Asian Horizons

Pluralism and Interfaith Dialogu

Joby Jose Kochumuttom — 2025-10-22

Challenges and Prospects in Faith-Culture Encounter

Vincent Kundukulam — 2025-10-22

This article explores the complex interaction between Christian faith and diverse cultures, focusing on two main challenges: the fear of losing Christian identity and the impact of deformative cultural-religious unconscious biases. It maintains that identity is not diminished but enriched through dialogue, drawing on Trinitarian and incarnational models. The text also emphasises the need to purify collective prejudices to promote genuine engagement. Ultimately, it suggests that faith and culture can mutually strengthen each other—helping Christianity to remain a vibrant tradition while addressing contemporary agnosticism through anthropological sensitivity and reciprocity.

Dialogue: The Way of Being Church Today

Jacob Parappally — 2025-10-22

This article argues that dialogue is essential to the identity and mission of the Church today. Tracing the historical development of the Church’s attitude towards other religions—from exclusivism and superiority to recognition and dialogue—it highlights the importance of an open, humble approach. Drawing on the insights of Kuncheria Pathil and Church documents, the author argues that interreligious and intrareligious dialogue is not merely supplementary to evangelisation but an essential part of the Church’s very nature. Through dialogue, the Church advances the Kingdom of God by fostering mutual understanding, reconciliation, and collaborative action for a more human and just world.

Responding to Polarization and Division: The Mission of the Indian Church Today

P. Lawrence Thomas — 2025-10-22

This article explores the mission of the Indian Church in an era marked by political polarisation, religious nationalism, and social division. It underscores the challenges arising from the perception of Christianity as a foreign import and the current socio-political environment that marginalises religious minorities. The author suggests both outward strategies—such as adopting a low profile, enhancing social responsibility, and building mutual relationships—and inward approaches, including cultural translation of the Gospel, personal holiness, and community development. Emphasising holistic engagement and sustainable witness, the article advocates for a renewed, contextually aware mission that mirrors the resilience and integrity of the early Church.

Collaboration for a Liberative Praxis: A Dialogue Between Capability Approach and Catholic Social Teaching in the Socio-Political Context of India

Bala Kiran Kumar Hrudayaraj — 2025-10-22

This article examines the convergence and divergence between Catholic Social Teaching (CST) and Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach (CA) at metaethical, normative, and practical levels. It argues that the metaphysical supernaturalism inherent in CST offers a potential philosophical framework for reconciling their ontological differences, thereby fostering meaningful dialogue between them, resulting in a shared commitment to integral development, human dignity, and the fight against injustice and marginalization. Furthermore, the article proposes that the distinction between proximate and ultimate justifications within Catholic theology could reconcile the epistemological differences, facilitating mutual dialogue between the scholars of Catholic Social Teaching and Sen’s Capability Approach. The article illustrates the usefulness of such mutual dialogue in the Indian context, highlighting its relevance in addressing the socio-political challenges of the rise of Hindu nationalism and economic inequality.

Indigenous Church: A Pauline Response

Antony John Baptist — 2025-10-22

This paper explores the concept of the Indigenous Church through a Pauline lens, examining how the early Christian communities in Paul’s letters exhibit characteristics of indigenous churches. By analysing Paul’s ministry and writings, the study highlights key aspects of Pauline churches, such as the local assembly, the house church model, and the inclusivity of marginalised groups. Additionally, the paper argues that Paul’s theology, particularly his teachings on the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, developed in response to the specific social contexts and challenges of early churches. The study concludes that contemporary indigenous churches should adapt their theology to their own cultural and social context, in a manner similar to Paul’s contextual approach to church issues.

Intersex: The Ethical Differentiation Between Binary and Bipolar Orders

Benedikt Schmidt — 2025-10-22

Intersex is an ethical issue that lies at the interface of medical, sexual and fundamental ethics. So far, however, it has received little attention in theological and ethical considerations. The paper first structures intersex with the help of a bio-psycho-social model of gender and examines intersexuality against the background of three culturally powerful anthropological organisational models. In a second step, the ethical consequences of the monopolar, binary and bipolar models are then demonstrated. However, the significance of the topic goes beyond the rare phenomena of intersex due to its theological and anthropological characteristics. They shape our cultural understanding of sexuality, identity, dignity and of a flourishing life. As a result, it is determined that only a bipolar order structure and the Christian “ordo amoris” mutually strengthen each other in their persuasive power, creating an inclusive space of appreciation.

Synodal Structure of Ecclesial Governance in Eastern Canonical Legislation

Varghese Palathingal — 2025-10-22

The synodal structure of ecclesial governance refers to a collaborative and participatory approach to decision-making in the Eastern Churches. This method emphasises shared responsibility, consultation, dialogue, and discernment to reach decisions. Communion and collegiality are values reflected in this form of governance. The present study examines the synodal form of ecclesial governance in the Patriarchal and Major Archiepiscopal sui iuris Churches as outlined in the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. The Patriarch/Major Archbishop, together with the Synod of Bishops, exercises the power of governance - legislative, executive, and judicial power - as per norms through the Synod of Bishops and the Permanent Synod.

Exile and Deportation as Divine Displacement

Biju Joseph Karukappallil — 2025-10-22