SAC DARPAN: The Annual Symposium: THE NEW AVENUES OF FAITH FORMATION AND CHALLENGES IN CHOTANAGPUR

St. Albert's College conducted its annual symposium on the theme: THE NEW AVENUES OF FAITH FORMATION AND CHALLENGES IN CHOTANAGPUR on August 22, 2015, Saturday in the SAC Auditorium. Over five hundred Participants attended the symposium.

The Resource Person was Dr. Fr. Subhash Anand, Emirtus Professor of Indology at Jnanadeepa Vidyapeeth, Pune.

Dr. Subhash Anand, an Introduction

Dr Subhash Anand is Professor emeritus of Indian Philosophy and Religion of the Pontifical Athenaeum Jnanadeep Vidyapeeth in Pune India. He obtained LicPh and LicTh at Jnanadeep Vidyapeeth; MA in Sanskrit from Karnatak Univesity, Dharwar; and PhD from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. His publications include The Local Church and Inculturation(1985); The Way of Love: The Bhāgavata Doctrine of Bhakti(1996); Story as Theology: An Intrepretative Study of Five Episodes from the Mahābhārata (1996); Śiva’s Thousand Names: An Interpretative Study of Śivasahasranāma(1998); Hindutva: A Christian Response (2001); Hindu Inspiration for Christian Reflection: Towards a Hindu-Christian Theology (2004); Major Hindu Celebrations: A Christian Appreciation (2008); The Eternal Stranger: An Interpretative Study of Five Śiva Episodes in the Mahābhārata (2009); A Preface for an Indian Christology (2010) and May They All Be One: Towards an Ecumenical Theology of the Church (2012). His articles and book-reviews have appeared in the following journals: Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Asian Christian Review, Asian Horizons, Brahmavidyā: Adyar Library Bulletin, Concilium: International Journal of Theology, Indian Journal of Spirituality, Indian Missiological Review, Indian Theological Studies, Ishvani Kendra Documentation and Mission Digest, Jeevadhara: A Journal of Christian Interpretation, Jnanadeep: Pune Journal of Religious Studies, Journal of Dharma, Journal of Gandhian Studies, Journal of Religious Studies, Journal of Indian Theology, Mission Today, Selecciones de Theologia, Third Millennium, Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection and Word and Worship.

Programme Schedule

M C.: Br. John Minj

Participants: SAC Faculty, G.E.L. Theological College, N.W.G.E.L College,

R.T.C. Tarunoday and neighbouring Religious Institutions.

8.30 a.m.: Welcoming the participants (President FOTR)

Introducing the Speaker (Fr. Alok Nag, IMS)

Lighting of the Lamps (President, Rector, Speaker, Principals of the three Colleges)

Introducing the theme (Fr. Erik Breye S.J.)

9.00-10.00 am First Talk

10.00-10.30 am Clarifications, questions

10.30 – 11.00 am Tea Break

11:00-12.00 noon: Second Talk

12.00-12.30 pm Clarifications, questions

12.30 pm Lunch

2.00-3.00 pm Discussions in 16 groups

3.00-3.55 pm Presentation of the reports

3.55 pm Vote of Thanks by Fr. Deepak Valerian Tauro, the Rector

4.00 pm Tea, departure

Dr. Alok Nag, Dr. Subhash Anand, Dr. Erik Breye, Dr. Suman Kumar Ekka

Dr. Subhash Anand

Summary of the talks delivered by the Resource Person

As pilgrims all Chotanagpur believers need continuous faith formation. We can only mediate formation by informing and forming ourselves. If faith does not inform and form us then it ceases to be faith. Faith-formation is relevant today for many reasons.

The Relevance of Faith-formation: Today we face many—some deeply disturbing—questions. Are Christians who accept Ghar Waapsi giving up their faith? Did those people really have an adequate faith-formation? Do Christians, threatening to apostatize if their pastors do not fulfil their wishes, really have faith? What about the faith of those who in some way compromise to enter into marriage with non-Christians? Does real faith divide people? Does it call for visible demonstration on the individual and on the collective level? Does it make us less secular? Do those, who create inter-denominational and inter-ritual competition and antagonism, caste rivalries, tribal conflicts, etc., really have faith? Can faith go hand in hand with corrupt practices? Are migrants prepared intellectually and morally for the problems they face? Can faith allow the widening gulf between the rich and the poor? Can it be insensitive to environmental pollution? Can it be a party to religious violence? Can it legitimize manipulation and intimidation? Can it permit silence in the face of violation of fundamental rights and cover up of crime? Can it survive when confronted by the explosion of knowledge? Can the Roman Church continue denying Luther’s “by faith alone” (“sola fide”)?

What is real faith?

A. Faith as Vision: Authentic faith emerges in response to an urge that leads us to get a darśana, to receive a darśana, and thereby have a divine darśana.

A1. Faith in Idols: We need to identify some distortions of faith. Faith is not identical with belief. There can be real faith with wrong belief and right belief with distorted or no faith. Faith refuses to absolutize traditions and texts, rules and rituals.

A2. Faith in God: As the result of God’s creative love we are drawn towards him even before we are aware of it. Gradually faith, hope and love emerge. Faith is the surrender of ourselves to him, accepting him as our one Lord. Love is the longing to be with and for him alone. Hope is the trust that he will fulfil that longing. Faith, hope and love are theological virtues. They come to us from and take us to God. Only in God can they find their most appropriate expression, and we our most authentic existence. Real faith, hope and love cannot exist in isolation. Where there is real faith, love and hope are also present. In as much as faith is reaching out to Being beyond beings it is a lifelong brahmacarya and tirthayatra.

B. Faith as Journey: In the Bible we come across “a cloud of witnesses” (Heb 12.1), persons who lived a life of deep faith. They were all pilgrims. Their journey can guide us in ours.

B1. The Journey of Abraham: Abraham’s faith journey teaches us that 1. Faith is not knowing and accepting the right doctrine but our total surrender to God. 2. It invites us to place God above all creatures. 3. This is possible only through contemplation. 4. To be saved people need not be with us, but with God. 5. God, present in all humans, can bless us through them. 6. God is Love. We can ‘dialogue’ with him, as children do with their father. 7. Whatever be the difficulties God can fulfil his plan in our life. 8. Only in death will our faith find its fulfilment. 9. We are pilgrims even in our understanding of God and also of the norms of morality. 10. Accepting God in faith does not require us to abandon our culture. 11. In articulating our faith and formulating our beliefs we can always learn from what peoples of other faiths have to say.

B2. The Journey of Moses: Moses’ journey reveals some important qualities of a faith-formator. 1. Even before God’s call, Moses is deeply concerned for his people. Grace builds on nature. 2. The burning bush expresses Moses’ contemplation. 3. In his contemplation he finds the answer to two basic questions: “Who am I?” and “Who are you?” 4. He is prepared to confront the powers of this world. 4. He put his people’s welfare before his own. 5. Shaped by faith he did not need earthly patronage.

B3. The Journey of Jesus: The journey of Jesus draws our attention to some important aspects of faith formation. 1. Our faith formation begins in our childhood. Our parents are our first formators and models. 2. Faith is the awareness that God is the most loving Abba-Amma. 3. We are drawn to be with God in deep prayer. 4. Faith brings us inner freedom. 5. Real faith enables us to recognize and respect the faith of others, even if they do not belong to the Church. 6. Persons who hold on to their faith will be persecuted. 7. Faith is not a call to surrender our power to think for ourselves but an invitation to live with discernment. 8. Faith formation becomes possible when there is a credible witness.

B4. The Journey of Peter: We have much to learn from Peter’s experience. 1. As pilgrims all need constant conversion; we need to journey in faith. 2. As God is the one Abba-Amma of all, nobody is unclean. Faith widens our horizons. 3. Faith invites us to free our sisters and brothers from their burdens: to bring them the truth, love, equality, fraternity, freedom and justice of God’s kingdom. Without an effective commitment to these basic values there can be no real faith in God.

B5. The Journey of Paul: Paul was a good faith formator. He can be our model, as he has much to teach us. 1. In Paul we see once again how grace builds on nature. 2. Once called by Jesus he leaves all behind and surrenders himself totally to him. Yet for him Jesus remains his way to the Father-Mother. 3. For the sake of Jesus and his Gospel he is prepared to suffer and die. 4. All this flows from Paul’s deep prayer.

C. Faith as Martyrdom: Faith formation is different from belief information. Faith formation fosters appropriate attitudes and right actions. Only credible witnesses make faith formation possible.

C1. A Contemplative Community: Faith is born of and sustained by an encounter with the living God. Are our people being helped to become contemplative? Are our pastors competent to help people discover and grow in contemplation? Are our pastors sufficiently rooted in personal prayer to acquire the competence needed to guide others? Are our seminaries and theological colleges providing the Church with pastors who have a deep commitment to personal prayer?

C2. A Critical Community: We have to start with a foundational question: Do I have some convincing reason to continue being a Christian? Are our people adequately instructed to live their faith in a pluralistic modern and post-modern society? Are our pastors competent enough to provide this formation? Are institutes training pastors providing the Church with competent and committed pastors? Without an adequate grounding in philosophy dialogue with modernity and post-modernity is not possible. Merely positive dogmatics—the Bible says so!—would be totally outdated. How many of our pastors-to-be are capable of doing philosophy? Grace can only build on nature. Real faith generates questions as it leads to discernment. Is our cultic life grounded in faith, and therefore theocentric? Is our cultic life really effective? To be able to answer new faith-related questions, the pastors have to constantly update themselves in the realm of Biblical and Theological studies. A healthy reading habit is part of the contemporary faith formation apparatus. Traditional understanding of ‘parish’ may be inadequate in a globalized and highly mobile world.

C3. A Creative Community: For Abraham faith was linked with procreation. For us faith leads to creativity. Creativity calls for honest evaluation. Culture is creative, but not all creativity is healthy. Consumer novelty is very superficial. Creativity will enable us to make a greater synthesis between faith and native culture, and also take us beyond our land, race, tribe, language, culture, and even religion. Creativity demands that we leave behind the faith of our childhood days and become mature.

C4. A Countercultural Community: Faith is lived within the community of the Church. We need to be supported by the Church. But the consumer culture has pervaded all spheres of Christian life. We can become practical ‘atheists’: live as if God does not exist. Faith calls us to be the salt of the earth, the light of the world, and the leaven in the dough. The first Christians tried to do just that and that made them—not just their pastors—powerful missionaries. Faith calls us to share in the kenosis of Jesus: to empty ourselves and not hanker for power and prestige. The disciples of Jesus will be in the world but not of the world. To be the salt, light and leaven she is meant to be, the Church of Jesus must be a countercultural community. To us as a community this is the biggest challenge of faith formation. A countercultural community will not waste money and other resources on fanciful churches and cathedrals, on costly ordinations and colourful religious professions, on pompous consecrations and installations, on glamorous functions and celebrations accompanied with extensive illuminations and colourful fireworks. There can be a countercultural community only if there are countercultural individuals. This makes us vulnerable. To be a Christian is to be a witness, to be a martyr. This calls for deep prayer, for a contemplative life. To grow in faith I need to be a contemplative. To help others grow in faith I need to be a contemplative. To me as an individual this is the biggest challenge of faith formation. It was for this reason that the great theologian Karl Rahner once prophesized: “THE CHRISTIAN OF THE FUTURE WILL BE A MYSTIC OR HE WILL NOT EXIST AT ALL.”

Questions for Discussion

By now you have come across many pastors (presbyters, priests and bishops), not only of your but also of other churches. You are also familiar with different communities of Christians, including male and female religious. You are also aware of\remember your companions during your training.

1. A teacher is effective only by being a student. Do most of our pastors continue to be students? If yes, what are your reasons for thinking so? If no, what are your reasons for thinking so?

2. Today we face many difficulties in professing our faith. Are most of our pastors aware of these difficulties? If yes, what are your reasons for thinking so? If no, what are your reasons for thinking so?

3. Contemporary society raises many—some deeply disturbing— questions with regard to faith. Are most of our pastors are aware of these questions? Are most of our pastors able to deal with these questions? If yes, what are your reasons for thinking so? If no, what are your reasons for thinking so?

4. Grace builds on nature. What are the qualities candidates for pastoral ministry need to have even before they begin their training, so that they can be helped to become good faith formators?

5. Faith formation is a very demanding process. Do you think most of those undergoing training for pastoral ministry have those qualities in adequate measure? If yes, what are your reasons for thinking so? If no, what are your reasons for thinking so?

6. While faith and belief are inter-related, they are not identical. Are most of our pastors are familiar with this distinction? If yes, what are your reasons for thinking so? If no, what are your reasons for thinking so?

7. Like Israelites of old, we too are tempted to make idols for ourselves. We can be practical atheists. What are the modern idols? Are our people worshipping these idols? If yes, what are your reasons for thinking so? If no, what are your reasons for thinking so?

8. Aaron, who was to be the high priest, made the golden calf for the Israelites. Are our pastors today making idols for their people? If yes, what are your reasons for thinking so? If no, what are your reasons for thinking so?

9. Faith is intimately linked to a life of deep prayer (not many prayers). Do most of our Christians have a life of deep prayer? If yes, what are your reasons for thinking so? If no, what are your reasons for thinking so?

10. Jesus taught his disciples to pray. Are most of our pastors able to teach their people to pray (as different from saying prayers)? If yes, what are your reasons for thinking so? If no, what are your reasons for thinking so?

11. The Roman Church is the most cultic Christian denomination. Is cult really helping people to grow in faith, or is it promoting superstition? If yes, what are your reasons for thinking so? If no, what are your reasons for thinking so?

12. Faith is standing in the presence of the Creator God. Are most of our pastors truly creative (as different from producing novelties) in their ministry? If yes, what are your reasons for thinking so? If no, what are your reasons for thinking so?

13. Faith is standing in the presence of the Unbounded Mystery. Are most of our pastors open to new insights into Scripture and Theology? If yes, what are your reasons for thinking so? If no, what are your reasons for thinking so?

14. A good understanding of contemporary philosophy is almost essential to deal with the questions about faith arising today. Is our philosophy programme adequate? Are most of our students able to grasp the essentials of contemporary philosophy? If yes, what are your reasons for thinking so? If no, what are your reasons for thinking so?

15. A concern for numbers is detrimental to quality. Are our bishops and superiors over anxious about the number of pastors they think they need? If yes, what are your reasons for thinking so? If no, what are your reasons for thinking so?

16. Faith makes us salt of the earth. Are our churches countercultural communities? Are our pastors counterculture individuals? If yes, what are your reasons for thinking so? If no, what are your reasons for thinking so?

Moments of the Day