The Interpretation of Jesus as Ratu Adil Through a Folk Christology Approach Among Javanese Society
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21731815Keywords:
Ratu Adil, contextual christology, folk theology, javanese messianism, inculturationAbstract
The communication of the Gospel in Java is often hindered by the perception that Jesus is an "imported God" from the West, alien to Javanese cosmology. However, within the collective memory of the Javanese people, there exists an eschatological longing for the figure of "Ratu Adil" (Just King) or Satrio Piningit, prophesied to bring cosmic restoration (kerta raharja). This article aims to reconstruct a Christian apologetic approach using the Folk Theology model, positioning Jesus not as a cultural antithesis, but as the supreme fulfillment of the Ratu Adil expectation. Using a qualitative method with a contextual theology approach (synthetic model), this study finds that the narratives of Christ's incarnation, suffering (laku prihatin), and resurrection resonate strongly with the Ratu Adil archetype. However, this study also provides critical boundaries (prophetic critique) to prevent contextualization from falling into syncretism, transforming the Javanese messianic hope from political-cyclical to soteriological-eternal.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Eiodia Eveline Permata Sari, Theo Pilus Candra (Author)
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