Hermeneutics and Pastoral Mission

CULTURE TASK
Lecture : P. Gregor Neonbasu SVD, PhD

summary by : Rosa Sabina A.R

Hermeneutics and Pastoral Mission

First thing that figured on my mind when I took a flare reading the script written by Father Gregor Neonbasu SVD in title “Hermeneutics and Our Mission” is how significant the oral tradition is for us, people who are living in the global and modern era like now.
In another thing, I prefer to say that script as a good advice and knowledge on the important meaning of the oral tradition.
What are the significances of that script?
Here I would like to underline the main points of that writing, that I combine in my own words and directly adopt some important phrases and/or passages of the writing.
The script is a case study in the Timorese environment with the intention of establishing a new paradigm for empowering current works within the context of social, cultural and political discourses of the ordinary people of Timor, from both the east and west of the island.
For empowering the conclusion, the writer took some samples of tales, three tales that still stay alive in its societies. First is a tale about an old kingdom in the south, the kingdom that later on known as Wehali and Wewiku. The second is a tale that is stay alive in people living around area of Mutis, west Timor. It talks about Sobe Neno and Lafu Neno. The last tale is from Biboki, telling about Tae Neno and Malafu Neno, ancestors of time.
According to the writer, the three stories portray the relationship between human beings and the universe, and that a good relationship can create a prosperous community life for the current generation.
At the second part of that script, the writer underlined the Biboki style of traditional dispute resolution. It concerned to a traditional disputes discussion, also to proof that how local people try to preserve community life in the event of disputed among villagers.
The third part talked about role of oral history and traditions. It was concluded, after having the simultaneous studies of oral traditions in several regions of the island of Timor. There are ten tentative functions of oral tradition in several regions of the island of Timor, as bellow.
1) Oral tradition recounts events in the past in a multi-dimensional way.
2) Oral tradition affirms the ethnicity or the identity of an ethnic group.
3) Oral tradition can define the various relationships and communications between different ethnic groups.
4) Oral tradition becomes a way of exploring in great-detail of the social roles of ethnic groups.
5) Oral tradition provides information about the definition of human beings.
6) Oral tradition tries to explain relationship between ethnic groups, the moral universe, the ancestors and even the Supreme Being.
7) Oral tradition explains the ecological system and placing people at the centre of it, accounts for the close relationship between people and the natural environment
8) Oral tradition can serve as a bridge linking people’s ideas and beliefs with all aspects of their life
9) Oral tradition can be seen as a way of teaching the philosophy of the people, offering a means and a path to trace the ideas and concepts of the ordinary people
10) Oral tradition can be a getaway to understanding the religiosity of a group of people and in particular their faith in their ancestors links t the Supreme being (or the Holy), which holds a very central place in the joint life of the community.

These ten tentative categories indicate that oral traditions form the identity of both a person and a society. More than that, oral traditions portray three related issues: human beings, society and the environmental system.
To enhance my point of view concerning the significance of oral tradition, I remark some main point in passage two and three of page 416. It said that, the Timorese have ways of expressing their way of thinking, together with their view of themselves, their compatriots, the natural environment, the world of objects and the Supreme Being. These all can be learned at their expressions, popular songs, riddles, word games, popular stories, myths, legends, common greetings, spontaneous exclamations (whether joyful, sad or surprised), classic complaints, expressions of grief, happiness and disappointment, and all sorts of archaic forms. These all express the patterns and systems of daily social life.
Clearly, oral tradition (and language as a whole) is very strongly linked to culture and worldwide.