CHRISTOLOGY IN INDIAN CONTEXTUAL APPROACH
Christ the Liberator
Liberation
theology comes from the Latin America the issue of socioeconomic factor as part
of theological exercise. When we speak of a Christology from the struggles of
the marginalized peoples of India. Their being marginal in society and being
oppressed is a point which brings them together in search of freedom and a
fuller life. Their Christology is not centered on the titles of Jesus, or the
dogmatic definitions of his person. These are not questions of any immediate
concern to them. Their interpretation of Jesus is as someone who dwells among
them (Jn. 1:14), who shares their life, its struggles and sorrows. Therefore,
in the gospel stories of Jesus’ dealing with the poor, those at the periphery
of society have found great echo in the hearts of the poor in India. As a
result, the socioeconomic reality of the community requires a Christology that
can present Jesus as the liberator.
1.1 Christ and Our Search for New
Humanity
Indian
Theologians saw a link between the Gospel of Christ and the social and
religious movements of the country. As many Christians and missionaries began
to involve in the struggles of the people and to identify with the poor and the
marginalized, they realized that are proclaiming Christ in a new way and found
the relevance of the Gospel for the country and for the lives of the people.
More number of Indian Christians and theologians began to realize that
evangelization is much more than merely baptizing people and planting the
Church. They realized that evangelization as proclaiming God’s love manifested
in Christ called for communion and humanization. Authentic humanization is at
the same time divinization. India’s rich religious experience, our time-old
tradition of harmony among the plurality of religions, the nations’ resolve to
construct a new society based on equal justice and freedom for all, and our
strong commitment to eliminate poverty and misery, and solidarity with the poor
and the marginalized, all these were seen Jesus Christ is the Prototype of the
new humanity and the new creation.
1.2. Jesus Ministry of
Liberation
The
freeing ministry that Jesus Christ engaged himself in consisted mainly in
setting people free from sin and guilt (Mk. 2:1-12; Matt. 26,28), from demons
(Mk. 1:21-28), from ritualism (Matt 6,7) and from the oppressive burden of the
Law (Matt. 11:28-30) The new social order that he envisages is characterized by
the freedom of the socially ostracized (Mk. 1: 40 -45; Luke. 19: 1- 10), freedom
from the burden of possessions (Mk. 1:16-18; 10:17-23; Mt. 6:24), freedom to
love (Lk. 7: 36-40) and freedom from false securities of life (Mt 6: 25 -34).
Such freedom is both a prerequisite and constitutive of the Kingdom of God.
Since Jesus is the liberator of the oppressed the following of Jesus must have
other emphasis on spirituality. The systemic analysis of societies and of
religious institutions have to be part of the process of discerning the human
quest for liberation and discovering God’s will in a given situation. Jesus
whole ministry can be termed as a Liberation ministry which is very relevant in
the context of India. M.M. Thomas was a liberation theologian who
strongly opposed caste system, human indignity and class injustice. His vision to
transform Indian society was based on his theological concept of personhood
which stands opposed to traditional casteism, he affirmed that the mission of
the church should be in solidarity with the poor and the oppressed by working
towards socio economic justice. He was also a man who encouraged the people to
participate in the struggle for liberation of selves and the society.
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