"Transformed Nonconformist" Spirituality: An Effort to Open the Eyes of Indonesian Christian Church"
By: Andri Purnawan
Introduction
Spirituality is the essential dimension to be learned in King’s life. According to Walter Earl Fluker, much of the earlier scholarship focused on King's leadership role as an activator of civil rights, his intellect, and "his distinctive place within the black church tradition" while paying little attention to the spiritual and ethical dimensions of his leadership.[1]Without commitment and consistency to spirituality, it would be impossible to lead the movement over the long-term. The fundamental question is, “Whether King's spirituality- that originates from the black Church and Christianity as the dominant culture of America- can be applied in the Church in a religious diversity context, like Indonesia today?”
Indonesian Christian Church "as the product of Dutch colonialization" has two different approaches to Indonesian society, namely: passive confrontation and quietist conformist to the status quo. The passive confrontation involves the Church’s practices of avoidance, apathy to society, and making solid separation to the state/ society policy. Consequently, the Church becomes alienated and has no involvement in the real problem of Indonesia, including discrimination, injustice, political populism, and the rise of radicalism. On the other hand, other Indonesian churches tend to conformist, quietist, and pro-status quo, for the sake of self-security.
This paper argues that King's "transformed nonconformist" spirituality can be relevant to Indonesian Christian Churches as the (via media) of socio-ecclesiology between passive confrontation and quietist conformist, to generate church involvement in the struggle of justice in society.
I will elucidate my argument in threefold method, namely (1) examine King's "transformed nonconformist" spirituality dimension from his writings; (2) how that notion of spirituality influencing King’s ecclesiological understanding; and (3) a discussion on implementing King’s spirituality and ecclesiology as critical resources to the Indonesian Christian Church through Fluker’s “remembering, retelling, and reliving” of Chinese-Christian Struggle. As the finding and summary, King's "transformed nonconformist" spirituality is compatible and can serve as critical sources and spirituality model to the churches in the diversity context.
1. King's "Transformed nonconformist Spirituality"
King’s idea about "transformed nonconformist" can be found on his sermon, Transformed Non-Conformist, as well echoing in the Death of Evil Upon the Seashore; Love, Law, and Civil Disobedience, Nonviolence: The Only Road to Freedom, and According to Fluker, through the concept of "transformed nonconformist" King opened the possibility to every Christian to contribute to creating change in the world. Public leadership not only be dominated by a particular party who has power and privilege access but also to the "marginalized moral minority-those whom King labeled transformed nonconformists."[2] King's Transformed nonconformist spirituality is the marriage of his notion of spirituality and social transformation. This understanding played a fundamental role in King's ethical leadership in the civil rights movements.[3] For King, inner transformation and social transformation are interwoven. Inner transformation-related with goodwill and love to the neighbor, also encourage one to overcome blind conformity to the unjust law that makes many Christians only play the role as the thermometer that "record and register the temperature of the majority opinion, not thermostat that transforms and regulate the temperature of society."[4]
King sermon, Transformed Non-conformist, is based on Roman 12:2, “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” King believes in the double citizenships of every Christian, namely citizens of the world and citizens of the Kingdom of God.[5] Parallel with the historical context of early Christians who resisted Roman colonialism and their nonconformity in lifestyle with movement in his era, Christians should refuse to "worship false God of nationalism and materialism." One of the most crucial duties of Christianity is to enforce God's will in the world. Transformed nonconformist spirituality demands the willingness to suffer for righteousness, justice, peace, and brotherhood.[6]
In the Death of Evil Upon the Seashore, King believes the representation of evil is oppression and colonialization. Like Egypt, who oppressed Israel, as well as Imperialism in Asia and Africa, all unjust and oppressive structures are evil. Therefore, the civil rights movement is struggling to fight evil.[7] King believes in God's intervention to conquest evil in the world. However, he also warns about "the superficial optimism"; the emergence of another tyranny will follow the death of tyranny.[8] God is actively creating a brighter world and invites the participation of the people of God to fight for justice, peace, and integration of creation (Meliorism). King underlies the striving for justice as the manifestation of the Kingdom of God on the earth.[9]
“Transformed nonconformist” is the via media, the third way between acquiescence and violent resistance. For King, both submission and violence toward injustice is a common reaction of the world. In Love, Law, and Civil Disobedience, King draws three ways of responding to the oppression, namely acquiescence, violent resistance, and nonviolent resistance.[10] The first, acquiescence, is acceptance, consent, surrender, adjustment of themselves to oppression, discrimination, segregation, or colonialism. The second, resistance through hatred and physical violence is problematic because it potentially creates more significant social problems, even chaos. The third, nonviolent resistance, inspired by Gandhi, as a way of liberation from imperialistic political-economic exploitation. King promotes the third method. The movement should stand on love as the foundation. Love not only in the emotional sense but "understanding, redemptive, creative, goodwill for all men." [11] Moreover, King believes that suffering can play a redemptive aspect; when one absorbs the violence for themselves without getting caught in a circle of revenge, one person converts their suffering into an effective means of social resistance. Therefore, suffering "can be the most creative and powerful social force."[12]
King also believes the potential goodness of human nature, so humans can respond with goodness, rather than just doing evil. From that point, King calls to cooperate with the good as much as the moral obligation noncooperation with evil.[13] In the context of law, King distinguishes law in two main categories, just law, and unjust law. Just law goes hand in hand with moral law and uplifts human dignity; meanwhile, an unjust law is any law that degrades human nobility. Therefore, King promotes "a revolt against the negative peace,"; the condition that points to blacks’ acceptance of oppression, without tension and resistance. As an alternative, King calls to enforce justice by fostering a spirit of integration and equity of all humanity.[14]
Moreover, King also opposed tokenism, where the principle of integration becomes gesture and norm only. Besides, King critiques the "myth of time," which argues that transformation is about the timing of the matter, so people need to be patient and pray because time will solve the problem. The path of love and sacrifice is a means of striving for a more just life.[15]
On the other hand, nonconformity does not mean confrontation by any means, including separative-chaotic rebellion. In Nonviolence: The Only Road to Freedom, King, is rejecting racism, materialism, and violence. As an alternative, he promotes the idea of brotherhood, cooperation, and peace. The context of this idea was the existence of ghettos in the Northern black community that tended to resist oppression through violence. King appealed to the Northern black community to consider the peaceful community as the best strategy of resistance because violence and riots created more chaos and invite repressive power. Even King did not agree with violence for the sake of self-defense because violence will create more problems.[16] For King, the underlying philosophy of the nonviolent movement is the refusal to cooperate with evil through a well-organized non-violence movement.[17]
According to Baldwin, in Never to Leave Us Alone, King did not merely strive towards activism through social justice, equal right, and peace, but he also fostered "a spiritual movement.”[18] Prayer is an essential part of King's movement because King believes that God's power transforms human weakness into a "glorious opportunity."[19]Baldwin also pays attention to the emotional dimension King as the part of black church culture. Accompanying the struggle of the civil rights movement with prayers shows the spiritual meaning that their struggle is part of God's work in the world. As a result, the movement succeeded in mobilizing remarkable militant masses.[20] King has succeeded in promoting integrally personal and social spirituality, orthodoxy and orthopraxis; from there was born a massive, unstoppable mass movement that pushes for the transformation of civilization.
Dyson, in I May Not Get There argues that King’s civil rights movement cannot be separated from the black church movement. Ordinary black folk, grass-roots leaders shaped the civil rights movement, and women made the black freedom struggle effective, even radical. King was “profoundly influenced by the militant minority of the black Baptist church” and combined with liberal theological outlook to resist black suffering and class oppression.[21] King's theology of love that emphasizes the disciplined practice of social charity, racial justice, and social liberation made him become the symbol of the prophetic figure of the black Church. The charge of the spiritual dimension/ civic piety made the black movement a force of endurance and high power of embracement.[22] King also "made religious uses of the secular documents (US constitution) that support civil society and embody national beliefs about citizenship" to ground his civil, religious interpretation of justice, love, freedom, and equality.[23]
In my view, King’s transformed nonconformist spirituality was the synthesis of multiple aspects of his life. The black culture experience and memory, black church ecclesiology and theology, dynamic tension of his academic path, the philosophy of idealist thinkers like Marx, Tillich, Gandhi, and his spiritual discernment about love, justice, and solidarity merged in one spirit. Transformed nonconformist spirituality embraces two crucial dimensions of life, namely orthodoxy and orthopraxis. This kind of spirituality not only be constructed on idealism and in-depth individual discernment but has a substantial impact on the human struggle daily as a community, either in the Church or civilization. Through transformed nonconformist spirituality, love, justice, and peace are embodied in the prophetic movement.
2. King’s perspective on Ecclesiology
Spirituality is the foundation of Ecclesiology. King’s ecclesiological perspective is not separating the spiritual and social domains. King idealized the Church as someone who opens the door and gives help to his friend, who needs bread at Midnight. King explained the Midnight of social order when the circumstances and weapons bring annihilation of the human race; the midnight of individual life, when many people fall in deep anxiety and depression; and the midnight of the moral order, when moral principles lose their distinctiveness and when Church overemphasizes numerical growth without concrete participation in the struggle of civilization. Amid the Midnight, the Church should share the bread of hope, the bread of love, and bread of economic justice. It is shameful if the Church or the institution supposed to remove racial segregation participates in "creating and perpetuating the midnight."[24] For King, Church is neither the master or the servant of state but rather the conscience of the nation. The Church should be the guide and the critic of the state through its moral, spiritual, and prophetic authority.
King's socio-theological invitation was hand in hand with the black church development of his era. According to Morris, in the Origin of The Civil Rights Movement, the black Church functioned as the institutional center of the modern civil rights movement. They succeeded in encouraging people to sacrifice in pursuing justice. They played essential roles in providing support and direction for the diverse activities of an oppressed group.[25] Between 1940-1960 black urbanization significantly increased, becoming a crucial factor of the enlargement of the social power of urban churches of the South.[26] The establishment of the NAACP, founded in 1909, also supported the social role of the Church in the community, through providing opportunities for local leaders to acquire organizing skills and develop networks. It was there that the starting point of the modern civil rights movement emerged.[27]
Meanwhile, according to Baldwin, King's ecclesiology in the social responsibility of the Church was influenced by the social gospel movement that was very popular at that time.[28] One of King's hardest critiques was that the Church tends to serve as "an arch defender of the status quo." For King, the theological vision of the Kingdom of God on earth and the noble goal of the beloved community were synonymous; both "expressed optimism about the future of society and historical progress.”[29] Thus, the Church should be perfecting faith with praxis, and become “The Church in Action.”[30] King occasionally noted that he stood "in the middle of two opposing forces in the Negro community, one which had adjusted to segregation, and the other was the hatred of the white community. One "burns with emotionalism, and other freezes with classism.”[31] In that dilemma, King remains steadfast in his belief that the black Church was the only institution capable of providing moral, spiritual, and practical guidance to transform unjust structures. He also believed that the Black Church should remain firm in the Social Gospel tradition.[32]
The Letter from a Birmingham Jail is one of King's apologetic letters to answer criticism brought up by fellow clergymen. Although being accused as unwise and untimely, he believes that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."[33] For King, segregation, injustice, brutal violence experienced by black people in Birmingham cannot be tolerated. Practical approaches and negotiations have been repeatedly carried out, but what is obtained is only broken promises. King takes direct action, sits in, and marches. "Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such tension that community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue so that the issue can be longer be ignored." Direct action creates tension that makes people open the door of negotiation. At this point, King was influenced by Hegel's view about growth through struggle; there can be no birth and growth without pains. So, the tension is an indication of a new world order.[34] For King, the fight for justice (after black struggle and demanding human and civil rights for 340 years) cannot be postponed, because "freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”[35]
King was disappointed with the white moderate who prefers a pseudo-peace and advises black people to wait until the "more convenient season." For white moderates, King's and friends' actions, although peaceful, must be condemned because it potentially provokes violence. They viewed action in Birmingham as an extreme activity; the nonviolent activist is aligned with extremists. Besides, King was very disappointed with the white Church and its leadership. Some white ministers, priests, and rabbis opposed the civil rights movement, refused to understand the movement, and chose to be silent to injustice. Unlike the brave and revolutionary early Church who was accused of being “disturbers of the peace” and “outside agitators” but continued to teach and exemplify love,[36] the contemporary Church is weak, with an ineffectual voice, uncertain sound, even become the arch defender of the status quo. The injustice "far from being disturbed by the presence of the church."[37] Being a peacemaker does not mean to conform passively with all circumstances.
Conversely, disturbance toward pseudo-peace is needed to create real peace. King called Church to resist structural injustice, including resisting the unjust law. A just law must go hand in hand with the moral law; meanwhile, unjust law contradicts the moral law. Like Tillich said that “sin is separation”, thus sin is segregation. King decried that the segregationist order is morally wrong. For King, “segregation not only makes for physical inconveniences, but it does something spiritually to the individual. It distorts the personality and injures the soul. Segregation gives the segregator a false sense of superiority, and it gives the segregated a false sense of inferiority."[38] Not only that, but segregation is also "a blatant denial of the unity which we all have in Christ Jesus.[39]
In King's ethical perspective, obedience cannot necessarily be categorized as moral action. He gave an example of disciplinary action taken by the police in order to curb the demonstrators. King criticized law enforcement by the police because they were carried out to serve "the evil system of segregation." In other words, what does not violate the law is not necessarily morally correct if not accompanied without the right reasons; King quotes T.S Eliot, who states, "The last temptation is the greatest treason: To do the right deed for the wrong reason." Likewise, with the Church's calm attitude toward injustice, it has prevented the risk of conflict with the authorities, and violation of the law. However, that attitude could not be categorized as an ethical and morally laudable attitude. Thus, for King's understanding of the Church, there is no need to be too anxious while being judged as extremist. For King, Jesus is an extremist for love (Luk.6:27-28), Amos is an extremist for justice (Amos 5:24); Paul is an extremist for the Christian Gospel (Gal.6:17). Besides, for King, John Bunyan, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, they are extremists for goodness. From that point, King encourages the Church to rise and fight against injustice and play the role of liberation. To manifest the truth and God's is needed moral courage to stand up and protest against injustice anywhere.[40]
In my view, King's ecclesiology is prophetic communal than priestly institutional. Therefore, he emphasized the role of church role to generate transformation and challenge all human institution to strive for justice. Hand in hand with his spirituality, King’s ecclesiology is placing the Church as a critical factor in realizing the kingdom of God in the world, which is characterized by justice, love, and peace.
3. Pairing "Transformed nonconformist spirituality" to Indonesian Christian Church
I will divide this section into two parts. The first part will describe the historical context of the Indonesian Christian Church, and the second part I propose how to implement transformed nonconformist spirituality in the Indonesian Christian Church through Dr. Fluker Ethical Leadership framework, “remembering, retelling, and reliving.”
3.1. Indonesian Christian Church toward Society: between Passive Confrontation and Quietist Conformist
Indonesian Christian Church (Gereja Kristen Indonesia/ GKI) is one of the most influential Churches in Indonesia, that has 225 congregations spread in Western Indonesia, from Sumatra to Bali, with more than 75.000 church members. Initially, in 1932, GKI was the Tiong Hoa Kie Tok Kauw Hwee (Chinese speaking Church in Indonesia). However, because of the Indonesian nationalism spirit, they decided to put down the primordial identity and changed the church identity as the Indonesian Christian Church in 1958.
Related to the Church positioning themselves in society, many congregations of GKI have diverse positions. However, the Indonesian Christian Church "as the product of Dutch colonialization" has two different approaches, or social attitudes to Indonesian society, namely: passive confrontation and conformity to the status quo. The passive confrontation is the way the Church avoids, demonstrates apathy to society, makes solid separation to the state/ society policy. Consequently, the Church becomes alienated and has no involvement in the real problem of Indonesia, including discrimination, injustice, political populism, and the rise of radicalism. On the other hand, other Indonesian churches tend to conformist, quietist, and pro-status quo, for the sake of self-security.
The tension between Confrontative and Conformist relates to the paradox of the double minority. As the Chinese majority Church, most church members ail “double minority.” Chinese ethnicity is 1,2% of the Indonesian population[41], and as Christian, 9,87%. That is a small amount compared with other ethnicities and 87% Muslim of total 272.768.650 Indonesian population.[42] On the other hand, Chinese ethnic is well known as the Indonesian economic generator. The nine most prosperous people in Indonesia are Chinese. According to The Oxfam Institute, the total assets of the four most prosperous people in Indonesia, which are recorded at the US $ 25 billion, equivalent to the combined wealth of the 100 million most impoverished people.[43] Consequently, the situation makes Chinese ethnic as a target of jealousy amid social disparities that occur in Indonesia. [44]
Chinese's wounded collective memory is affecting most of the Christian Chinese exclusive solidarity. This condition is a result of historical trauma since early Indonesian Independence until the Reform era in 1998. [45] During Suharto, authoritarian regime (32 years governs), the Chinese were restricted from expressing their cultural identity, such as celebrating the Chinese New Year.[46] Besides, there occurred a couple of racial mob violence against Chinese ethnics, especially in power transition and critical juncture of Indonesia. One of the most hostile mob violence is in May 1998, when there was massive looting of Chinese business centers, and mass rapes against Chinese women in many areas of Indonesia.[47]
After Suharto collapsed, the new political authority abolished any rules that were discriminatory against the Chinese. Since 1999, after Indonesia's reformation, the Chinese got better freedom to preserve their traditions, allowed using Mandarin in everyday conversation, Chinese schools have sprung up, Chinese New Year is celebrated again, some Chinese leaders are involved in politics, education, trade, and even occupy oligarchic positions. However, the wounded social memory sustaining and resulting in exclusive social interaction, political quietist, and somewhat social apathy.
I have been serving in GKI Dasa, that situated in the urban area in West Surabaya, the most developed area in the city, multi-culture, social, and religious diversity with moderate Islam as the majority.[48] Albeit GKI Dasa is the multiethnic Church, the majority of members are middle class Chinese. The polarization between confrontation and conformation attitudes to society also happened in my home church. Depart from that context, I want to offer transformed nonconformist of Dr. King as the third way of socio-ecclesiological approach of GKI to Indonesia.
3.2. Bridging “Transformed Nonconformist Spirituality” to Indonesian Christian Church
In order to implement transformed nonconformist spirituality in the Indonesian Christian Church context, I will use Dr. Fluker's method of "remembering, retelling and reliving" as the ethical framework.[49]
a. “Remembering”
For Fluker, remembering is a fundamental aspect to transform consciousness, through “narrativization” process of the past and give the meaning to the occurrences. “Remembering” helps us to gain a profound understanding of self-identity, what is the true calling of our existence, and how to perform our vocation.[50]
Historically the segregation and discrimination to the Indonesian Chinese are the results of Colonial government legacy that govern Indonesia in 350 years before Indonesian Independence in 1945. In the colonial period, Dutch colonial law of 1854, instilled three-tier racial segregation. The first-class races were "Europeanen" (European whites) and Christian / Catholic natives; the second class race was "Vreemde Oosterlingen" (Eastern Orient) which included Chinese, Arabs, Indians and other non-Europeans; and the third class race was "Inlander," which was later translated as "Indigenous." This system is very similar to the political system in South Africa under apartheid, which prohibits racial environment ("wet van wijkenstelsel") and racial interaction, which is limited by "passenstelsel" law. At the end of the 19th century, the Indigenous-Archipelago was often referred to as Indonesiërs ("Indonesians").[51]
The concept of the division of community structure as the journey began to be no longer applied, especially among the people themselves. Some of the people from the first and second caste do not consider the Indigenous people as the lowest caste. There were some figures from the first class who revolted from the hierarchy. Also a couple of figures from the second class who then took part in the Republic's independence process, e.g., E.F.E Douwes Dekker, Rokus Bernadus Visser (Mochammad Idjon Djanbi), Oei Tjang Tjoi, Oei Tjong Hauw, Liem Koen Hian, A. Baswedan, P.F. Dahler ("Non-Indigenous" person who is a member of Indonesian Independence Effort Board).[52]
Furthermore, after Indonesian Independence, the segregation continues in two main classes, namely pribumi (indigenous) and non-pribumi (Indonesian citizen from foreign descent, mainly Chinese Indonesian).[53] After the riots in 1998, The Indonesian government abolishes national term pribumi – nonpribumi because of the tendency to be abused and used to legitimize discrimination. However, in practice, although de jure the segregation is over, in de facto, the discriminatory memories continue to be perpetuated and applied by most of both parties (Indigenous and Chinese). The collective memory of discrimination resulting minority complex among Chinese, and as I had described before and produced the tension between passive confrontation and quietist conformist in Indonesian Christian Church.
However, there is a valuable historical moment that barely told folk. Historically, the Church in Indonesia is not an alien community that was nurtured by imperial power. Even the Church had a significant contribution in forming national identity (between 1928-1945) and the after.
As black churches' historical struggle to the civil rights movement, a couple of Chinese and Christian figures also have significant contributions in the history of the struggle for Indonesian Independence against Dutch colonialism. There were prominent figures like Johannes Leimena, one of the leader Youth Congress, that initiated Indonesian Unity in October 28, 1928.[54] Alexander Jacob Patty, the founder of Ambonese League, for national movement against Dutch Colonialism. Johannes Latuharyhary, the leader of the Ambonese League and the head of district court in East Java, who lead a national movement for Indonesian Independence. Sam Ratulangi, the influential figure from Volksraad (people council) who challenged the Dutch oppressed and segregative Dutch colonial policy. Thomas Najoan, the socialist activist and the leader of workers who opposes Dutch. Todung Sultan Gunung Mulia, who fight in education and literacy area. Amir Sjarifoeddin, the Initiator of Youth Congress and Indonesian Prime Minister in 1948. Arie Fredrik Lasut, Tahi Bonar Simatupang, John Lie (Jahja Daniel Darma), Frans-Alex Mendur, Walter Monginsidi, Maria Walanda Maramis, Pierre Tendean, Martha Christina Tiahahu, Prattimura, Ignatius Joseph Kasimo, Agustinus Adisucipto, Yos Sudarso, Frans Seda, and many more.[55] Even four Chinese figures, namely Liem Koen Hian, Oey Tjang Tjoei, Oei Tjong Haw, and MR Tan Eng Hoa, played a critical role as the Indonesian Constitution Drafting Team in 1945.
This historical memory will be beneficial to emphasize the vital role of Christians, including Chinese identity, in establishing the Republic of Indonesia. The heroic memories can be used as a counterbalance (counter-memory) to minority syndromes caused by bitter memories in the authoritarian regime in the post-1965 era.
Another remarkable story is the history of the Indonesian Christian Church itself. Historically, the Indonesian Christian Church found by the Chinese Community, mandarin worship service (1932). However, they had overcome the shell of exclusivity and transform into the Indonesian Christian Church for all Indonesian (1954). This historical capital is valuable to shows that the Indonesian Christian Church is found to be impactful for Indonesian society.
b. “Retelling”
Fluker proposes “retelling and reframing" in three steps, namely “self-reading” - identification what is the most remarkable aspect in life; “self-authoring: “leader’s autonomous response to ethical situations that arise,” [56] how the one identity shows on the specific situation; and “self-revision”: how our story and identity on the perspective of the other, ideas and values,[57] where the interaction of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis between old value facing the realities and transformed.
In retelling the Christian-Chinese historical role in Indonesia, the story of the civil rights movement of America can play a critical role as the booster to Church to "follow" Dr. King's legacy. In my view, transformed nonconformist of spirituality is compatible to Indonesian Christian Church because this spirituality is emerged in the similar condition of Indonesian Christian Church, as follows: (1) Both black churches, as King's ecclesiological locus, and Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) experience as the Church of the "strangers" or marginalized in the term of race or ethnicity. (2) As King situated on the two polarized parties (who conform to the injustice and who hate the white), GKI also stuck in the liminal space between confrontation and conformation to structural policy.[58] (3) Both the black Church and GKI deal with the traumatic experience of segregation in their history. (4) If the black Church has Dr. King and friends, Indonesia also has many influential figures that almost to be forgotten, because barely to recall in daily conversation of the Church and Indonesian society.
c. “Reliving”
Process finding the "realization" of the story in the present[59] is significant to give an alternative perspective to support the reason that the Indonesian Christian Church can be the "transformed nonconformist" community in the context of Indonesian society.
In the contemporary context, there are exemplars roles of Chinese Christian who have a remarkable contribution to Indonesia. Their steps are beyond the Church as the community, who are still reluctant to stand out and to advocate justice in Indonesia. Therefore, reliving the story about community and personal struggle to foster justice society will be more energetic when complemented by contemporary Christian-Chinese figure, who also experienced persecution, but at the same time become the social warrior of Indonesia. In the contemporary Indonesian context, there are a couple of influential Chinese figures like Ahok, former Jakarta (Indonesian nation’s capital city) Governor, Commissioner of the State Mining and Oil Company. Mari Elka Pangestu/ Phang Hoei Lan, Minister of Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises; Trade Minister; Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy; Director of The World Bank. Kwik Kian Gie, former Coordinating Minister of Economics and Finance; Minister of National Development Planning; prominent Indonesian economist. Ciputra/ Tjie Tjin Hoan, Indonesian businessman, investor, the philanthropist who found the largest real estate companies, most generous philanthropists, establish prominent schools and universities. Agnez Mo influential young Indonesian singer, songwriter and actress, and many more.
Therefore, by "remembering, retelling and reliving" their own story about Church active participation in forming and developing Indonesia, combined with compatible life context of "transformed nonconformist" and King’s socio-ecclesiology perspective, Indonesian Christian Church gets, historical, methodological, and theological support to be more relevant in Indonesian diversity context.
Conclusion
King’s “transformed nonconformist” spirituality gives significant contributions as the critical sources of ethical leadership in the Indonesian Christian context. Through “remembering, retelling, and reliving," the story personal and communal roles of Chinese Christians, the transformed nonconformist can be landed in the Indonesian Christian Church. Indeed, in diversity context, the Church might not play role as the spotlight of society. However, “the cameo” in the drama of fostering peace, justice, and integration of creation in history is also valuable. The Church involvement the ecumenical diverse community, giving self as companion partner to every party who strive justice, fostering peace and diversity of Indonesia is urgent to do. Finally, through transformed nonconformist spirituality, the Church and the other can walk together, cooperate to maintain Indonesian diversity, and collaborating for the common good of society.
Bibliography
Primary Sources:
King Martin Luther Jr., Transformed Nonconformist, in King, Martin Luther, and King, Coretta Scott. Strength to Love. Fortress Press Gift ed. Minneapolis, Minn.: Fortress, 2010.
____, the Death of Evil Upon the Seashore, in Strength to Love
____, Love, Law, and Civil Disobedience, in King, Martin Luther, and Washington, James Melvin. A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings of Martin Luther King, Jr. 1st ed. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1986.
____, Nonviolence the Only Road to Freedom, in A Testament of Hope
____, Playboy Interview, in A Testament of Hope
____, Knock in the Midnight, in A Testament of Hope
____, Facing the Challenge of a New Age, King, Martin Luther, Carson, Clayborne, Holloran, Peter, Luker, Ralph E, and Russell, Penny A. The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992.
____, Letter from Birmingham Jail, in The Papers of Martin Luther King Jr.
____, Some Things We Must Do, in The Papers of Martin Luther King Jr. vol.4
Secondary Sources:
Baldwin, Lewis V. The Voice of Conscience: The Church in the Mind of Martin Luther King, Jr. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.
Baldwin, Lewis V. Never to Leave Us Alone: The Prayer Life of Martin Luther King, Jr. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2010.
Dyson, Michael Eric. I May Not Get There with You: The True Martin Luther King, Jr. New York: Free Press, 2000.
Chinese Indonesians: how many, who, and where? Asian Ethnicity, 18:3, 2017
Fluker, Walter E. Ethical Leadership: The Quest for Character, Civility, and Community. Prisms. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2009.
Gie, Kwik Kian, in Leo Suryadinata, Political Thinking of The Indonesian Chinese, 1900-1995: A Sourcebook, Singapore University Press, 2nd ed. 1977
Heryanto, Ariel. State Terrorism and Political Identity in Indonesia: Fatally Belonging, London: Routledge, 2006.
Morris, Aldon D. The Origins of the Civil Rights Movement: Black Communities Organizing for Change. New York: London: Free Press; Collier Macmillan, 1984.
Purdey, Jemma, Anti-Chinese Violence in Indonesia, 1996-1999, Singapore, NUS Press, 2007
Siegel, James T., Early Thoughts on the Violence of May 13 and 14, 1998 in Jakarta, Indonesia 66, Oct. 1998
Tan, Mély G. The Social and Cultural Dimensions of the Role of Ethnic Chinese in Indonesian Society. Indonesia, 1991
Online sources:
https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/indonesia-population/
https://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/surabaya-population/
https://www-cdn.oxfam.org/s3fs-public/bp-towards-more-equal-indonesia-230217-en_0.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Indonesians#cite_note-13
https://tirto.id/pengikut-kristus-untuk-kemerdekaan-indonesia-bDjw (Christ Follower for Indonesian Independence Struggle).
Jeffrey Hayes, 2008, http://factsanddetails.com/indonesia/Minorities_and_Regions/sub6_3a/entry-3993.html
[1] Fluker, Walter E. Ethical Leadership: The Quest for Character, Civility, and Community. Prisms. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2009. 24.
[2] Fluker, Ethical Leadership, 24.
[3] Fluker, Ethical Leadership, 24.
[4] Fluker, Ethical Leadership 27; King, Transformed Nonconformist, 19
[5] King, Transformed Nonconformist, 22.
[6] King, Transformed Nonconformist, 21-28.
[7] King, the Death of Evil Upon the Seashore, 77-83.
[8] King, the Death of Evil Upon the Seashore, 83.
[9] King, the Death of Evil Upon the Seashore, 86.
[10] King, Love, Law, and Civil Disobedience, 43-46
[11] King, Love, Law, and Civil Disobedience,47.
[12] King, Love, Law, and Civil Disobedience,47.
[13] King, Love, Law, and Civil Disobedience,48.
[14] King, Love, Law, and Civil Disobedience, 49.
[15] King, Love, Law, and Civil Disobedience, 51-53.
[16] King, Nonviolence: The Only Road to Freedom, 54-58.
[17] King, Nonviolence: The Only Road to Freedom, 58-61.
[18] Baldwin, Never to Leave Us Alone, 68.
[19] Baldwin, Lewis V. Never to Leave Us Alone: The Prayer Life of Martin Luther King, Jr. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2010.68.
[20] Baldwin, Never to Leave Us Alone,70-89.
[21] Dyson, Michael Eric. I May Not Get There with You: The True Martin Luther King, Jr. New York: Free Press, 2000.127.
[22] Dyson, I May Not Get There, 128-129.
[23] Dyson, I May Not Get There, 130.
[24] https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/knock-midnight
[25] Morris, Aldon D. The Origins of the Civil Rights Movement: Black Communities Organizing for Change. New York: London: Free Press; Collier Macmillan, 1984. 4-5.
[26] Morris, The Origin of The Civil Rights Movement, 6-7.
[27] Morris, The Origin of The Civil Rights Movement, 16.
[28] Baldwin, Lewis V. The Voice of Conscience: The Church in the Mind of Martin Luther King, Jr. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2010. 55-77.
[29] Baldwin, The Voice of Conscience, 81.
[30] Baldwin, The Voice of Conscience, 84.
[31] Baldwin, The Voice of Conscience, 133-134.
[32] Baldwin, The Voice of Conscience, 139-140.
[33] King, Letter from Birmingham Jail, in Martin Luther King Jr. Papers Project, www.kingpapers.org
[34] King, Facing the Challenge of New Age, in King, Martin Luther, Carson, Clayborne, Holloran, Peter, Luker, Ralph E, and Russell, Penny A. The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992. 454.
[35] King, Letter from Birmingham Jail.
[36] King, Playboy Interview, 349.
[37] King, Letter from a Birmingham Jail; Playboy Interview, 344-346; Baldwin, The Voice of Conscience, 77.
[38] King, Some Things We Must Do, 333
[39] King, Facing the Challenge of a New Age, 460.
[40] King, Facing the Challenge of a New Age, 461-462; Baldwin, 86-100.
[41] Chinese Indonesians: how many, who, and where? Asian Ethnicity, 18:3, 2017, 310-329, DOI: 10.1080/14631369.2016.1227236
[44] Heryanto, Ariel. State Terrorism and Political Identity in Indonesia: Fatally Belonging, London: Routledge, 2006, 28-30.
[45] Tan, Mély G. The Social and Cultural Dimensions of the Role of Ethnic Chinese in Indonesian Society. Indonesia, 1991, 113-116.
[46] Jeffrey Hayes, 2008, http://factsanddetails.com/indonesia/Minorities_and_Regions/sub6_3a/entry-3993.html
[47] Purdey, Jemma, Anti-Chinese Violence in Indonesia, 1996-1999, Singapore, NUS Press, 2007, 106, 134,145-146.
[48] Surabaya, the second-largest city in Indonesia, has almost three million population with multi-culture and social diversity. https://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/surabaya-population/
[49] Fluker, Ethical Leadership, 167-174.
[50] Fluker, Ethical Leadership, 167-168.
[52] Lubis, Rizky, Indigenous: Social Structure Made by Dutch, in https://www.kompasiana.com/cokky/58f64ebbf47a617b6283b127/pribumi-struktur-sosial-made-in-belanda-yang-mengakar
[53] Gie, Kwik Kian, in Leo Suryadinata, Political Thinking of The Indonesian Chinese, 1900-1995: A Sourcebook, Singapore University Press, 2nd ed. 1977,1; Siegel, James T., Early Thoughts on the Violence of May 13 and 14, 1998 in Jakarta, Indonesia 66, Oct. 1998. 90
[54] Youth Indonesian Congress produce The Youth Pledge (Indonesian Sumpah Pemuda) that proclaimed three ideals: one motherland, one nation, and one language are one of the most critical Indonesian historical moment, besides Indonesian Independence Day.
[55] https://tirto.id/pengikut-kristus-untuk-kemerdekaan-indonesia-bDjw (Christ Follower for Indonesian Independence Struggle).
[56] Fluker, Ethical Leadership, 169.
[57] Fluker, Ethical Leadership, 170.
[58] The difference is GKI not using violent or active confrontation, but passive confrontation, through apathy and separation between church business and socio-political issues.
[59] Fluker, Ethical Leadership, 171-173
Comments
Post a Comment