EDITORIAL INTRODUCTION
In this new issue of Budyong, St. Alphonsus Theological and Mission Institute presents various optics in the field of doing theology. At the heart of this craft of theologizing is the attempt to ground the faith that seeks an understanding of human experience where tensions, challenges, and even dailiness form the basis for thoughtful and discursive reflection.
While there may not be a common theme that can pull together all the eight articles presented in this issue, this does not mean that authors have renegaded or deserted their seriousness, to be honest with what is real. Honesty with what is real is what Jon Sobrino always insists on doing theology. It is the clamor of reality for exploration of meaning and proposition of paths for pastoral, ethical, and missionary response. A theologian ought to have the awareness to probe into reality to understand the working of faith in real-life experience.
In light of this, a genuine theological endeavor must presume two moments in its actualization: the moment of insertion into the human experience and the moment of articulating the action of God, either expressed blatantly or still waiting to be discovered. The eight articles in this issue have faithfully pursued the movement from experience to faith seeking understanding.
Fr. Carlos Ronquillo, CSsR, SThD
- Being Enriched by Our Indigenous Wellspring – Karl Gaspar, CSsR
- Quotidian Spirituality in the Dailiness of Valencia: A Tool for Missiological Re-Imagination – Mark Anthony Zarate, OFM
- Marapu as Christophany for Orang Sumba: An Experiment in Christological Inculturation – Miguel Gaspe, CSsR
- Grace in the Higaunon Traditional Religion – Fr. Jonecio Saguban, TOR
- Journeying with the Youth: Stories as Mission Frontiers – Froilem Bonn Barretto, CSsR
- Adventures in Mission: Celebrating the Gift of Caring Presence – Fr. Colm Meaney, CSsR
- Towards a Holistic Morality of the Christian Home – Joseph Climaco
- Mercy in Violence? A Case Study of Judges 4 and 5 vis-a-vis Contemporary Situations – Sr. Miriam Alejandrino, OSB