Seminarians cultivate paddy, vegetables to learn contextual theology

A major seminary in the western Indian state of Goa has made its 21 theology students work in farms so that they learn better what is taught in classes. The students of the second, third- and fourth-year theology classes of the Pilar Theological Institute spent the afternoons of July 5 and 6 cultivating paddy and vegetables on a two-acre land owned by the Society of Pilar. “It helps the seminarians gain a deeper understanding of what they learn in class; to have a more contextualised approach to theology,” explained Father John Bennet, director of studies of the seminary, also known as the All India Mission Seminary of the Society of Pilar.
“This exposure can be particularly valuable for the future clergy who may be called to serve where agriculture is a central part of life,” he told Matters India July 7. This way of doing theology, Father Bennet added, emphasizes the importance of the specific cultural, social, and historical context in which Christian faith is understood and lived.
“It acknowledges that theological reflection is not done in a vacuum but is shaped by the unique experiences, perspectives, and challenges of a particular community.”
The students belonged to the dioceses of Dumka and Daltonganj in Jharkhand, Purnia and Patna in Bihar, Krishnagar in West Bengal, besides the Pilar theology students.