Conflict And Solution of Zending Evangelism on Aluk Todolo Beliefideology in Toraja Society

10.2478/bjlp-2022-002049

Abstract

Aluk Todolo belief is the ancestral belief of Toraja and Mamasa people before
the arrival of Islam and Christianity in Indonesia. This belief is ancestral teaching
that regulates the philosophy of worship procedures through rituals, prohibitions
and ethical behavior. The presence of Zending missionaries in the early 20th
century with an evangelistic mission to adherents of the local Aluk Todolo belief
created conflict in the Toraja and Mamasa people. The purpose of this study is to
provide a solution to the evangelistic approach to Zending missionaries in their
evangelistic mission to the Aluk Todolo believers in the Toraja and Mamasa
communities at that time. Arguments for analysis using qualitative procedures and
conflict solutions using a cultural approach, conflict solutions in evangelism Zending
missionaries can use adaptation and integration methods through inculturation,
indigenization, glocalization, eschatology, and media religious symbol approaches
so that the local cultural values of their ancestors are respected. The findings of
this article state that the mission of evangelizing the Zending missionaries caused
social conflict in Toraja people because of the intervention and hegemonic attitude
of the Zending missionaries in the practice of evangelism to Toraja people,
adherents of the Aluk Todolo belief. The solution found in this article is an approach
to Toraja culture using religious symbols that can be carried out by Zending
missionaries in carrying out evangelistic practices to Toraja people.