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.