Vol. 3 No. 1 (2023): Faith, Local Wisdom, and Contemporary Challenges

This publication centers around the overarching theme of "Faith, Local Wisdom, and Contemporary Challenges." The theme encapsulates a series of compelling articles that explore various theological perspectives concerning the phenomenon of Christianity within the realm of culture and its distinctive context. Together, they serve as windows that allow readers to apprehend the dynamics and complexities of the interaction between Christian beliefs and the heritage of local culture, religious convictions within a unique social context, and the role of Christian faith within contemporary dynamics.

Within this edition, there are six articles that have been published.  Author demographics in this issue: 3 Universities, 3 Provinces, 1 Country. The first article, titled "Basa Dayak Ngaju in GKE Liturgy: Contextualizing Christian Faith in Local Culture at the Eben Ezer Congregation in Banjarmasin," discusses the encounter between local cultural elements (Basa Dayak Ngaju) and Christian elements (Christian liturgy). The second article, "Christian Hope and Human Suffering in the Experience of Liturgical Lamentations: A Theological Analysis," highlights the dilemma inherent in the experience of lamentations within Christian liturgy.

The third article, "The Tapin Dam in Pipitak Jaya Village: Theological Significance in Local Infrastructure Development," explores the theological meanings contained within the construction of the Tapin Dam in Pipitak Jaya Village, Tapin Regency, South Kalimantan. The fourth article, titled "Ethical Syncretic Propaganda Model: Confrontation of Counter-Cultural and Religious Defense in the Era of Social Media," serves to underscore the ethical syncretic propaganda model approach as a response to the issue of religious defamation on social media.

The religious identity embedded in the portrayal of scholars, particularly the figure of Abah Guru Sekumpul in Banjarmasin City, possessing symbolic and social significance, is presented in an intriguing manner in the article titled "Abah Guru Sekumpul: A Socio-Religious Study of the Installation of Scholars' Portraits in the Community Enterprises of Banjarmasin City."

This edition concludes with an engaging and vital article titled "Tolerance as an Expression of Religious Moderation: Theological Analysis in Understanding the Framework of Interfaith Collaboration," which focuses on the interpretation of tolerance as a form of religious moderation through theological analysis. Enjoy your reading.