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Understanding Ancestral Worship Practices

The document discusses ancestor worship practices in Asian cultures. It explores the motivations behind such practices, including maintaining family bonds and providing aid. It also examines Christian responses to ancestor worship and how to thoughtfully contextualize the gospel while avoiding syncretism. The document suggests Christians can respect family traditions while discarding idolatrous elements.

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Frederick Paulo Tomacder
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8 views2 pages

Understanding Ancestral Worship Practices

The document discusses ancestor worship practices in Asian cultures. It explores the motivations behind such practices, including maintaining family bonds and providing aid. It also examines Christian responses to ancestor worship and how to thoughtfully contextualize the gospel while avoiding syncretism. The document suggests Christians can respect family traditions while discarding idolatrous elements.

Uploaded by

Frederick Paulo Tomacder
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

ICS102 Contextualization Frederick Paulo Tomacder ([Link]@igsl.

asia)

DeNuei - 7 Ancestor
1. A fourth motivation for ancestral practices is maintaining the bonding of the family. The ancestral
celebrations and rites give the relatives an opportunity for family gatherings and provide a sense of
togetherness. This reinforces the strength and unity of the extended family. Often help for field labor,
aid in financial crises, and assistance and advice in major decisions comes first from immediate family
members and relatives. This is true both in rural and urban communities. Gatherings for ancestral
veneration not only show the value of communal respect but also remind families of these close bonds,
their common unity and the obligation for interrelated dependence on each other and the ancestors.
(Loc 3043)

2. Build on contact points. The capacity of ancestor worshipers through such concepts as belief in the
soul, life after death, prayer, worship, relation with the invisible beyond, and spiritual communal
sharing provide bridges to be explored and applied in the worship of God. Many positive points of
honoring fathers relate to the heavenly Father. (Loc 3272)

3. Generally church and missionary responses to ancestral veneration have been either to condemn all
or to condone all. The first results in isolating Christians from society as outsider aliens to the culture.
The second is so accommodating that syncretism takes over in the church. The first can be too
ethnocentric, unfeeling and unaware of the deep felt needs of Asians. The second is compromising,
confusing and lacking understanding of both scripture and culture. The goal is to find solutions that are
both thoroughly biblical without compromise, and truly cultural while satisfying deeply felt needs of
Asians. (Loc 3196)

4. Christians should excel in respecting parents, in caring for their elderly relatives, as well as in
nurturing their own families. Furthermore, the only one of the Ten Commandments that was given
with a promise of blessing was the fifth, calling for us to respect our parents, despite their weakness,
inadequacies and sinfulness. In fact being classed in the first five, which seem to relate God-ward, the
fifth commandment also reflects the honor due unto God. (Loc 3134)

5. Fulfilling these duties is like insurance for the family, even if due respect and true love for the
departed are absent. Thus selfish desires may be at the true root of some ancestral practices. The
proper rites of passage, appropriate funeral, and adequate sendoff are deemed essential for the efficient
transportation of the dead to their spiritual resting place. This is also necessary to protect the living
relatives and their families. Daniel Hung lucidly described the fear behind ancestral cults, “Failure to
worship ancestors is not only considered to be a great sin and an act of rebellion against one’s
ancestors, but is also believed to result in disasters and misfortune for the living” (1983:33). (Loc.
3032)

Indeed, many idolatrous practices stem from people’s selfish motives. This is evident even with
ancestor worship. Families keep up with rituals and traditions not really out of love but for the
benefits that they think they can get from the spirits of the departed. In a way, it is still a “good deeds”
and transactional worldview where people offer or do something in exchange for blessings, protection
or even reparation. In the case of ancestor worship, the participants pin their hopes on their familial
ties and the perceived ability of the dead to affect the fate of the living on earth. Considering these
elements, we cannot deny the idolatry behind such practices. The dead are essentially elevated into
deity because they are given abilities that only God can do. Furthermore, those who engage with this
practice are trapped in a vicious cycle of fear and superstition. They may become paranoid about
every misfortune, thinking that an angry ancestor spirit may be behind it. As such, instead of finding
practical solutions, or seeking the Lord’s help, they become locked up in the past in their attempt to
appease what they perceive as angry ancestor spirits.

Honestly, I can’t fully relate with ancestor worship mainly because I did not grow up in a culture that
practices it. Instead, we only go as far as remembering and respecting our departed loved ones. But
the fact that so many people live under this worldview made me realize the importance of
understanding it as aid in disciple-making and evangelism. Furthermore, I also acknowledge that the
strong family-oriented culture of Asia demands wisdom in understanding ancestor worship. This is to
increase our sensitivity to outreach opportunities as well as sharpen our contextualization skills as we
interact with such practice. It is good to critically determine which should be discarded for obvious
idolatry and which can be retained to strengthen family connections. By doing so, we can capitalize
on the strength of family dynamics as we aim to proclaim the Gospel to groups rather than simply
individuals. I think this is very helpful especially in reaching the older generations who have been
more exposed to such beliefs. And considering that our grandparents are the ones nearing the end of
their earthly lives makes this endeavor all the more urgent.

Common questions

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Ancestral practices are motivated by the desire to maintain family bonding and unity, provide opportunities for family gatherings, and reinforce the strength of the extended family. These gatherings, occurring both in rural and urban communities, enable families to aid each other in field labor, financial crises, and major decisions. They emphasize communal respect and family unity, establishing interrelated dependence on each other and the ancestors .

Understanding ancestor worship within Asian family-oriented cultures presents the challenge of balancing the retention of beneficial family-bonding aspects with the rejection of idolatrous practices. Recognizing the significance of familial ties aids in tailoring evangelistic methods that emphasize group rather than individual conversion. This is especially crucial for outreach to older generations more ingrained in these beliefs .

Ancestral practices deviate from traditional religious beliefs by ascribing deific qualities to ancestors, thus elevating them to the status of deities. This approach is deemed idolatrous, as the dead are believed to possess abilities attributed only to God. The practices are often transactional, aimed at gaining blessings or avoiding misfortune, thereby reflecting idolatry rather than genuine reverence .

Ancestral rites serve as a form of familial insurance by ensuring proper rites of passage for the deceased, believed to be necessary for their peaceful spiritual transition. Often, underlying selfish desires, such as securing family prosperity and protection from misfortunes, drive these practices rather than genuine love for the departed .

Fear and superstition perpetuate ancestral worship by trapping participants in a cycle where misfortunes are attributed to angry ancestor spirits. This belief system discourages practical problem-solving and reliance on divine intervention, leading to societal implications wherein people remain bound to past traditions instead of seeking forward-looking solutions .

The fifth commandment, which calls for respecting one's parents, comes with a promise of blessing and is grouped with commands relating to God, thereby reflecting divine honor. It emphasizes not only familial respect but also the respect and honor due to God, despite human weaknesses or inadequacies .

Ancestral worship rooted in a "good deeds" and transactional worldview implies that rituals and offerings are made to secure blessings or protection. This perspective elevates ancestors to deific roles, where their perceived influence affects the living, thereby overshadowing genuine devotion with a focus on material or spiritual gain .

Western church and missionary approaches often err by either condemning all ancestral veneration or condoning it entirely. The former isolates Christians as cultural outsiders, while the latter leads to syncretism. A balanced approach advocates for solutions that are biblically sound without cultural compromise, addressing the deeply felt needs of Asians .

Principles of ancestor worship, such as belief in the soul, life after death, prayer, and communal spiritual sharing, can act as bridges to integrate the worship of God. These elements provide familiar concepts that can be applied in worship settings, drawing parallels between honoring earthly fathers and revering the heavenly Father .

Enhancing contextualization skills is crucial for outreach efforts in communities with strong ancestor veneration because it fosters sensitivity to cultural nuances and helps distinguish between idolatrous elements and positive familial traditions. This nuanced understanding allows for crafting relevant Gospel messages and aids in effectively communicating with individuals influenced by such cultural practices .

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