and faith, theology is like the midwife, assisting in birth and growth of
faith and enhancing life.
The Ganges is the place of his reflections. "This mighty river, winding
its way through most of the north Indian territory, stands for Indian life
and context. On the fertile banks of this river, life is carried on
uninterruptedly. Vegetation flourishes; people are born on its banks and
after death their bodies get dissolved in the waters of the Ganges. On its
banks people do cultivation, transact business; on its banks people squat
and silently meditate on the Ultimate. The Ganges then symbolises the
divine that passes through our lives making everything alive and
flourishing; it signifies the continuous flow of divine grace right
through our life and its innumerable expressions."
Indian Theology has to take seriously India's multi-cultural
and multi-religious context. The method of Indian theology is not so much
'faith seeking understanding' (classical definition) or 'love seeking
understanding' (Jesuit Jon Sobrino), but 'faith seeking dialogue' - "a
dialogue that is open-ended. It leads us into the depths of the mystery,
to understand which we need to be in continuous journey with others.
"Indian Approaches to the Divine Mystery will make a very original and
significant contribution to the cause of women by its encounter with the
Hindu tradition on the feminine aspect of the divine mystery."
Indian Liberation Theology "is an attempt to overcome the violence on
God-given life, help the people regain it and accompany them on their path
to pooranam (fullness and integration). The place of this challenge of
liberation is the Dalits (marginalised) of India, who constitute about 20%
of India's population, 75% of Indian Christians and are among the 48% of
Indian population living under the poverty line.
Relevant interpretations of Christ in contemporary India present daunting
challenges. Christ must become relevant to two diverse strands within
Indian society. The classical, intellectual, elitist strand of Hindus like
Bengali convert Keshub Chander Sen and others of the 19th century Indian
renaissance, claim some mystical experience of Jesus Christ which has had
a lasting influence on their life. The other strand is of the struggling
poor and marginalised in India.
The traditional spiritual richness of the one and the earthy power of
meaningful interpretation of the other, provide possibilities of mutual
critique and corrective. Relevant interpretations of Jesus Christ for
India will emerge out of their creative interactions.
Being a Christian community in India, characterised by many violent
conflicts on the basis of religious identity, castes, ethnic assertions,
presents a major challenge to the Church. The realisation of the Holy
Spirit working outside the boundaries of the Church is crucial. The Church
as a mystery of communion must forge close links of communion with their
neighbours of other faiths. The ideal of a Church at the service of the
Kingdom of God in India will be a great inspiration.
It is in facing these and many other challenges in India's historical
context and fulfilling its historical mission that a true Indian Church
will emerge, according to Father Wilfred.
