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Compassionate and Free - Tersentuh dan Bebas: Teologi Seorang Perempuan Asia

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This book explores the challenge of being a Christian woman in Asia. Katoppo explains why Asian Christian women like herself seek the right to be different, to be the Other, rather than having to accept identities borrowed from men and other cultures.

122 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

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About the author

Marianne Katoppo

15 books13 followers
Born in Tomohon, North Sulawesi, on 9 June 1943, Katoppo studied theology from 1963 at the Jakarta Theological Seminary, Sekolah Tinggi Teologi.

In 1979, Katoppo spoke about "Asian Theology: An Asian Woman's Perspective" at the first Asian Theological Conference in Sri Lanka. She served the ecumenical idea as a member of the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians (EATWOT), and was part of the executive committee of the Indonesian National Council of Churches (PGI). She has been described as "independent, forthright, and conversant in a dozen Asian and European languages", and was internationally known as a female theologian. Katoppo died in Bogor on 12 October 2007.

Katoppo's Christian novel Raumanen, published in 1977, won the first prize at the Jakarta Arts Council Novel Competition. Her book Compassionate and Free. An Asian Woman's Theology was published in 1980 by Orbis in Maryknoll, New York. It was one of the first books to present an Asian feminist theology which used Asian myths and stories to interpret theology, and supports an image of God also as a mother. The book was translated into Dutch and German. Because Katoppo considered her work apolitical and did not want it thought of as having any feminist political agenda, she believed the term "feminist theology" to be "too loaded". Susan Evangelista of Ateneo de Manila University summarized Katoppo's perspective of the virgin Mary as being the core of "women's theology"; and rather than being limited to the role of the virgin mother of Jesus, Evangelista believes Katoppo saw Mary as a totally complete woman who, while obedient to God, serves as the perfect balance to men.

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Profile Image for Christan Reksa.
184 reviews11 followers
November 24, 2023
Marianne Katoppo adalah nama yang saya ketahui karena dua novelnya, Dunia Tak Bermusim & Raumanen, memiliki penokohan perempuan berdaya. Belakangan baru saya tahu bahwa beliau pun memiliki karya teologis yang cukup berpengaruh.

"Compassionate and Free" dirilis pada tahun 1979 dalam bahasa Inggris & lama tidak diterjemahkan ke bahasa Indonesia karena pengaruh rezim Orde Baru yang memberangus tulisan2 subversif. Baru pada tahun 2007 (ironisnya, beberapa bulan sebelum kematiannya) terjemahan bahasa Indonesia ini diterbitkan.

Buku ini cukup tipis & bahasanya tidak terlalu rumit, tapi begitu menyentak, terasa dari caranya menulis yang menggebu2. Beberapa argumen memang tampak usang, tapi pembahasannya soal perjuangan perempuan menghadapi keseharian beserta betapa patriarkisnya kekristenan Barat mempengaruhi kehidupan perempuan2 Asia terus terasa relevan hingga kini.

Titik gerak penting buku ini adalah kesengajaan Katoppo menulis konteks sebagai perempuan Kristen Asia, minoritas berlipat2, walau beliau memiliki privilesenya sendiri. Kesadaran konteks penting dalam berteologi tanpa perlu menolak bahwa wahyu & penyingkapan dalam berteologi berasal dari Allah sendiri. Bagaimana manusia mempelajari gerak Allah selalu dimulai dari bagaimana dia mengalami Allah dalam konteks2nya. Dari sana Katoppo membedah konsep peliyanan Kekristenan Barat terhadap perempuan.

Maka perempuan pun perlu bersolidaritas dengan sesama Yang Lain, yang dianggap mengganggu status quo, & mengupayakan pembebasan yang nantinya membebaskan bagi laki2 sendiri. Hanya dengan kesadaran perlunya pembebasan inilah motif2 teologis dapat dihidupi dengan merasuk pada realitas sosial-politik. "Tersentuh & Bebas" adalah judul yang tepat, seperti Yesus yang hati-Nya tersentuh & membebaskan yang terbelenggu, & kita yang Dia sentuh & terbebas, layaknya nyanyian Magnificat Bunda Maria dalam rasa syukurnya mengandung Yesus.

Buku ini layak dibaca untuk memulai pengembaraan teologis bila kerinduan kita adalah menjelajah cara Allah berbicara melalui pribadi2 yang kita anggap "lain".
Profile Image for K G.
251 reviews17 followers
February 27, 2020
There was some casual transphobia and lots of ant-sex work sentiments, but overall it was interesting. I'm not sure if I got enough theology out of it for my midterm tomorrow, but we'll see.
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