DAVIS
VARAYILAN
Samanvaya
Theology College, Bhopal
Paper Title: “Theological Education in the Living Context: A Samanvaya Model.”
Abstract
The pertinent question to be asked today is: is there
fire (Lk12:49) in theology and theological centers to inflame the hearts and
sentiments of the students? If not, it is an indication that theology has
become too static in a very dynamic society; it has lost touch with the day-to-day
world; it has stopped reading the signs of the times with the eyes of faith and
responding creatively to the needs of the Church and society. The language of
theology has changed from static to dynamic aspects of human relationships. The
new language of theology affirms a holistic and an inclusive view of reality
rather than dichotomies like nature/history, grace/law, individual/community,
sacred/secular, etc. Therefore, theology
must interact, challenge and integrate sacred and secular, faith and life, text
and context, classroom and the field.
The documents of
Vatican II like Lumen Gentium, Gaudium et
Spes etc. has opened a theological discussion that challenged many of the
traditional concepts hitherto held to be unassailable. A
change from monologue to dialogue is demanded from us by the context. Today
sacred theology should draw knowledge and insights from secular disciplines
such as sociology, anthropology, psychology, political science and economics
that describe analyze and interpret people’s experience. The Indian situation
characterized by its massive poverty, its pluriform religiosity, its oppressive
social structure of caste and its ecological issues call for a change of
content and method of theological education. From the era of transplantation, translation,
adaptation, indigenisation, inculturation, we have come to the era of
contextualisation with an incarnational pedagogy.
I propose the wheel
theology of Samanvaya Theological College as a model for contextual theological
education. The theological courses n Samanvaya are conducted in four different
living contexts with specific focus, vision, activities, outcome and
spirituality. The First Year theology is
conducted in the tribal-rural context of Jagdalpur in Chattisgarh with a focus
on God and the world. The Second Year of theology is in the inter-religious
setting of Rishikesh in Uttarakhand with a focus on Christ and Human. The third and fourth year of
theology is in the context of Bangalore and Bhopal with a focus on Spirit and
the Church. The context-sensitive, experience-based, student-centred and
people-oriented theological education programme of Samanvaya seems to me as a
movement worth persevering.
Fr Davis Varayilan CMI holds a
Master’s Degree in Theology from Vidyajyoti College of Theology, Delhi and
Doctorate in Sacred Theology from Loyola School of Theology, Manila,
Philippines. He is associate professor of Theology and teaches systematic
Theology at Samanvaya Theology College, Bhopal, Dharmaram Vidya Khsetram, Bangalore,
Khrist Premalaya Regional Theologate Ashta and other places. He is currently
the Rector of Samanvaya Theology College, Bhopal. He has published a book Spirit
& Pilgrim Church: A Study of Yves Congar and the FABC Documents and edited
two books Rishikesh and Beyond: Theology in Inter-religious Context and Theology on Wheels: A Movement for
Contextualized Theological Education and written articles in different
journals.