The Batak-Christian Theology of Land: Towards a Postcolonial Comparative Theology

Abstract

Comparative theology has focused much on exploring and comparing the theological contents of world religions. In contrast, some of the works have yet to address the social matrix and lived experience of practitioners. This paper aims to offer a postcolonial comparative theology that considers the notion of subjectivity rather than neutrality, the appreciation of theology as a "living tradition" rather than mere "text," and the emphasis on the historical matrix of power rather than a framework of conceptual construction. The purpose is to provide a comparative theology of land in the indigenous religion and Christianity of the Batak people of Indonesia. In discussion with Bungaran Simanjuntak, Kim Knott, and Najeeba Syeed, among others, this paper will elaborate on the theological idea of land, particularly the Batak notion of huta (village) by tracing its historical transformation from the precolonial to the postcolonial. I argue that in the postcolonial context of the Global South, a comparative theology of land cannot be pursued without considering the colonial matrix of power formative to people's lived experience of the land and the theology that is presently practiced.