Prophetic ministry in India: Empowering priestly and religious formation through religious education
Abstract
Religious women and men through the profession of the evangelical counsels, and priests by virtue of ordination, participate in the kingly, prophetic, and priestly roles of Jesus Christ. This participation invites religious women and men and priests to be persons of integrity who relive in their own lives and ministry the call of Christ to be His witnesses in the world. This study shows how religious women and men and priests can be more effective prophetic witnesses in their life and ministry in India. The historical method is utilized in dialogue with a variety of sources to present a comprehensive and objective picture of the social and educational life and problems of people in India, the origins of Christianity in India, and the beginnings of seminary formation in the Church. The philosophic method is engaged to present insights of Scripture scholars concerning prophecy in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. Particular emphasis is given to the prophetic ministry of Jesus which provides the model for the prophetic ministry of religious and priests in the Church. Practical theology is employed to investigate Church and papal documents related to religious and priestly formation. These documents present the theological grounds for living as religious and priests in India. The works of selected religious educators are considered so as to point to the strong relationship and continuity between religious education and religious and priestly formation. The study concludes by offering some appropriate suggestions for renewal. The researcher postulates that transferring these suggestions will result in empowering and renewing the prophetic witness of religious and priests in India.
Subject Area
Clergy|Theology|Religious education|South Asian Studies
Recommended Citation
Basilious, Raynolds, "Prophetic ministry in India: Empowering priestly and religious formation through religious education" (2008). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI3312004.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI3312004
