Christian Education and Contextual
Realities-Poverty
Introduction
The challenge of poverty as a social problem
has become an important concern and issue for society at large. In this
paper, we will focus on the concept, causes, and consequences of poverty, and
then try to understand the biblical implications and the role and response of
Christian Education to bring about social change in the context of poverty.
1. Understanding Key Concepts:
1.1Poverty
Some dimensions of poverty are- lack
of livelihood strategies, inaccessibility to resources like land and money, the feeling of insecurity, and inability to maintain and develop social relations
with others as a consequence of lack of resources. Three precepts are often
used to define poverty: firstly, the amount of money required by a person to subsist, secondly, the life below a “
minimum subsistence level’ and ‘living standard’ prevalent at a given time in a
given place, and finally the comparative state of well-being of a few and the
deprivation and destitution of the majority in the society.[1]
1.2Poverty and Christian Education
The ultimate aim of Christian
education is to make the person, a Christ governed person, to foster the relationship of
fellowship with Him and to cultivate an attitude of interest and sympathy for
other persons. Christian education is the activity in which the Bible is taught
as the written revelation of God through Jesus Christ his Son, obedience to the
Holy Spirit is encouraged, the ethical standards of the Kingdom of God are made known and emphasized, and
personalities are enriched and nurtured in accordance with the mind of Christ.[2] The Christian life should be a life of
devotion to the enhancement of personal and social living, particularly trough
knowledge and adherence to the will and purpose of God for individual life and
for the life of society. Christian personality is marked by an
understanding of God’s purposes, will and plan, and of their working out in the
world.[3]
In order to grasp what the Christian attitude to
poverty should be, it is important to understand God’s concern for the poor
which is exemplified and affirmed many times in the scripture. Deuteronomy
15:11 says, “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore, I command
you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your
land.” Jesus’ mission is to set the oppressed free and restore the sight of the
blind. He instructs that eternal damnation awaits those who do not feed the hungry,
clothe the naked and visit prisoners (Matthew 25:31-46). The church then as the
community which is called to exemplify the ideals of the Kingdom of God should
set forward to eradicate the evil of material
poverty. It must proclaim the good news of the kingdom to the materially poor
and welcome them into the fellowship.[4]
2. Causes of Poverty:
There are a number of reasons and
factors that contribute to the problem of poverty. We will look at three
important causes of poverty:[5]
2.1 Economic causes:
The economic causes may be examined
in terms of four important factors namely, inadequate development, lack of
capital, lack of skill in workers, and unemployment.
2.2 Demographic causes:
Population growth is an important
factor in poverty. If the population can be restricted, it would reduce the
pressure on food, education, and health services. Poverty is related to health
also, if a person is healthy he is able to earn as well as spend less on his
sickness. If a large number of people in the country suffer from chronic
malnutrition or live in an unsanitary environment, they suffer from many diseases
which make them incapable of working and earning.
2.3 Social causes:
Discrimination, prejudices,
Casteism, communalism, and parochialism are some of the major challenges which
further affects and adds to the problem of poverty. In the Indian context,
because of the caste system, the low caste people are subordinated by the
higher caste and thus restricted to participate in the field of economic
progress. In the rural sectors, money lenders exploit the poor by charging
exorbitant rates of interest and by acquiring the mortgaged land in the event
of non-payment. Indebted poor farmers also cannot free themselves from the
clutches of money lenders and their poverty is further accentuated.
3. Consequences of Poverty
Some of the problems which the poor in our society face are:
3.1 Social discrimination and Social
condemnation:
The employers, the rich, the
officials, and even the government look down upon the poor. They are harassed,
humiliated, and discriminated against. They face the challenges of illiteracy
and social prejudice. They lack collective power and are easily dominated by
the politically, economically, and socially stronger sections of society.[6]
3.2 Housing:
Houselessness, overcrowding, and
living in the slums are serious problems that the poor face. The houses of the
poor are not only overcrowded but lack privacy. The existing space does not
permit proper sleeping arrangements. Family tensions also affect their
personality as well as their behavior where self-respect is eroded and cynicism
fostered.[7]
3.3 Hunger:
Hungry persons are those who are
chronically short of the nutrients necessary for growth and good health. During
pregnancy, poor nutrition leads to low birth-weight babies which itself poses
numerous health risks to the child. For children, poor nutrition leads to poor
growth and functional impairment.[8]
4. Biblical Perspectives on poverty
4.1 Poverty in the Old Testament
There are six different Hebrew words
to denote ‘poor’, which is rendered in Greek mainly by Ptochos and seldom by
Penes. The main Hebrew words are 'ani, dhal, and ebyon'. The word ani denotes a
dependent because of his inferior position of answering to the one who demands
the answer. Ani also denotes a state of submissiveness or distress. In the Pentateuch ani indicates
without inheritance of one’s own (Ex 22:24; Lev 19:10; 23:22; Dt 15:11; 24:12,
14, 15). Ptochos, when it translates the Hebrew dhal, refers to physical
weakness (Gen 41:19; 2 Sam 13:4) and to a low and insignificant social status
(Lev 19:15; 1 Sam 2:8). The Hebrew word ebyon denotes ‘the one who seek alms’
the beggar or the poor man. Ebyon also refer to the very poor, ‘those with no roof
over their heads’ (1 Sam 2:8). The term ‘poor’ also has a religious tone,
indicating the attitude of the one who prays to God (Ps 35:10; 37:4; 40:17);
etc. In (Amos 4; 6:1-10 and Hosea 8; 10:3) poor seems to have a social-
economic sense. In (Zechariah 9:9) where the messianic king is described as
‘righteous’ and ‘poor’, the spiritual sense of humility is in focus. In wisdom
literature the ‘poor’ is mostly used in a social and economic sense (Prov. 22:2),
poverty in the wisdom literature is associate with moral character laziness
(Prov 6:6-11), pleasure-seeking (Prov 21:17), drunkenness, and greediness (prov 23:21).[9]
4.2 Poverty in the New Testament
The word ‘poor’ used in the New
Testament about 34 times. There are numerous passages in the New Testament use
‘poor’ to refer to the people who are deprived in social status, hungry, bagger,
politically vulnerable and who have to depend on others sympathy (Mt 25:34-36,
41-43; Mk 10:21, Lk 7:22;14:13-21; Rev 3:17). ‘Poor ‘in Lk 4:18-19 is to be
understood in a strong social sense, the salvation Jesus announced is primarily
a libration from the pressures of social, economic, and societal oppression.[10] The ‘poor’ in Luke 6:20-21
“Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God”. According to Luke,
Jesus public ministry begins in the Nazareth synagogue with the word of the
prophet Isaiah, Is 61:1-2.The salvation Jesus announces in Luke 4:18-19 is mainly liberation from the pressures
of social, economic, and societal oppressions.[11] The ‘Poor’ in Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the
poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” the idea of ‘poor in
spirit occurs also in the old testament passages, in the light of the old
testament passages, poverty of spirit may be described as “ the personal acknowledgment of spiritual bankruptcy ”. It
is the conscious confession of unworthiness before God. As such it is the
deepest form of repentance.[12] The ‘poor’ in John gospel, the word poor
itself occurs only four times in John, (Jn 12:5, 6, 8; 13:29), but the idea
that Jesus approaches the poor in love and compassion in order to fulfill their
needs can be traced throughout the John. The Johannine Jesus went in search of the outcasts of the society,
the blind, the lame and the paralyzed at the pool of Bethesda and healed a
retarded and helpless man (Jn 5:2-9).In the wedding of Cana, Jesus was present to
help the poor family which could not afford enough wine and hence which was
facing dishonor and embarrassment (Jn 2:1-11). Jesus concern for the hungry is well portrayed in the
Johannine sign of feeding the multitude (Jn 6:1-5). Jesus Death on the cross is
not only the moment of victory over the oppressor who dominated the world Jn
12:31, but also the final and decisive moment of revealing God’s glory to the
oppressed (Jn 3:14-15; 12:23-24, 32-33; 13:31-32).[13] The ‘poor’ in the early church, the early church
followed the commission of the master and established communities of sharing. “
The group of believers was one in mind and heart. No one said that any of his
belongings was his own but they all shared with one another everything they
had” acts 4:32. So they have enough resources and there was no poverty.[14]
5 Understanding of Poverty in the Post New
Testament Era
5.1 Catholic Tradition:
It was the Marxist movement in the
wake of the industrial revolution that caused the church to respond to the
situation. The development of capitalism and industrialization in Europe in the
19th century led to a polarization of society into two antagonistic
classes. On the one hand was the rich and on the other hand a new working class
of people expelled from their and who had joined the ranks of an urban proletariat
which barely earned enough to live. This was the challenge for the church, the
same poor now had organized not to demand charity but the power needed to abolish
the structure of oppression.[15]
5.2 Ecumenical Tradition:
The Indian ecumenical community also
can be broadly divided into three groups, First is the national council of
churches in India (NCCI) out of 12 million members of the churches belonging to
NCCI, more than half are Dalits and the poor, so the church certainly feels
that the mission to the poor is a matter of one’s own housekeeping as well as outreach. Second the catholic Bishops
Conference of India (CBCI), CBCI is involved in social action though its
various organizations like CARITAS and the third is a cluster of evangelical
churches and para-churches.[16]
5.3 Evangelical Tradition:
The Wheaton Declaration (1966)
challenged “ all evangelicals to stand openly and firmly for radical equality,
human freedom and forms of social justice throughout the world”.[17]
5.4 Protestant Mission
Protestant missionary activity in India
began only in the early 19th century by William Carey. The protestant
missionaries saw idolatry as a curse from which stemmed poverty, depravity, and
all the accompanying evils. So for them, the only way of removing the misery
and the suffering of the people was the destruction of idolatry. The poor and
socially oppressed saw conversion as a means of gaining protection from oppressors,
material aid, and self- identity. Thus it was that the emerging Christian community
was not just a poor one but one that was escaping from an oppressive socio-
religious system.[18]
6. Response and role of the Church:
6.1 Hope for the Poor:
The phrase “good news to the poor”
or Hope for the Poor would ordinarily be understood to mean economic benefits.
The involvement of the church in society today amounts to being experienced as
good news by those being ministered. In a Christian perspective, the good news is not
a systematic doctrinal interpretation of life. The living out of the Christian
faith takes its meaning from the concrete situations in which we find ourselves
as men and women. A large part of the human situation may be described in words
of wonder, joy, and gratitude, there is much that makes life good to many. Discrimination,
despair, darkness, hatred, and violence are in and around us. In one form or
another poor in the country suffer these more than others among us. It is in a struggle with this human predicament that the Christian's mission and ministry
becoming meaningful and good news. Love and compassion (Matt: 25:31-46, Luke:
10:29-37) steer much of Christian mission and ministry.[19]
6.2. God Identifies with the poor:
When the Son of God Jesus came to
earth, He was fully God, but He was also fully human. It means that He was a
man, who experienced everything like humans suffer, and therefore he can
completely identify with everything that humans go through. He personally knows
what it’s like to suffer and to experience hardships. He understands and can
empathize with us in ways that no one else can. Jesus identifies poor and needy people he knows their pain and
sufferings. God understands what it is like to go to sleep hungry and cold.
However, Jesus knew what it was like to be poor. After all, He was homeless, so
He can identify with those who have to do without. Jesus knows what it is like
to experience heartache, sadness, and sorrow. Jesus knew exactly what it was like to suffer. He confided
His emotional pain to His disciples, saying, “My soul is very sorrowful, even
to death” (Matt. 26:38). Jesus understands our humanity and what it is like to
live as a human. He got hungry, He got thirsty, He slept, He was taught, He
grew, He loved, He was glad, He was angry, He was troubled at times, He prayed, He hurt, He exercised faith, He read
the Scriptures, He hurt when He saw another person’s illness, and He cried when
he saw death.[20]
6.3 The Church serving the poor:
(a) Importance of evangelism: The church gives first importance to the
ministry of preaching and spreading the gospel. The "great commission"
(Mark 16:15-16, Matthew 28:19-20) is the Lord's
primary directive to the church. We can't preach the gospel by ignoring the
poor and needy people. We have to try to help them. The church is the custodian
and propagator of the gospel.
(b)
Caring for
One's Own: The church expects its own members to look after their own and not
burden the church with what is their own duty. The Christians, who are able to
look after their own family members, yet expect the church to provide instead,
are "worse than infidels". The church should not be doing for people what
they can do for themselves.
(c) Providing for Oneself: The church expects individuals to look after themselves and provide their own needs if they can. People should "eat their own bread" (2Thessalonians 3:10-14) and "work with their own hands... so as not to be in any need" (1Thessalonians 4:11-12) and "have something to share with one who is in need" (Ephesians 4:28). The rule is, "If a man will not work, neither let him eat" (2Thessalonians 3:10).
(d)
Urgent and Pressing Needs:
The good works of the church are directed toward urgent and pressing needs, not
to non-essentials. The circumstance that church benevolence addresses is
"a brother or sister without clothing and in need of daily food"
(James 2:15-16) or "the fatherless and the widows in their afflictions"(James
1:27). However, the church listens to Jesus who said, "Only a few things
are necessary" (Luke 10:38-42).[21]
6.2. How can the Church eradicate poverty:
The church can eradicate poverty in the following ways-
1. The Church tries to build healthy
communities in impoverished areas, oftentimes through hand-outs or one-time
gifts that do not help families out of poverty. By providing work opportunities,
the Church can build communities in Jesus’s name.[22]
2. Apostles, preaching should be the
priority followed by diaconal work and there should not be any dichotomy in the
church’s mission.
3. Awareness building and
encouraging people to meaningfully participate in the life of the national and the political process is the way to contribute to the eradication of poverty rather
than having a petty projects in the village.
4. The church should join hands with
others in contributing towards this uprising of the poor.[23]
5. The church should assist in the sustainable production of food. It is not enough to preach only the Good News.
The church should empower the poor so as to enable them to produce their own
food consistently.[24]
7. Christian education and Social change
7.1 Preparing Curriculum to Address the Issue
of poverty
The history of Christianity in India clearly points to the fact that the majority of Christians come from a poor socio-economic background. Christian missions in India has always been involved in working among the poor and the needy. Sadly the church in India is not informed to take this challenge seriously. The church has many research and higher educational institutions with high in the secular world for quality of
education. These institutions must undertake
analytical and action-oriented research, building up replicable models
challenging the government, in particular, to apply their minds and resources to
remove poverty. Christian education should be encouraged people to meaningfully
participate in the life of the national and political process by supporting
them as it is one of the ways to contribute to the abolition of poverty.[25]
7.1.1 Educating the local congregation
Educating the local congregation
through Christian education should also concern for certain issues like
injustice which is one of the main causes of poverty which creates severe the situation of the poor. Including this issue in Christian education can
contribute to the solution of poverty.[26]According to Samson Prabhakar
“Learning should be an activity of empowerment and Christian education should
support the activity which can challenge the common perception of the church,
society, and system of education as systems dominion controlling the structural
relations, resources, law, and communications, characterized as tools of
control. ” Christian education should also challenge the economic systems that
controlled by the so-called powerful.[27]
7.1.2 The need for dialogue
Through dialogue, or interaction
with others, we discover a Social process. According to Freire, commitment to
dialogue that he considered the moment of dialogue to be the moment of
transformation. Freire saw the dialogue of the elite as vertical whereas true dialogue
is the horizontal relationship based on love, respect, and tolerance which encourages liberated learning in all
situations. It implies reciprocal trust and communication between the
educator, who also learns, and the student, who also teaches. Thus, education
becomes a two-way interactive dialogue rather than the unilateral authoritarian
communication of teaching methods in oppressed societies. Therefore, dialogue
should be even more of a message for us Christian educators concerned to make a
difference. In fact, the content of this kind of education cannot be determined in advance through the expertise of
the educator, but instead, must arise from the lived experiences or reality of
the student.[28]
Conclusion
God’s concern for the poor plays an
important role in our mission. If God identifies the poor and cares for them then
we must also show our concern and care for them. To bring a social change we
must bring change among ourselves as well in our church. Therefore in our
witness, we have to pursue a ministry that also deals with social change in
order to deal with the factors that have created impoverishment. Thus, Christian education must have a witness that
addresses the challenges of poverty in bringing about personal and social
transformation so that systems and processes can be changed for common benefit.
Bibliography
Ahuja, Ram.Social Problems in India. Jaipur:
Rawat Publications, 2011.
Carlton, Mason Harold.The Teaching Task of the Local Church.
Indiana: Light and Life Press, 1960.
Campbell, Wyckoff D.The Task of Christian Education. Philadelphia:
The Westminster Press,1955.
Kim C.H. Sebastian and Marak C. Krickwin, eds., Good News to the
poor: the challenge to the church Delhi: ISPCK, 1997.
Ninan, George A. Church and Society, Mumbai, Kalpana Printing
House, 2001.
Santa Ana Julio de, Good News to the Poor: the Challenge of the
poor in the History of the Church Lausanne: ISBN, 1977.
Stott, John.New Issues Facing Christians Today. London: Marshall
Pickering, 1984.
Scarpitti, Frank R and Margaret L. Anderson. Social Problems. New
York: Harper and Row, 1989.
Webliography
http://www.alreadyam.com/7-incredible-ways-that-jesus-identifies-with-you/
http://www.simplybible.com/f984.htm
http://missionsbox.org/essay/churchs-role-eradicating-poverty/#.WXjNNoiGPIU
[1] Ram Ahuja, Social Problems in India (Jaipur: Rawat
Publications, 2011) 27.
[2] Harold Carlton Mason, The Teaching Task of the Local Church
(Indiana: Light and Life Press, 1960)
18-19.
[3] D Campbell Wyckoff, The Task of Christian Education,
(Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1955) 19.
[4] John Stott, New Issues Facing Christians Today (London:
Marshall Pickering, 1984) 269-272.
[5] Ahuja, Social Problems in India ... 37-41.
[6] Ahuja, Social Problems in India ... 47.
[7] Ahuja, Social Problems in India ... 47.
[8] Frank R. Scarpitti and Margaret L. Anderson, Social
Problems (New York:Harper and Row, 1989) 195
[9] Sebastian C.H. Kim and Krickwin C. Marak , eds., Good News
to the poor: the challenge to the church
(Delhi :ISPCK,1997), 35-37
[10] Sebastian C.H. Kim and Krickwin C. Marak , eds., Good News
to the poor...41.
[11] Sebastian C.H. Kim and Krickwin C. Marak , eds., Good News
to the poor...42-49.
[12] Sebastian C.H. Kim and Krickwin C. Marak , eds., Good News
to the poor...49-50.
[13] Sebastian C.H. Kim and Krickwin C. Marak , eds., Good News
to the poor...50-52.
[14] Julio de Santa Ana, Good News to the Poor: the Challenge of
the poor in the History of the Church
(Lausanne: ISBN, 1977), 39-4
[15]Sebastian C.H. Kim and Krickwin C. Marak , eds., Good News
to the poor...155-59.
[16] Sebastian C.H. Kim and Krickwin C. Marak , eds., Good News
to the poor...183-187.
[17] Sebastian C.H. Kim and Krickwin C. Marak , eds., Good News
to the poor...197.
[18] Sebastian C.H. Kim and Krickwin C. Marak , eds., Good News
to the poor...211-214.
[19] an C.H. Kim and Krickwin C. Marak , eds., Good News to the
poor...147-150.
[20] http://www.alreadyam.com/7-incredible-ways-that-jesus-identifies-with-you/
[21] http://www.simplybible.com/f984.htm
[22] http://missionsbox.org/essay/churchs-role-eradicating-poverty/#.WXjNNoiGPIU
[23] A. George Ninan, Church and Society,(Mumbai, Kalpana
Printing House, 2001), p-269, 277, 278
[24] ile:///C:/Users/HP/Downloads/1582-12644-1-SM.pdf
[25] A.GeorgeNinan, Church and society: Challenges and Responses
in the 21stcentury,(Mumbai:BUILD,2001), 276.
[26] Ken Ganakan, Learning in an integrated environment
(Bangalore: Theological Book Trust,2007), 122.
[27] Samson Prabhakar, Essays on Christian Education and
liturgy,(Bangalore: SATHRI,2003), 88.
[28] Ken Ganakan, Learning in an integrated environment ...,
122.
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