Evangelism in Bali borrows local traditions in its programs

Evangelism in Bali borrows local traditions in its programs

By Putu Wirata

DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Christians all over the world will soon
celebrate Christmas. In Bali there will be a Christmas
celebration with a distinctive local touch.

There will be hymns sung in Balinese, people wearing
traditional costumes, penjor (decorative bamboo poles in front of
houses) and pajegan (a special Balinese flower arrangement).
Balinese gamelan will also be played. This will make the
atmosphere similar to a Balinese Galungan celebration.

Christmas with a Balinese flavor will take place in some
villages like Palasari and Blimbingsari in Jambrana regency,
Tuka, Baduk, Untal-untal and Ablandase in Badung regency, and
Piling and Penganggahan in Tabanan regency.

The majority of Balinese are Hindu. Bali in Figure records
that of the 2.82 million inhabitants, there are 10,258
Protestants and 11,957 Catholics.

Even though there were some objections by Hindus in Bali to
the adoption of Balinese culture by the Christian churches, the
protest did not result in a radical movement against the
Christians. After all, the Christians in Bali are descendants of
Balinese Hindus.

"Whatever motivated the conversion of our ancestors, they
would never leave our Balinese tradition and culture," said Gusti
Ngurah Wisnu Purwandhy Bernadus, 47, a community leader of
Palasari village in Jembrana.

The Second Vatican Council in 1962, which allowed the use of
local traditions in its mission, allowed for the adoption of the
local culture in Balinese churches.

Balinese culture can be seen not only in the architecture of
the churches, which resemble Balinese temples, but also in the
costumes people wear, the naming of Jesus as Ida Sang Hyang Yesus
(the equivalent of Ida Sang Hyang Widhi in Balinese Hinduism) and
the use of penjor during the celebration of Christian holidays.

The unique social and ritual institutions of the Christians in
Bali have a long history and evangelism in Bali was not without
conflict.

Father Shadeg SVD, who has devoted his life to the Widia
Wahana Library at the Tuka parish, Palung village, Kuta district,
said the Vatican sent its envoy to the Klungkung kingdom in 1635
upon the invitation of the king. The Klungkung king had sent a
letter of courtesy to the pope and invited him to send his
missionaries.

On March 11, 1635, two Jesuit priests, Manuel Carualho SJ and
Azeuado SJ from Malacca, were dispatched to Bali. However, no
record shows that any Balinese from Klungkung or other areas were
converted.

Two centuries later, a new mission was sent to Bali. In 1866,
a European mission sent Van Eck and Jacob De Vroom to Bali. They
chose Jagaraga village in Buleleng regency, 10 kilometers from
Singaraja, as their residence. Only after seven years living in
Jegara did they succeed in converting one Balinese.

Later in 1931 Tsang To Hang, a Chinese missionary, arrived and
lived in Wongaya village in Denpasar. To Hang used a
confrontational approach. For him Balinese ritual institutions
were "primitive", therefore the people had to be enlightened.

To Hang's attitude caused some conflict in Tuka, Buduk and
Untal-untal. Some Catholics were expelled from village
institutions, had their water supply disconnected and were
expelled from the subak (Balinese traditional irrigation system)
and from village council membership. People even exhumed deceased
Christians because they were not considered to have the right to
the setra adat (traditional burial cemetery) anymore.

In 1935 To Hang was replaced by a Dutch missionary, Father Yan
Kersten SVD, who was "gentler".

Two years later the first church was built in Tuka. Using a
Hindu idiom, it was named the Satu Allah Tri Murti (the Trinity)
church.

Even though the church had a Hindu-Balinese name, the
architecture was the epitome of Mediterranean architecture. The
missionary center was moved from Denpasar to Tuka. Later on,
after the Tuka parish had been formed and the church was more
organized, a new church named Tri Tunggal Maha Kudus (the Holy
Trinity) was built. The architecture imitated a wantilan (a hall
for traditional councils).

The conversion of some Hindus to Christianity in Tuka and its
vicinity was not yet accepted. The situation worsened and became
so sensitive that it was decided the best solution would be to
build a new Christian settlement. It was Father Simon Buis who
had the idea to relocate Christians who were in conflict with the
community. Father Buis longed for a Catholic settlement with a
Balinese nuance.

He first requested a 200-hectare forest area in Blimbingsari,
but the request was rejected by the Balinese assistant resident
in Singaraja. The Balinese assistant resident was worried the new
settlement would conflict with the Protestant church because the
colonial government had already granted the area to them. This
was understandable, since most colonial government officials were
Protestant.

Father Buis would not give up. He sent his request again, only
this time he sent it to the Balinese king's council. This time he
was successful and was granted 200 hectares of forest land in
Pangkung Sente.

Father Buis led 24 families -- 18 from Tuka village and six
from Gumbrih village -- to clear the Pangkung Sente forest. A few
years later, they realized the area was unsuitable for farming.
Once again, Father Buis sent a request for another 200 hectares
of forest land with a river nearby. The king's council granted
the request.

The place where Father Buis realized his dream of a Christian
settlement with Balinese flavor is now known as Palasari village.

Balinese concepts influenced the design. The village has an
open space with roads surrounding it. The church was built in the
village's spacious square located in the northeast, an important
direction in the Hindu three-arena (Tri Mandala) concept.

The influence of Balinese architecture can be seen in the
split-gate Balinese temple, the wooden carvings, the trees and
the hall. A similar Balinese flavor is also present in a
neighboring Christian village, Belimbingsari, located opposite
West Bali National Park.

After 50 years, Palasari and Belimbingsari have become a
"promised land" which has brought prosperity. Rice fields,
schools, the church and other facilities have turned the forest
into a paradise. Now in this peaceful village, more than 2,500
Catholics live side by side with the Balinese Hindus from
neighboring villages.

"We now live in harmony," said Gusti Ngurah Purwadhy, a leader
at the Palasari parish. There have never been objections from
Hindu neighbors about Catholic rituals in Palasari having too
much Balinese cultural influence, "They are happy and consider us
as descendants from the same Balinese ancestors," he added.