Thursday, January 7, 2010

On Liturgy in India

So today is Thursday, and I am tired already and we have only been here for 3 days? or is it 4....they all seem to congeal together. We have had many very interesting lectures and have gone on a few adventures off campus as well. Latter this afternoon we will be heading out to do some more sightseeing and I am looking forward to that.

I know we all have been experiencing and thinking about a lot. I have decided to write my paper when we get back on liturgy in India, both Christian and Hindu. Today was a good lecture day for me because we heard a lecture on the Inculturation of liturgy presented by Dr. Santhosh Kumar. He spoke a lot about how in the past people who came to south India to proclaim the gospel did not just bring in the gospel but they also important a good deal of their own cultural worship as well. What this means, he said, was that in most places that we would go to worship the worship would seem very western. Only now is there a movement with in the Church of South India to bring in more Indian culture into the worship. This leads me to question what exactly is necessary symbolism and practice to be a Christan? What should be important and what can be retained and kept from previously existing culture? I know in the intro to Liturgy class at LTSP we talked about the importance of the care of the central symbols. However, that care is important because it is through those symbols that we experience things of God that we cannot explain or experience in any other way. What is it that we can do when the things we talk about don't make sense in a particular culture? (see previous post by Alexis) It must be possible to present the gospel in other ways. I am so interested in what this new movement within the CSI will come up with in their inculturation effort. I find it exciting and think that as an American I can learn from this idea of inculturaltion. I in general just love liturgy and the way that the love of Gos is expressed through it. I am also excited to start looking at Hindu worship structure and to see how that worship portrays love to those present as well.

I know that was a lot of stuff but I am just really excited and am asking so many questions of myself right now. I felt the need to share. We are off shortly to experience another new thing. I am sure that someone will post about it later. Thanks for reading and peace to you as always.

Steve

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