Discerning lessons of St. Paul’s speech on Areopagus

Towards a Buberian cross-cultural dialogue in Indonesia

Abstract

The present article explores a theological and missiological basis for
cross-cultural dialogue in the pluralistic landscape of Indonesia.
Drawing from the Lukan mandate in Luke 19:10, the author argues
that the "search for the lost" requires a sophisticated method of
contextualization modelled by St. Paul at the Areopagus. By identifying "altars to the unknown" within Javanese mythology—
specifically if we consider the triadic governance of Bathara Guru,
Semar, and Togog (without having to recourse to kind of
syncretism)—and utilizing mathematical metaphors such as the
Borromean ring to explain the gotong royong (cooperative) nature
of intertwined humanity, a bridge is built for Buberian type dialogue
(cf. Paulus, 2006). The article suggests that while sensitive doctrines
like the Trinity and the Sonship of Christ remain stumbling blocks
for serious mission discussions, they can be introduced as the
"missing pieces" that fulfil and offer a bridge, rather than merely
contradict, indigenous longings and historical anomalies.