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A Native American Theology Authors: Clara Sue Kenwell, Homer Noley, George E. Tinker Maryknoll, NY- Orbis Books, 2001 Pps. xii + 204 ISBN. 1-57075-36]-X Price: $21.00 (paperback) Reviewer: Alan L. Chan
As the title suggests, this book is a collaborative effort of three persons in an attempt to articulate an authentic Native American theology. Clara Sue is professor of Native American Studies at the University of Oklahoma. Recently retired, Homer Noley was director of the National United Methodist Native American Center at the School of Theology at Claremont. George E. "Tink" Tinker is professor of American Indian Cultures and Religious Traditions at Iliff School of Theology.
Begun with an introduction and ended with an afterword, this book is comprised of the following nine chapters: Hermeneutics, Creation, Deity, Christology, Theological Anthropology, Sin and Ethics, Trickster, Land, and Eschatology.
Right from the very beginning, the authors emphasize that native hermeneutics must extend beyond interpretation of biblical text or religion, but respond to and address how Native American communities are perceived and defined by the dominant White society. In other words, Native Americans are to voice their own interpretations of their cultures and Christian doctrines from a truly Native American experience and perspective. Setting this as the ground rule, they proceed onto re-interpreting some prominent classical Christian doctrines.
Seeing themselves as participants within Creation as a whole, as a part of Creation, Native Americans celebrate the balance and harmony of the whole of the universe in all that they do together. (48) To native Indians, deity is the creative power in the world and revealed in various shapes, forms, and modes apparent in natural environment, i.e., the sun and moon, the blue of the sky, wind, rock, etc.
Since the word salvation initially was related to physical healing of an illness and the verb save was referred to the action of healing, salvation could well mean physical healing. Therefore, the authors suggest...