1. Church Hymn on basis of
Traditional Funeral Song:
“Badong/Bating” (Dance of
Mourning and Song of
Lamentation)

2. The Traditional Funeral is called
Rambu Solo’, the most important
ritual in Tana Toraja (a tribe in
South Sulawesi, Indonesia). It is
believed that this funeral
ceremony is the only way to
deliver the dead into Afterlife. In
doing this, there are some
components that must be
organized:

3.  Ma’Badong (The Dance of Mourning and
Song of Lamentation)
 Ma’Randing (Warior dance which is
performed to praise the courage of the
deceased during life)
 Ma’Katia (the dance performed to remind
the audience of the generosity of the
deceased)
 Ma’Pasilaga (Buffalo Race)
 The Bloody Ceremony (Slaughtering
Buffalo and Pig).

4. Ma’Badong (The Dance of
Mourning and Song of
Lamentation)
Ma'badong is a dance held in the rituals of
grief in Tana Toraja. Badong is a kind of
bating (lament) that reveals the life history
of the deceased. Therefore, this is done by
the family in memory of the deceased
person and is a tribute to him/her at once
an expression of grief that is expressed
through songs. In short, this is the most
populer dance and song in the funeral.

5. The dancers (pa'badong) forming
a circle and each associate pinkie
while reciting poetry and lament
with hand gestures, and footsteps
are adjusted to the rhythm of the
song.

9. Typical Cultural Feature of a Certain
Context?  Colour of Tana Toraja
 It was believed by Torajans that Ma'badong is
done so that the life of the family in the world
would still receive protection and blessing of
the spirit of the ancestors.
 Nowadays, this tradition is a form of love and
respect to the ancestors or parents who die.
We are well aware that if it were not of the
ancestors and parents, we would not exist in
this world.

10. Christianity in Tana Toraja
The coming of Christianity in Tana Toraja has
brought a big influence to this funeral dance:
 Some poems that are considered
incompatible with the teaching of Christianity
is not sung again
 Sad expression and moans have been
transformed to worship the Creator.
 As tangible evidence, now some of Torajan
Composers have begun to transfer the lyrics
into Christianity.

11. Dance of Mourning and Song of
Lament
Dance and Song of
Excitement/Praising Creator

12. Congregational Song
in Nuance of Ethnic
“Ondopua (Haleluya)”

15. What can the wider or even
worldwide Christian / or other
religious world community
profit from this contextual
example?

16.  “When you’re in Rome, do as the
Romans do” (we have to respect the
culture of wherever we are; there’s no
way to condemn it without any sufficient
or comprehesive understanding)
 A total elimination of culture is not the
right way to spread the Gospel of Christ
(do not surprise people with a totally
new thing  it will be difficult for people
to accept, somehow)

17.  By transferring (the meaning of)
the songs of lament into the
Church Hymns (not removing)
 we are participating in
preserving cultures  cultural
heritage of a land which is
stored in symbol would never
fade.

18. Which model of contextual
Theology according to Bevans
is covered by this example?
Which Holy Scripture text is most
related to it?

19. TRANSLATION MODEL
 CULTURE (SUBORDINATE TO GOSPEL)
IS A NECESSARY VEHICLE FOR THE
UNCHANGING DEPOSIT OF TRUTH
(WORDS OF GOD)
 REVELATION COMES WITH THE TEXT AS A
COMPLETELY NEW MESSAGE TO THE
CONTEXT
 TRANSLATION NOT LITERALLY BUT IDIOMATIC
(TRANSLATION OF MEANING!) IN ORDER TO
LET THE POWER OF THE MESSAGE ITSELF
THROUGH: GOSPEL AFFECTS THE CULTURE
MORE THAN VICE VERSA

20.  One word in the Bible  a dynamic
equivalence approach would translate it
in various ways, according to how the
context dictates!
 Practicioner: Charles H. Kraft  His
approach is to explain the value of
dynamic equivalence translation, and
then demonstrates how such a
translation principle can and should be
applied to theology

21. Holy Scripture Text:
ACTS 17,22-31
“PAUL IN ATHENS"
22. Paul stood up in front of the city council
and said, “I see that in every way you
Athenians are very religious.
23. For as I walked through your city and
looked at the places where you worship, I
found an altar on which is written, “To an
Unknown God.” That which you worship,
then, even though you do not know it, is
what I now proclaim to you.

22. Thank You 