ANABAPTIST MENNONITE CONTEXTUAL THEOLOGICAL CRITIQUE OF POSTMODERN EDUCATION: A PEACE-ORIENTED PEDAGOGICAL MODEL FOR CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS IN INDONESIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v22.n7.4171Keywords:
Contextual Theological Education, Anabaptist Mennonite Theology, Postmodernism, Peace-Oriented PedagogyAbstract
This article presents a contextual theological critique of postmodern education through the lens of Anabaptist Mennonite theology and explores its relevance for Christian education in Indonesia. Postmodern thought, with its rejection of meta-narratives and absolute moral values, has profoundly influenced global education, resulting in moral relativism, fragmented identities, and the marginalisation of biblical authority. By engaging in a constructive dialogue between postmodern epistemology (Lyotard, Foucault, Rorty) and the Anabaptist Mennonite theological perspective (Murphy, 1997; Yoder, 1972; Sawatsky, 1997; Gerbrandt, 1998), this study proposes a peace-oriented pedagogical model rooted in the incarnational presence of Christ, communal ethics, and non-violent theology. Using descriptive analytical and comparative theological methods, this study identifies the strengths of the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition in reconstructing Christian Religious Education (CRE) for the Indonesian context, a multicultural society often faced with ethnic, religious, and cultural conflicts. The proposed peace-oriented contextual theological pedagogy bridges theology and practice by forming a holistic educational ethos that integrates biblical truth, communal character formation, and social reconciliation. This contribution enriches the global discussion on contextual theology, peace education, and Christian pedagogical renewal in the postmodern era.
References
Alan Kreider. (1999). Conversion Change and the Origins of Christianity. Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International.
Alasdair MacIntyre. (1984). After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory, 2nd edition. (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1984), pp. 24–25. University of Notre Dame Press.
Burkholder, J. L. (1955). "Anabaptist Theology of Peace," Mennonite Quarterly Review 29,.
Compare, for example, Nancey Murphy. (1997). Anglo-American Postmodernity: A Philosophical Perspective on Science, Religion, and Ethics. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Craig Carter. (2009). "The Politics of the
David Tracy. (1981). Analogical Imagination: Christian Theology and Cultural Pluralism. Crossroad.
Donatus, S. K., & Setiawan, C. V. (2025). The Impact of Postmodernism and Post-Truth on Indonesian Society and Christian Mission: A Philosophical-Theological Perspective. Studia Philosophica et Theologica, 25(1), 123–142.
Eka Darma Putra and Th. Sumartana. (1996). Eka Darma Putra and Th. Sumartana, Contextual . Kanisius.
Foucault, M. (1972). The Archaeology of Knowledge, translated by A. Sheridan. London: Tavistock.
Friesen, L. B. (2017). Unity in Diversity: Hans Urs Von Balthasar's Christology as a Source for Mennonite Peace Theology.
Gerald W. Schlabach. (2007). Just Policing, Not War: An Alternative Response to Global Violence. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press.
Gerbrandt, G. (1998). “Who Are We? Mennonite Higher Education,” in Mennonite Education in a Post-Christian World, ed. Harry Huebner. (Winnipeg: CMBC Publications.
Huebner, H. (1998). “Education for Peace and Christ-Followers,”.
Jasminto, J., & Rofi’ah, S. (2024). Critical Pedagogy in Religious Education: Shaping Perspectives on Peace, Justice, and Human Rights. Urwatul Wutsqo: Journal of Educational and Islamic Studies, 13(1), 29–47.
Jean-François Lyotard. (1984). The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1984), xxiv.
John Driver. (1986). Understanding Redemption for the Church's Mission. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press.
John Howard Yoder. (1972). The Politics of Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
John W. Creswell and Cheryl N. Poth. (2018). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches, 4th edition. Sage.
Kelly, J. M. (2019). Understanding Postmodernism: A Christian Perspective. P&R Publishing.
Kelly, S. E. (2017). Understanding Postmodernism: A Christian Perspective. InterVarsity Press.
Kusman, A. P. (2015). Good Governance Politics in Post-Authoritarian East Java: Intellectuals and Local Power in Indonesia. Murdoch University.
Lesslie Newbigin. (1989). The Gospel in a Pluralist Society. SPCK.
Lyotard, J.-F. (1984). The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge. University of Minnesota Press.
Nadhirah, N. A., & Adiputra, S. (2023). Peace Education Models in Building a Peaceful Classroom Environment: Lessons Learned from Indonesia. Pegem Journal of Education and Instruction, 13(4), 25–35.
Nancey Murphy. (1997a). Anglo-American Postmodernity: A Philosophical Perspective on Science, Religion, and Ethics xii. Westview Press.
Nancey Murphy. (1997b). The Reconciliation of Theology and Science: A Radical Reformation Perspective (Kitchener, ON: Pandora Press, 1997), 88–90. Kitchener, ON: Pandora Press.
Parker J. Palmer. (1983). Knowing as We Are Known: Education as a Spiritual Journey. . Harper & Row.
Rantung, D. S. (2022). Desi S. Rantung, “Contextualising Faith Without Relativism,” Journal of Theology and Christian Education.
Robert J. Schreiter. (1985). Building Local Theology. Orbis Books.
Rod Sawatsky. (1997). “What Can the Mennonite Tradition Contribute to Christian Higher Education?” in Models for Christian Higher Education, ed. Richard T. Hughes and William B. Adrian. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
Roth, J. D. (2009). Practice: Mennonite Worship and Witness (Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 2009), 45–47. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press.
Shalom: The Biblical Word for Salvation, Justice, and Peace. (1987). Newton, KS: Faith and Life Press.
Stephen B. Bevans. (2002a). Models of Contextual Theology. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.
Stephen B. Bevans. (2002b). Models of Contextual Theology (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2002), pp. 4–6. Orbis Books.
Sumarno, Y., Sinaga, H., & Yulianti, I. (2021). The Role of Christian Education Teachers in Nurturing Children in the Postmodern Era. Edukasi: Journal of Christian Education, 12(2), 146–156.
Thomas R. Yoder Neufeld. (2011). Killing Hatred: Violence and the New Covenant. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Tulung, J. M., Santoso, J., Tanasyah, Y., Sutrisno, C. H., & Rismawati, N. (2024). Postmodernism and the Challenges of Christian Education Perspectives in Higher Education in Indonesia. Pharos Journal of Theology, 105(2).
Yoder, S. H. and J. H. (1994). Stanley Hauerwas and John Howard Yoder, Authentic Transformation: The Theology of Christ-Followers. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
Yohanes B. Siahaya. (2023). "Religious Education and Moral Formation in Digital Indonesia." Verbum et Ecclesia.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
I (we) submit this article which is original and unpublished, of my (our) own authorship, to the evaluation of the Veredas do Direito Journal, and agree that the related copyrights will become exclusive property of the Journal, being prohibited any partial or total copy in any other part or other printed or online communication vehicle dissociated from the Veredas do Direito Journal, without the necessary and prior authorization that should be requested in writing to Editor in Chief. I (we) also declare that there is no conflict of interest between the articles theme, the author (s) and enterprises, institutions or individuals.
I (we) recognize that the Veredas do Direito Journal is licensed under a CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE.
Licença Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
