Minak Theology (Black Theology)

         

Minak theology cu A.D. 1969s lio hrawng khan chaklei Amerika (North America) ram in aa thokmi asi. Minak Theology cu minak pawl nih ram uknaklei ah siseh, zatlang nun ah siseh, sipuazi lei zong in siseh, luat zalonnak an hmuh khawh nakding ah tial hnawh chanmi theology asi.[1] Minak theology cu minak caah asi (theology of ‘blackness). V. Cruz nih James Cone bia char than in a fianterning ah cun minak/nahnak (blackness) cu, ‘Amerika ram i a ummi takvun nakmi he zeihmanh pehtlaihnak a ngei lo, a ngeih hmanh ah tlawmte lawng aa pehtlai lai. Nahnak (blackness) nih a sawh duh taktakmi cu thinlung, nunnak, ruahnak in ‘nahnak’ kha a chim duhmi asi,’ ati.[2] Frem zong nih, “Pathian he kan ipehtlaihnak hi kan takvun ‘nahnak’ he zeihmah aa pehtlaimi asi lo. Kan thinlung (heart), nunnak (soul), le ruahnak (mind) he aa pehtlaimi asi,” tiah a fehter ve.[3] Minak theology nih cun ‘zeicahdah takvun ‘nahnak’ lawng cu sual nan puh, Pathian lila hmanh hi a takvun a nak ve ko dahkaw,’ ti tiang in a pom. Erskine nih, “Pathian hi ‘minak’ pawl sinning aa hrawm i an ‘nahnak’ vialte zong amah sining ah aa ser caah a ‘nak’ ve ko,” tiah a fehter ve.[4] Minak Theology hi anmah mibu chung lawngah siloin mi bu hme tete in khua a sa mi (tribal communities) vialte caah aa tlakmi theology asi. Zeicahtiah, mitam sin in namnetnak le thlaklamhnak an tonning aa khat. Tahchunhnak ah, Naga miphun kongah Takatemjen nih, “Naga miphun nih Naga Jesuh kan kawl i kan cohlan/kan don a herh,” tiah ati.[5] Cu bantuk thiamthiam in Lai miphun zong nih ‘Jesuh Khrih hi Lai muisam keng in a mui kan tawn lai, kanmah minung bantuk tein kan cohlan lai. Laimi Jesuh Khrih cu Lai muisam a keng lai i aa dawhmi asi lai, zeicahtiah, kanmah sining hrawm awk ah a rak tummi asi ve ko. Cucu, Jesuh Khrih thar (New Jesuh Christ) siloin lungthiang te le fawite in kan pom i kan cohlan khawh nakding caah asi, tiah Henry Thang nih a langhter.[6]

Minak Theology cu, ‘minak’ hna sinah a um i an sining le an tonmi—rialdipnak, thlanglamhnak le nehsawhnak vialte aa hrawm i cu chung cun a chanhchuah khotu ding, Pathian a kawlmi theology asi.

Minak hna ruahnak ahcun Pathian hi dawtnak, zaangfahnak, ngaihthiamnak a ngeimi le an bawi hna kuttang in chanhchuahtu lawng siloin an bawi vialte hna nakin a thawng deuh i a hrem khotu Pathian zong asi.[7] Nicholls nih Cone chimmi a tial thanning cun, “Constantine Council thokin nihin tiang, Khrihfa theologian tampi nih ‘Baibal nih a chimmi Pathian cu rialdip le namchih mi hna chanhchuahtu Pathian asi kha a zoh an philh caah an theology tampi nih hmul a ngei lo. Baibal nih a chim duhmi theology muru taktak an nganh,’ tiah ati.[8] Hi ruang bikah hin ‘minak’ pawl nih ‘minak theology’ an chuahnak hi asi lai, zeicahtiah, theology tampi nih an tem-in-tuarnak a theihpiak hna lo tikah an temtuarnak a hngalhpiaktu Pathian an kawl pinah Baibal zong nih ‘minak’ hna kong a chim ve ko, timi fianter an duh caah asi.

Minak theology nih, ‘Jesuh zong hi rialdip mi asi ve. A chuahkehnak zong kha mi kuttang ah a ummi ram asi,’ a ti. James H. Cone hna nih cun, “Minung Jesuh hi Pathian aa langhnak asi i ‘minak’ asi ve ko,” tiah a chim.[9] Dean W. Frem nih Cone chimmi a fianter thanning ah cun, “Jesuh Khrih ‘minak’ a silo ti cu zabu 1^st lioah Jesuh cu Judah mi a silo ti he an palhning aa tluk,” a ti.[10] Cun, ‘minak theology’ nih Jesuh cu Pathian asi, tiah a ruah lawng hmanh si loin, Pa Pathian hrimhrim kha minung sinah a rak tum i an sining aa hrawm. Cuti aa hrawmnak chan cu sualnak sal thongchung in kan luat nakhnga le amah Pathian he kan ipehtlaihnak dawnkhantu vialte hrawh dih dingah asi,’ tiah a ti.[11] Minak pawl nih Jesuh cu an Khamhtu bantuk lawng si loin an unau chuahpi bantukin zongin an cohlan i, anmah bantukin ‘in-tuarnak’ aa hrawm ve mi le nemte in a bawmtu hna asi, tiin an cohlan. Minak Theologian pawl nih, “Minak Jesuh Khrih” thawhthannak cu sermi thil vialte—thlarau, thinlung, taksa in sal thongchung a taangmi vialte luatnak kan hmuhnak, ‘hmelchunhnak’ asi, an ti.

Minak theology nih vailam cung i Jesuh Khrih a thihnak cu a taksafah temtuarnak langhtertu lawng siloin hlawt a sinak zong a langhter, an ti. Cu bantukin, ‘minak’ pawl nih vailam cung i a thimi Jesuh Khrih he an intuarnak aa khatnak kha Jesuh Khrih Judah pawl nih an hlawtnak le ‘minak’ pawl America—takvun raaang pawl nih an hlawtnak hna he khan an pehtlaihter ve.

Erskine nih a chim bang, “Temtuarnak hi ‘minak theology’ muru asi. Minak pawl cu sal an can lawng hmanh si loin sal an can ri khan an holh le an nunphung vialte hlawt dingin an namhchih hna tikah a donghnak ahcun miphun sinak tiangin hnahnawhnak tampi a um i, phun tlau sinak tiang a chuak phah.”[12]

Vashum nih, “Minak theology cu luatnak asi i cucu thih hnu thlarua luatnak lawng siloin taksa vawlei hrimhrim luatnak an hmuh nakding kha asi,” a ti.[13] Minak caah luatnak/khamhnak taktak cu minung sualnak, Adam sin in kan ngeihmi nakin takvun raang—America hna sin in luatnak kha asi deuh.

Cauk zeimawzat rel hnu le hlathlai hnu ah, catialtu nih a chim duhmi cu ‘minak theology’ cu ‘minak’ hna Khrihfa bu le miphun sinak caah khuaruahhar in hmual a ngeimi theology asi. Asinain, tlamtlingnak le thatnak tampi chungin a tlamtling lonak, catialtu nih a chim duh rihmi cu, Minak theology cu ‘minak’ caah ‘minak’ nih tialmi theology asi. Mah nih tonmi intuarnak kha ‘tlangrel’ bantukin a cawisan nain ‘minak’ nih a tuarmi hi vawlei pumpi nih a tuarmi intuarnak asi lo. Cucaah, ‘minak theology’ cu ‘minak’ caah ‘minak’ nih tialmi asi, ka tinak asi. Cun, ‘minak theology’ cu thlarau luatnak nakin taksa luatnak kha a biapi ah a chiah i minung sualnak chungin luatnak nakin vunraang hna kuttang in luatnak kha ‘khamhnak’ ah a pom deuhmi theology asi. Cun, an ruahchannak (hope) kha a ra laimi vancung pennak nakin miphun itlukrual lonak chung le an intuarnak chungin luatnak an hmuh ding cungah khan aa hngatmi theology asi.

End notes:    

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[1] Stanley J. Grenz & Roger E. Olson, “The Renewal of Immanence in the Experience of Oppression: Liberation Theologies,” In 20^th Century Theology: God & the World in a Transitional Age (Andhra Praesh: OM Books, First Indian Edition, 2004), 202.

 

[2] V. Cruz, “Black Theology,” In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (Walter A Alwell, ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1986), 160-161.

 

[3] Deane William Frem, Contemporary American Theologies (New York: The Seabury Press, 1981), 45.

 

[4] Noel Erskine, “Black Theology and Pedagogy,” In Moving Forms of Theology: Faith Talk’s Changing Contexts (Israel Selvanayagam, ed. Delhi: ISPCK, 2002), 135.

 

[5] Takatemjen, Studies on Theology and Naga Culture (Mokokchung: Author, 1997), 25.

 

[6] Henry Nawl Thang Bik, A Study Logos Christology of John and Its Relevance to Chin Community in Myanmar (GFABS, Kerala: Unpublished M. Div. Thesis, 2011), 73.

 

           [7] James H. Cone, A Black Theology of Liberation (Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1970), 77.

 

[8] Bruce J. Nicholls, “Hermeneutics, Theology, and Culture with Special Reference to Hindu Culture,” In The Bible & Theology in Asian Contex: An Evangelical Perspective on Asian Theology (Bong Ring Ro & Ruth Eshenaur, ed. Bangalore: Poonam Printery, 1988), 244.

 

[9] Stanley J. Grenz & Roger E. Olson, “The Renewal of Immanence in the Experience of Oppression: Liberation Theologies,” In 20^th Century Theology: God & the World in a Transitional Age., 208.

 

[10] Deane William Frem, Contemporary American Theologies., 44.

 

[11] James H. Cone, Black Theology and Black Power (New York: Seabury Press, 1969), 35.

 

[12] Noel Erskine, “Black Theology and Pedagogy,” In Moving Forms of Theology: Faith Talk’s Changing Contexts., 136.

 

[13]Yangkahao Vashum, “Religions’s Ambiance for Peace in Contemporary Tribal and Adivasi Communities,” In Journal of Tribal Studies, Vol. XV, No. 1, January—June, 2010), 13.