BAHALA NA AND THE FILIPINO/A FAITH IN GOD’S PROVIDENCE
Keywords:
Bahala Na, Fatalism, Filipino/a Theology, Hermeneutic of Generosity, Resilience, TrustAbstract
Bahala na is a Filipino/a value that is often interpreted within a worldview of fatalism and indolence. A hermeneutic of generosity can, however, offer an alternative understanding of this Filipino/a value as expressed in acts of resilience and risk-taking by people in life-defining situations. In the face of suffering, through the centuries of colonization and the onslaught of the forces of nature of their land, the Filipinos/as express their profound trust in the reliable and abiding love of God in bahala na. What is first misconstrued as resignation and powerlessness may actually be enablement and empowerment rooted in an indomitable faith in God, who is the final word in life.
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