M Sashi Jamir PhD
Associate Professor of Old Testament Interpretation,
Oriental Theological Seminary
1. Introduction
Every society operates within its own worldviews. James W. Sire opines, “A worldview is a commitment, a fundamental orientation of the heart, that can be expressed as a story or in a set of presuppositions (assumptions which may be true, partially true or entirely false) which we hold (consciously or subconsciously or inconsistently) about the basic constitution of reality, and that provides the foundation on which we live and move and have our being” (Sire, 2004 p. 122). It is difficult to separate worldview from culture because culture provides the template for presupposition. However, worldview includes the deepest level of presuppositions upon which people base their lives. Paul Hiebert posits that behaviors and beliefs (culture) are what we see above the surface, while the worldview is the large hidden mass beneath the surface that holds the whole iceberg (Hiebert, 1997 p.84).
The reason I am trying to define worldview is because besides other factors of society,development and social change hinge on the way we perceive and interpret the world we live in. It is there for all to see Naga society of the twenty first century when it comes to development and change. What is hindering us to progress and bring a sea of developmental change? Obviously everyone, young and old, in our society knows that corruption is the cancer that is making our society deplorable. But I want us to ask the question - why corruption? Nagas and Christianity are almost synonymous terms. Today Nagas are 90.02% Christians (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Nagaland). Again young and old in our society know that corruption is antithesis to Christian belief system. I want us to probe a little deeperon two of our Naga worldviews namely our communitarian living and patriarchy system because I believe these two elements form the core of our Naga worldview. I also want us to critically see the effect of these two worldviews as they play out in our society. Finally, I want to give a clarion call that our Naga worldviews should be transformed by our Christian worldview if we want to bring progress and squash corruption.
2. Communitarian Worldview
Almost all the Naga tribes follow republic form of governance except for one or two tribes - for example, the Konyak Naga tribe. However, regardless of the form of governance all Naga tribes practice communitarian form of living. Every Naga nuclear family is closely knitted to its extended family, the extended family to its clan, the clan to its village and the village to its tribe. This connection is religiously preserved. Unlike in most of the West where usually one needs to seek appointmentor pre-inform to visit people, every household in Naga society follows open house policy, which means anybody can visit anybody’s house at any given time. This communitarian feature is amply exemplified in our marriage ceremony. When a couple ties their knot they are required to invite their friends, neighbors, and their villagers. So in a wedding we might see at least 500-1000 and more people feasting. In Nagaland unlike in the West we do not have mandatory health insurance policy. When someone is sick apart from his/her money people come and give money and with that he/she receives treatment. In other words, community becomes the safety net.
It is said that Nagas did not have the concept of capitalism (buying and selling of goods). They work for the common good and prestige – for instance, the feast of merit. Not everyone can celebrate this feast of merit. Only those people who could harvest bountifully were eligible for hosting such a feast. So people in the village worked hard to harvest their crops in large volume. There are some other rituals in order to be able to celebrate the feast of merit such as procuring bison and abstaining from drinks and sex for one whole year. Only if these rituals are completed one can invite all the villagers to feast on the crop “he” has harvested and preserved. It is obvious that the feast of merit was practiced in order to gain prestige and to climb up the ladder of social status. However, it is also quite a marvel to realize that a person would work so hard and go through some rigorous rituals in order to feed the whole village. This practice marks the heightsof communitarian practice. It is only in the community meaning and social status were acquired.
One of the greatest effects of communitarian lifestyle is that when Christianity came to Nagaland many villages had mass conversion because once the policy makers of the village found Christianity compelling and sound, it was made easier for the whole community to embrace Christianity. In a communitarian lifestyle everybody is a keeper of one another. We look out for one another making sure that at least every one is doing somehow well. Thus, there are many good-will collection of money. The down side of this is that at times, one’s resources are stretched thin because of the obligation to such different collections. Besides, individual’s vocation in many occasions is sidetracked because of the obligation to the community.
However, an important observation has to be noted which is, our communitarian lifestyle is mostly confined to one’s own tribe and does not go beyond a tribe. I believe this is one reasonwhy tribalism is very rife in Naga society. In fact there appears to have competition among different tribes. Even when it comes to church it seems Naga tribal churches are competing with one another, for instance, in building church infrastructure, as if to show that one tribe has the best church building. It can be safely assumed that in politics – general or college elections – this tribal communitarian worldview comes into the dynamics.
3. Patriarchy System
Naga society follows patriarchy. No matter what form of governance is established in a village all of them function within the template of patriarchy. For instance, among the Ao tribe there are five Putu or eras. Each putu governs the village for the maximum years of thirty. In this putu menden(governing body) only males are included; in other words, females are not considered ideal in the policy making body. There is only one task for women folk and that is to be a homemaker. Not only this but Nagas also follow patrilineal system of distributing inheritance. When the father of a household dies his property is divided among his sons and if there is no son in the family then the father’s brother inherits. This is why Naga familiesusually desire to have sons rather than daughters.
It is very common among the Naga men to tease one another by using the word sissy (in Nagamese maiki). This is considered as one of the worst insults among the Naga men. The mentality of patriarchy is so deep that even women call men maikito irritate them. It is natural for the mother-in-law to encourage her daughter-in-law to be a good homemaker.
Today, things are changing rapidly. Many women are working and in many cases either earn more money or are the sole breadwinner of a family. Yet, they are still considered as the homemaker of the family. This makes the women folk physically as well as psychologically stressed. Naga women, today, are performing exceedingly well in the field of education and exceling in different public and private sectors. But still they are considered not valuable in the traditional policy-making body. One good thing about Naga patriarchy although with its many loopholes is that it does not treat women badly (in most cases). Women are taken care off in spite of them considered as mere homemakers.
Theeffect of patriarchial system in Naga society is more negative. This system has taken out one whole entity (namely the women group) of the society from decision-making process. If women’s ideas are included in the decision-making policy I truly believe our Naga society will be more vibrant and holistic. Even though women are treated humanely in Naga society yet they are almost considered second-class citizenswhen it comes to traditional affairs. It should not come as a surprise in today’s Naga society if there are conflicts of power struggle between husbands and wivesbecause our system is one thing and the reality is another. Even in the church it is the male that dominates the female in terms of leadership. We hardly see woman as the lead pastor of a church in Nagaland even though there are qualified and talented women leaders.
4. Biblical Worldview in Relation to Nagas’ Communitarian Lifestyle and Patriarchy System
If Nagas profess to be Christians then we have to take Christian worldview seriously. As Christians we should understand that we live in a world created by God, which means we live in God’s salvation history and not our human made history. In the beginning God created heavens and earth and then on the sixth day he created human beings in his own image (Gen 1:27). The purpose of God’s creation activities was to have fellowship with human beings and let humans take care of his creation and extent the tranquil atmosphere of the Garden of Eden through out his creation. It has to be noted here that God’s intention of creation includes fellowshippingwith one another and creation care. In other words, God wants humanity to sojourn in this world in love, peace, and joy by taking care of one another and this world. However, because of the “fall,” human beings – God’s image bearers – began to experience self-inflicted pain, suffering, and death.
In Genesis 12 God chose Abraham and his descendants (Israel) to carry out the unfinished task given to Adam and Eve. But as the Scripture indicates Israel terribly failed in spite of God’s repeated grace, which was manifested in the form of prophets. As a result of this, God sent messages through his prophets concerning a messiah who would come and fulfill that which the first humans and Israel could not accomplished.
The prophecies of the Old Testament prophets were fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Christ through his ministry showed the way for humanity to live a life that God intended in the very first place. At the same time the cross and resurrection of Christ represent not just atonement for our humans’ sin but more so it signifies his victory over Satan and its scheme and the empowerment of God’s people. Thus, Naga Christians in and through Christ have become agents of fulfilling God’s purpose – to love one another and to take care of God’s creation. It is within this Christian worldview Naga Christians should model their lives.
It is a Christian mandate to love one another as well as to take care of the world we live in (Rom 8: 21-24). These two are not separate entities but interconnected. When God’s people love one another they take care of the world and when they take care of this world they share the goods that this world provides. Caring for the world means nurturing its resources and nurturing its resources would imply sharing the resources of this world with one another. In other words, there will be no inequality among God’s people; concurrently, the world will be a better place to live in.
Nagas’ patriarchy does not resonate with the biblical teaching of God’s creation – namely, that man and woman are created equal. In fact, for this matter Bible’s teaching of equality between the man and woman has been misinterpreted. People argue that Eve was created second and that she was created to be a helper (ezer; see Genesis 2: 18). However, if we are to consider the order of creation and argue that Adam was created first and so he should lord over Eve, then what about the animals that were created before Adam? Are the animals higher than Adam? The word ezer in the Old Testament is used twenty one times. Out of this twenty one times, ezer has been used sixteen times in relation to describing the character of God. When the word ezer is used in relation to God’s character it means helping someone who is in need or helping someone to accomplish something. This amply shows that Eve as a helper does not meana servant or a second class citizen; rather it means Eve was made an ezer to help Adam who needed someone to accomplish God’s task. In this sense, one can argue that females are higher than males.
In the New Testament, Paul instructs in the letter to the Galatians that there is no longer distinction between slave or free, Greek or Jews and male and female; for all are one in Christ Jesus (Gal 3: 28). Nagas as Christians should critically analyze the ancestral system of patriarchy. If we claim ourselves as Christians then we should let the Scripture be the norming norm and not our culture dictate the Christian worldview.
Nagas’ communitarian lifestyle will be boosted and more effective if the claims of Bible are taken seriously and if the Bible is made as the authoritative book to transform our society. The Christian scripture talks about communitarian lifestyle too. Howeverunlike Nagas’ communitarian worldview it talks about communitarian lifestyle beyond the borders of one’s tribe. As Christians there is no difference between male and female and between one tribe and another for we become one in Christ Jesus. If we pay heed to the Scripture, which is the word of God, the very breath of God (2 Tim 3:16) then Naga society will not be in our current plight.
5. Christians and Positive Social Change
Nagas are more than 90% Christian and yet our State is in appalling condition. Our roads are like a huge dust industry, our public schools, hospitals, and offices are almost non- functional. There are no public parks for the kids to play around. The churches are rich and every Sunday people pour in to the brim but in the other six days people live a corrupted life.
If only Nagas could give a serious look at the Scripture there will be no tribalism. If corruption is so prevalent in Nagaland then tribalism exacerbates our corruption to the fullest. Tribalism breeds nepotism and nepotism further fractures our society into pieces. Nagas do not have to reinvent the wheel of communitarian living but they just need to extend their communitarian lifestyle beyond one’s own tribe to other tribes because as Christian we all belong to Christ. Nagas can learn from the early Christian community of shared living regardless of Jews or Greeks and slave and free (Acts 2: 42). Corruption directly flows from tribalism and to bringing healing and social change Christian tenet of community living beyond the borders has to be embraced and implemented.
Naga Christian can no longer give a deaf ear to its patriarchy system. Women have to be empowered and their gifts need to be nurtured and utilized to bring transformation to our crumbling state. Women should not be treated as second-class citizen only fit to be in the kitchen. One cannot be a Christian by cherry picking passages or verses from the Scripture. The whole Scripture and its theology should be understood and practiced. The only hope in Nagaland today is to translate the strong 90 plus percentage Christians from mere numbers to blood and flesh. If this happens nothing can stop Nagaland from becoming a well-developed, resourceful, vibrant and free place to live in.
