ICYMI - Wisdom of Primal Peoples in the Era of World Christianity (Jangkholam Haokip) Ep. #194

Apr 3, 2025

Dr. Jangkholam Haokip, an Indian theologian and author, sheds light on the intersections of indigenous culture and Christianity. He reflects on his own journey from Kuki Primal Religion to Christianity, emphasizing community ties over individualism. Jangkholam discusses God's covenants in Genesis, linking them to ecological concerns today. He advocates for a shift in theological education, urging the inclusion of indigenous voices. Through his work, he aims to enrich Christian understanding by amplifying diverse cultural perspectives.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Father's Wisdom

Jangkholam Haokip's father, a traditional healer and priest, warned him about converting to Christianity.
Later, Haokip realized he was searching for insights his father once held.

INSIGHT

Individualism vs. Community

Western Christianity emphasizes individualism, contrasting with Haokip's community-based culture.
This cultural difference impacts the understanding of salvation and community.

INSIGHT

Sin and the Earth

Haokip highlights how sin affects the earth in both his culture and Genesis.
Western commentaries often miss this connection due to differing worldviews.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

This episode was originally published on November 11, 2022. We thought it was worth a reissue for our newer listeners.

Christianity is a truly global religion, and every strand of Christianity has its own theological emphases. Western Christians tend to focus on individual salvation and the question of what happens when we die. But as we amplify other Christian voices, we find that the riches of the gospel might stretch far beyond our original conceptions.

In this episode, Dru interviews Dr. Jangkholam Haokip, an Indian theologian, author, and former professor. Growing up in Churachandpur, Manipur, in Northeast India, Jangkholam converted to Christianity as a child. Drawing on his experiences with indigenous Indian culture and religion, he had the opportunity to develop a unique perspective on Christian theology, including Scripture's portrayal of sin's effects on nature, the value of yet-unheard perspectives, and the way that the gospels can affect the lives of whole communities.

After his long career as a professor at Union Biblical Seminary in India, Jangkholam has founded the Bethesda-Khankho Foundation, which aims to transform indigenous Indian communities through education and poverty outreach. He also contributed to the recent book Voices from the Margins: Wisdom of Primal Peoples in the Era of World Christianity.

For More of Jangkholam Haokip Content:
https://jlamboihaokip.wordpress.com/

https://langhamliterature.org/author-bio?author_id=5923

We are listener supported. Give to the cause here:
https://hebraicthought.org/give

For more articles:
https://thebiblicalmind.org/

Social Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HebraicThought/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hebraicthought/
Threads: https://www.threads.net/hebraicthought/
X: https://www.twitter.com/HebraicThought/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hebraicthought.org

Show notes:

0:00 Introduction

1:22 Converting to Christianity

5:03 Further education and understanding the gospel

8:51 Individualism in Western Christianity

15:09 Sin and the health of nature

20:10 Tribal Indian thought in the biblical texts and Western theology

25:48 The value of indigenous theology

29:47 Christianity as a help for Indian history, identity, and culture

31:05 On Jangkholam's new book Voices from the Margins: Wisdom of Primal Peoples in the Era of World Christianity