AGS College of Ministry

Teacher: Rev. James Sarenas <[email protected]>

Course Title: Theology in Philippine Setting
Second Semester 2025 Class Schedule: Friday 6:00-9:00PM

Course Overview:
This course explores theological concepts and practices within the context of the Philippines'
unique cultural, historical, and social landscape. It aims to provide a deeper understanding of
how theology is shaped by and interacts with Filipino traditions, societal issues, and religious
pluralism. Students will engage with historical and contemporary examples to understand how
theology can be shaped to resonate with different cultural contexts while remaining true to the
core tenets of the Christian faith.

Course Objectives:

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Understand key theological concepts within the Philippine context.

2. Analyze the influence of Filipino culture and history on theology.
3. Critique theological perspectives on contemporary issues in the Philippines.
4. Articulate the importance of contextual theology.
5. Apply contextualization principles to theological concepts.
6. Evaluate the effectiveness of contextualized theology in various cultural settings.
7. Engage in interfaith dialogue with a focus on Philippine religious diversity.

Class Schedule:

DATE TOPICS / CLASS ACTIVITIES ASSIGNMENT

January 14, 2025 Introduction
• Overview of Course Content and
Objectives
• Defining Theology,
Indigenization, and Contextualized
Theology
• Importance of Contextual
Theology in the Philippines
January 21, 2025 Biblical Foundations for
Contextualization
• Examples of contextualization in
the Bible
• Jesus and Paul as models of
contextual theology
• Principles derived from biblical
contextualization
January 28, 2025 Historical Overview of Christianity
in the Philippines
• Arrival of Christianity and its
impact
• Catholicism’s role during
Spanish colonization
• Introduction of Protestantism and
other Christian denominations
February 4, 2025 Theology and Filipino Culture
• Influence of Filipino culture on
theological concepts (e.g.,
"kapwa")
• Cultural practices and their
theological significance
• Contextualized liturgies and
rituals
February 11, 2025 Introduction to Contextual
Theology
• Importance of contextual
theology
• Historical development of
contextual theology
• Key concepts and terminologies
February 18, 2025 Biblical Foundations for
Contextualization
• Examples of contextualization in
the Bible
• Jesus and Paul as models of
contextual theology
• Principles derived from biblical
contextualization
February 25, 2025 People’s Power Anniversary

March 4, 2025 Historical Models of

Contextualization
• Early Church and
contextualization
• Reformation and cultural
 adaptation
• Modern missionaries and
contextualization efforts
March 11, 2025 Theoretical Frameworks for
Contextual Theology
• Models of contextualization
(e.g., adaptation, inculturation,
indigenization)
• Comparative analysis of
different frameworks
• Case studies of theological
contextualization
March 18, 2025 Contextual Theology in Practice
• Case study: Theology in the
Philippine setting
• Interactions between indigenous
beliefs and Christian theology
• Role of Filipino theologians in
contextualization
March 25, 2025 Filipino Catholicism
• Popular devotions (e.g., Feast of
the Black Nazarene)
• Role of the Catholic Church in
socio-political affairs
• Examples of localized
theological themes (e.g., the
suffering Christ in folk piety)
April 1, 2025 Other Christian Movements
• The Iglesia ni Cristo
• The Aglipayan Church
• Other independent Christian
movements and their theological
perspectives
April 8, 2025 Encounter with Islam
• Historical presence of Islam in
the Philippines
• Islamic practices and beliefs in
the Muslim Filipinos community
• Interfaith dialogue and Muslim-
Christian relations
April 15, 2025 Film Showing: Romero, 1989
April 22, 2025 Liberation Theology and Social Film Review Due
Justice
• Liberation theology in the
Philippine context
• The role of the Church in
 addressing social issues like
poverty, human rights, and
environmental concerns
• Case studies of religious
involvement in social movements
April 29, 2025 Feminist Theology and Gender
Issues
• Overview of feminist theology
• Gender roles and issues within
Filipino religious contexts
• Contributions of Filipino women
theologians
May 6, 2025 Contemporary Theological Issues
• Theological responses to
contemporary issues such as
LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive
health, and political governance
• The role of theology in public
discourse
May 13, 2025 Emerging Theologies
• Youth and digital theology
• The influence of overseas
Filipino workers (OFWs) on
theological discourse
• New movements and theological
trends
May 20, 2025 Interfaith Dialogue and Religious Book Critique Due
Pluralism
• Engaging with religious
diversity in the Philippines
• Principles and practices of
interfaith dialogue
• Case studies of interfaith
cooperation
May 27, 2025 Contextual Theology and
Globalization
• Impact of globalization on
contextual theology
• Opportunities and challenges
posed by global contexts
• Strategies for global theological
engagement

Course Assessment:
Class Reporting – 20 %
Film Review – 20 %
Book Critique – 30 %
Group discussion and class participation - 20%
Class attendance - 10%
Course Requirements:
1. Class Reporting – Student will choose a topic and will present to the class during the
schedule of the subject. The presentation will be at least 20 minutes and 10 minutes will be
allocated for the question and answer. Due date of the presentation paper will be submitted after
the class session.
2. Film Review – Romero is a 1989 biographical film. Write a 1000-word (double-spaced)
review of the film. The questionnaire guide will be given before the class film showing time.
Due on April 22, 2025
3. Book Critique – Theology in the Philippine Setting: A Case Study in the Contextualization of
Theology by Rodrigo D. Tano. Write a 1000-word (double-spaced) summary of the book,
identifying its main arguments, and evaluate the effectiveness of the evidence and reasoning used
to support those arguments. A book critique guide will be given on the first day of class. Due on
May 20, 2025.
4. Group Discussion and Class Participation – The lesson materials will be given a week
before the class session. The students are expected to study the lesson and participate in class
discussion.
5. Class Attendance – The students are required to attend all the class sessions. Since this is an
on-line class, every student is required to open their video and be ready to sit in for the whole
duration of the class. Breaktime(s) will be given for students to respond to the call of nature and
other concerns.

References:
Rodrigo D. Tano. Theology in the Philippine Setting: A Case Study in the Contextualization of
Theology, New Day Publishers, 1981