Abstract
The purpose of the article is to interpret the story of the table fellowship in the Gospel of Luke 5:27–32 and construct the theology of mega-friendship with the Other in the context of a pluralistic society. What is happening in the present is that human communities should be living together and facing the fact of differences in the races, ethnic groups, cultural entities or religious communities. In this context, there is a kind of global fear of strangers, rejection of others and conflict or violence against those who differ. By interpreting the text, I argue that Christianity is called to participate in the mega-friendship created by God by making mega-space and befriending the Other. Mega-friendship in the table fellowship is to sustain life in love, equality, compassion, peace and transformation. The theology’s construction begins by explaining the socio-historical context of the table fellowship story, exposing the meaning of the story and constructing the theology of mega-friendship in the context of a pluralistic society.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This research has interdisciplinary implications. It departs from New Testament studies to constructive theology by using a pluralism perspective. By interpreting the table fellowship story in Luke 5:27–32, there is a meaning of the text on theology of friendship and its relevance as a sign of Christian presence in the pluralistic society of the Indonesian context.
Highlights
Religions today are facing sharp criticism from scientists, who at the same time identify as new moralists or atheists
In the context of this plurality, Joas Adiprasetya mentioned that the global fear of the stranger, self-immunity and rejection of the Other seems to be a favourite way of life in plural societies
The mega-friendship initiated by God encourages all of us, both enemies, us and others, to jointly build a space of friendship in eternal love for the sake of sustaining a peaceful life
Summary
Religions today are facing sharp criticism from scientists, who at the same time identify as new moralists or atheists. They argue that religious differences are often seen as the root cause of violent clashes around the world. In Galtung’s (1996:2) analysis, religious teachings can be an ideological tool to legitimise direct acts of violence or structural violence. This criticism of religion is related to the role and influence of different religions in a pluralistic society. Pluralistic society refers to the human community that lives together in different entities and identities, including ethnicity, culture, social groups, religions, etc.
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