Center for Non-Western Theologies
Dr. Simon Ririhena
Dr. Simon Ririhena is appointed as Head of the Center for Non-Western Theologies and will be leading this center. Dr. Simon Ririhena is specialized in Theology in Moluccan cultural context. He has his Ph.D. from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculty of Religion and Theology. Dr. Ririhena is also the Rector of Molukkan Theological Seminary in the Netherlands.
Contact: s.ririhena@foundation.eu.com
Introduction
Yoshinobu Kumazawa, a Japanese theologian once suggested that in the past, the western styles of doing missionary work caused the non-western world to believe that God's action towards the world is always mediated by the Western church, that God's work in non-Christian countries is mediated only by so-called Christian countries; that Christianity is to be exported from Christian countries and planted in non-Christian countries (Anderson 1976, 204). Kumazawa remarks that “this had created many problems in the history of missions because it has led to the mistaken thought that the so-called Christian countries are superior to non-Christian countries. The fatal flaw is the presumption that God could not work directly in non-Christian countries without being mediated by Christian countries.” As Christianity is growing in the non-western world, there is a growing demand for a platform such as CNWT, empowering non-western theologians to share their knowledge and experience and as an enrichment to the current existing theologies.
Center for Non-Western Theologies discusses various non-western theological narratives, interpretation and implementations of theologies in and from the Non-Western Perspectives.
Aims
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CNWT aims to be a platform for Christian theologians from the global south to reinterpret their cultural, historical heritage in the context of the gospel.
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CNWT is a platform for Western theologians who are academically and personally attached to the themes related to non-western theologies.
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CNWT is a platform for non-western theologians to discuss religion and theology from non-western perspectives related to the context of non-western cultures and peoples.
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CNWT aims to develop thematic theologies related to non-western cultures and make them available to the broader scholarly and religious audience for dialogue
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CNWT aims to dialogue and debate with Western theologians from various schools of thoughts.
Means
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Thematic roundtables/expert meetings resulting in articles and other forms publications
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Annual conferences
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Creating a peer-reviewed journal: “Journal for Non-Western Theologies”
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Publishing books related to CNWT
Membership
Scientists, researchers, and theologians can apply to be affiliated with this center, as a scholar, researcher with a commitment to publish a book or articles under the name of the center. Applicants will go through a selection committee. For applications, please send an email to cnwt@foundation.eu.com or to Dr. Simon Ririhena s.ririhena@foundation.eu.com
Potential Themes
⁃ Indigenization of Christianity
⁃ Colonization, Mission and Christianity
⁃ Theology & Ancestors
⁃ History of Non-Western Christian Theologians
⁃ Gender and Feminist Theologies in the Non-Western World
⁃ and more …
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