Garry Trompf, formerly a lecturer at the University of Papua New Guinea, has put together this compendium of papers on the interaction between Christianity and culture in the Southwest Pacific, almost all having been first presented at a conference held near Brisbane, Australia in August 1981. The 21 contributions, all except Trompf’s coming from indigenes of the region, provide insight into some of the varieties of thought going on in the Melanesian and Aboriginal worlds. The contributors are varied and include politicians with a Christian perspective, academics, church representatives and activists in the various communities; their theological persuasion may be radical, traditional or evangelical and they come from both Catholic and Protestant backgrounds.
The sub-title claims to present to us ‘Black Theologies’, a claim that seemed dubious on first reading. However, on reflection, the book provides us with such a range of material that one is able to see where theology stands in cultures that resist a separation between the earthly and the spiritual.
The book is divided into five sections. The first provides us with an introduction to the world being dealt with and to the authors—a section that makes the book of value outside the Pacific.
The second records some of the interactions between Christianity and tradition. The authors here identify the cultural imperialism that was present in much missionary work and went alongside the activities of the colonial powers—not a unique happening! The next step they make is to attempt to evaluate the impact of this Christianization on the culture. The work of mission had been so successful that in 1980 96% of the region classed themselves as Christian in some way. It is a balanced account, presenting both the positives and the negatives. However, the third step of the process is to envision the way ahead and it is here the different presuppositions of the contributors reveal themselves. One urges that the ‘Bible should NOT (my emphasis) be used as a measuring rod to dismiss or support developing ideas and theologies’, whilst another would argue that ‘[the Christians] discriminated between what they saw as the central tenets of the Christian faith and the western application of that faith to their specific cultural situation’.
The third section of the book introduces us to ‘the impact of indigenous tradition’ and in particular examines the relationship between traditional and Christian priesthood, the cargo cult concept, the centrality of the ancestors and the land and the place of healing arising from the cultural past but brought into a Christian framework. This section is more of a pot pourri of ideas without much cohesiveness. Whilst it represents aspects of culture which are present and affect the life of the Christian, they seem to be dealt with relativistically and with little biblical reflection.
Part four provides us with deeper reflection and presents a very helpful search for theology and practice. It deals with the relationship between ‘spirits’ and the Holy Spirit, expressions of worship, the role of women, and the search for a Melanesian theology. There is more interaction with Scripture and there is a helpful moving away from the concept of ‘Melanesian Christian’ to that of ‘Being a Christian in Melanesia’ that seeks not to change the basics of the gospel but to sharpen its cultural application.
The final section deals with the political reality of the region and reflects views of radicals, both in theology and praxis, views of churchmen who are actively involved in the democratic political life and those of the search for peace and justice in the region.
Overall an interesting compendium to those concerned with cross-cultural theological interaction and an exceedingly helpful one to those in the Pacific. Today there is a strident Pentecostal/charismatic voice to be heard and it would have been good to have heard this as part of the spectrum of theological sounds coming from the Southwest Pacific.
