GLOBALIZATION AND THE FUTURE OF THEOLOGY

INTRODUCTION:
The September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center in New York is
a glaring example of how fundamentalism can include. Bosnia, who’s just
coming from the ashes of its religio-ethnic war, is clamoring to join the European
Union (EU). Most European countries are trying to seal off their borders, with
stringent immigration rules making them what some call “fortress Europe”. The
present war in Iraq which US President Bush calls “war on terror” is an effect of
the political globalization. In the Philippines, 49% believe that globalization is
“mostly good” and 31% say “it is mostly bad.” 20% of the respondents say they
don’t know.”1
We live today in a world of globalization and we need to understand more
deeply this world which God in Jesus Christ love so much. Some are supportive
of globalization, while others are against it. Some look at globalization positively;
while others view it negatively. What is the meaning of globalization?
“Globalization is making the whole world a small village and reconnecting the
human community2” In other word, it is building up a “united universal empire”
and overcoming the old obstacles of nationality, demography, geography and
dealing universally without limiting boundaries and the freedom of communication
in all domains in the world. Theology is the study that reflects upon faith in the
God of Christians. The Christian theology is a dialectical process represented by
the dance between embedded and deliberative theology, which involves
searching, seeing, listening and participating.
. Many religions are connected to the past, which contains some things
beautiful and others old-fashioned. The globalization is challenge to religion that
resembles the matter of facing the development and undevelopment.
Networking can go beyond the process of bring together the Churches of
different tradition and different religious communities. What is globalization and
how can we examine it from Biblical perspective? Could be possible to transform
our Christian Thought? Theology sees inevitable the scientific, economic and
social development occurs as a result of man having the image of God in him.
This is a new challenge to transform into a toll for evangelization to all over the
world.

THE GOSPEL AND GLOBALIZATION:

The Gospel is also opposed to globalization in the area of economics.
The economics of globalization is the economics of greed, but the economics of
the Gospel is the economics of sharing. The economics of greed id based on
the philosophy that life is consisted in what we have or what we own. It is like
the rich fool in Luke 12:16-20. According to the story, this person had vast tracts
of land that yielded good crops. And thus, he began to say to himself, “I don’t

1
Helen Flores, The Philippine Star : May 23, 2007. p.5.
2
www. Globalenvision.org

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have a place to keep all my crops, what can I do. This is what I will do,” he told
himself; “I will tear down by barns and build bigger ones, where I will store the
gain and all other goods. Then, I will say to my self, lucky man! You have all the
good things you need for many years. Take life easy, eat, drink, and enjoy
yourself”. But God said to him, “You fool! This very night you will have to give up
your life; then you will get all these things you have kept for yourself?” This rich
man is considered foolish, because he thought that life is consisted of the riches
he has acquired, only to find out that ultimately when he dies all the material
wealth he has greedily accumulated will be left behind.
The Gospel declares that life is consisted not in what we own or have
greedily accumulated, but in what we share; not in what we get but in what we
give. This could be illustrated more in the story of the rich young man recorded
in Mark 10:17-27, who came to Jesus one day and asked him what he must do to
receive eternal life. He was so proud to tell Jesus that he had been obeying the
commandment since he was young. But Jesus said to him with love “You need
only one thing. Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor and you
will have riches in heaven; ten come and follow me.” When the rich young man
heard this, gloom spread over his face, and he left away said, because he was
very rich.
Well, there is another version of this same story in the Gospel according to
Hebrews, which was not canonized, but nevertheless it continues the story
saying: “But the rich man began to scratch his head, and he was not happy.
And the Lord said to him ‘How can you say, I have kept the law and the
prophets? For it is written in the law; Love your neighbor as you love yourself,
and many of your brothers, sons of Abraham, are clad in filthy clothes, dying of
hunger, and your house is full of many good things, and nothing at all goes out
for them.” Apparently, the rich young man had been deeply influenced by the
values and economics of globalization, the economics of greedily accumulating
more and more wealth for oneself. And therefore, it was a very difficult for him
to share his wealth and to embrace the reality of God’s Kingdom.
Using different types of media, we need to explore the possible way of
serving sidelined communities: refugees, prisoners, oppressed communities,
HIV/Aids infected farmers, laborers and fishermen and people below poverty line.
People at the margins should be given s chance to communicate their own
problems, among themselves, and the public. We have successful stories of
such communication in Chin State where the NGOs have done this with best way
of practice from area to another to information and provide media. At the same
time the communities can express themselves to the outside world and bring
their problems and other issues. Similarly Christian NGOs is important because
many of them do not know what others are doing and repeat the same
development programs, and its becomes effective through networking and
information sharing.
. Globalization had encouraged people to by more than they can pay for
and do not really need it. The working hours have increased, and thus incomes,
and so the spending goes up, which can put a strain on the relationship with
partners and so effect whole families and communities. Competition among the

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companies which are becoming increasingly expensive for the poor and in this
way there are a number of advantages of the process of globalization that has
become a really today’s initiate mass awareness through various means among
Christians and people of different faiths, then there is possibility of dialogue,
participation in a constructive way.

THE CULTURE AND GLOBALIZATION

The modern globalization has destroyed a lot of old ways of knowledge
and the door is opened much wider for the intellectuals of the third world
countries-that they were isolated before to enter and invade the developed and
giant world. The contemporary man lives in the smallest village and is following
the development of thought, culture and even clothing. The old religious disputes
were not differences in interpretation. The truth of faith is one, but the existence
of many differing interpretations the result of the presence of various background.
Former president Fidel V Ramos in his July 27, 1992 State-of –Nation Address
(SONA), stressed that” we have defined our culture in terms of jealous
provincialism. It is time we define it in terms of pride and linkages-taking in what
we can from the best of others, and giving what we can of our best of them”3.
Besides, globalization is also creating a global culture that is seriously
affecting our values and way of life. The music we listen to, the clothes we wear,
the foods we eat and the values we adhere to are getting more and more similar.
They are dictated by those who have the means and the power to propagate
such a culture worldwide through the most modern means of communication.
Globalization respects languages, traditions, and all religions are wide open for
all to contribute in creating the new color of cultural globalization which is invaded
by the consuming mind at the expense of Christian values of sacrifice, charity,
and the respect of others.
Our age is characterized by the dominance of the consuming mind that
does not see in the other person except the opportunities for benefit and the way
of service. The aspirations of the youth to improve the social or political situation
in their countries and they may be to abandon their country to live in a better
country. The scientific advancement does not build a civilization because
civilizations are in essence building by human behavior and by creativity.
Philosophy sees that evil is a bad incident and the Bible sees evil as in the roots
of a matter which become the deviation of the ideals and principles. This vain
spirit may have begun to control our civilization’s concepts and its outcome at the
end of the last century, the globalization. .
The modern globalization has destroyed a lot of old ways of knowledge
and it has been opened the door for the intellectuals of the Third World countries
that were isolated before to enter and invade the developed and giant world.
We notice today the presence of the large number of intellectuals coming from
the Third World, living and taking key positions at the largest universities.
Therefore, globalization is a gateway open to both influencing and being
influenced.

3
Manila Bulletin, Feb 2, 2003. p.29.

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THE FUTURE THEOLOGY AND GLOBALIZATION
. Today, more than ever, there is a great call and need for theology and
Christian thought A comparative and careful historical study can easily notice the
similarity that exists between the globalization of the New Millennium and the one
that happened in the time of the birth of Jesus Christ the early Church. “It came
to pass in those days all the world was able to register (Luke 2:1), all the known
world of that time. Alexander the Great was able to unite the entire world and he
brought Greek and established family relationship with them and put them in the
East and changed the name of the cities and established new cities. He tried to
unite the world in a definitive and deep way, intellectually and linguistically,
militarily and also economically. The Roman world, which stood upon the ruin of
the Alexandrine World, was a similar globalization. This united “universe” and
this one empire contributed positively to the preaching of the Good News Jesus
Christ in the entire world. Apostle traveled with no hindering boundaries and on
roads that connected the world together. We can say that this empire, the
globalization of that time, was in the beginning the most suitable circumstance for
the “fullness of time”.
At the same time, the Church paid a high price in return for accepting the
cultural globalization of the universal worldly empire. In order for it to be comes
“the religion of the empire,” Christianity gave a large number of martyrs. The
Roman Empire of that time allowed for the existence of various religion, in the
condition that everyone should also worship “Caesar” on top of everything!.
And when Christianity entered the daily life of the Empire, it had to testify that
what is to Caesar is from “here” and that the worship is to God.
Globalization or the empire of that time was on one hand the best cast for
evangelism. When, however, Caesar made himself god over all this empire, he
imposed on the work of evangelism a high price. The Roman Empire was not
without god, and thus not without a religion imposed over all religions – a
universal religion~ Caesar was the god of all, even if everyone had their own
small gods. This was the condition for peace and prosperity and collaboration.
What is the condition for peace and collaboration in our age? Is there an
acceptance of all languages, religions and gods, so that we may confess one day
a “new Caesar” in order to live in peace and prosperity? Since, it unifies all
potentials and makes easy all communications; globalization is a great human
development. On the contrary, if it hides within it an intellectual and religions
tyranny, it will establish in humanity a new Cesarean empire, and we will be left
with a new picture of the ones depicted for us in the book of Revelation.
Therefore, spiritual culture that needs to form the thought of the coming
globalization needs to have clear and real conditions. Otherwise, the
globalization in the New Millennium becomes, in essence, an intellectual
oppression and a New World empire that will have a new enthroned Caesar.
Christianity is a universal thought, and that’s why globalization is suitable for it.
Christian though however distinguishes between globalization and universality.
Universality is a Gospel Command: Go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them……”(Matthew 28:19). The Universality that we hope will be

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implemented by the coming globalization. It ought to have the following Christian
universal characteristic.
The rush to gain profit has led to two contradictory sides killing the spirit.
The first side is the existence of a group of people who work beyond their
potential to the point of exhaustion, seeking more gain and to win the market,
and this at the expense of the life and the spirit. On the other side there is a
group of people who are unemployed, being in an unfair competitive world that
leaves them on the margin of life with no work, and this also kills the spirit.
The new culture and new though of New Millennium ought to look at work
and employment opportunities and goals not from a point of view of profit. “For
what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and looses his own
soul?”(Mark 8:36). We need to point out the great responsibility and the unique
opportunity that demands from us to christen the world instead of to globalize the
faith. We ought to offer to the coming empire a Caesar who is God, loving of
mankind, and ruling over all. We ought to nourish it which the open and free
heavenly thought, so that this thought may care for man in his spiritual
dimensions.
In Pauline ministry, Apostle Paul who entered not only to the Gentiles, but
also to entered the body of the Roman Imperial Beast carrying a universal
message. He liberated Christianity from being a national-Jewish religion to
being the religion of the Gentiles in the whole world. Paul’s voices of Christianity
are still challenge for the globalization of love and Christian ethics, the image and
likeness of Christ, and civilization which is seeking to reconcile with God. It is
true that the globalization methods are open today for the Pauline message,
which is the toll of the universal education. In this world people live together in
love and in a universal spirit that respects all uniqueness and builds warm
relationships on universal spheres. Our responsibility is definitive to give the
“Lord Jesus Christ” His place, being the Master of history, instead of allowing for
“Caesar” to steeling the throne.

CONCLUSION:
In viewing this phenomenon, the people and religions in the face of this
universal tide that is different forms and styles which become the acceptance of
everything. While new things are come up with no reference to anything local,
considering all what is universal “globalization” advanced and important to the
point of transformation and completes change. At the same time, Intermixing
and intermarriage, is become a principle reason and it happens, giving birth to a
new civilization. Dealing with the universal situation, we need to preserve all
the intellectual distinctions, like we can learn the English language and deal with
it, while preserving our own local language. In the light of the foregoing events,
the Christian faith is being challenged by this phenomenon. As ideas change in
perceiving the world, so is also the shape of the ethic that is about to come.
Traditional Christian theologies responses will be changed and the best will be
either is declares passé, or revolutionized on the other hand.

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References:

- Bavans, Stephen. B. Models of Contextual Theology. Logos Publications,

Inc. Manila,
2003.
- Matheney, Paul. Faith and The Christian Faith. New Days Publishers. QC.
2006.

- Schreiter, Robert. Constructing Local Theologies: Marykoll, New York:

Orbis Book, 1985.

- Weber, Max. The Sociology of Religion. Translated by Ephraim Fischoff.

Baston: Beacon
Press, 1963.
- Yazigi, Paul. An article on Globalization. Translated by Bassam A. Nassi
- Philippine Star & Manila Bulletin
- www.globalization.org

Prepared by: Dr. Khup Lian Pau @ Paubawi

Philippine Christian University.