Leaving the Bereaved

A Theological Study of the Discontinuation of Bereavement Ministry for Families Conducting Buffalo Fighting Arenas in the Rambu Solo’ Ritual

Abstract

The practice of suspending funeral ministry toward bereaved families involved in buffalo fighting arenas (tedong petarung) during Rambu Solo' has become a controversial disciplinary policy within the Toraja Church. While the policy is intended to oppose gambling practices associated with buffalo fighting, it raises serious theological and pastoral questions regarding the church's responsibility toward grieving families. This study aims to examine the theological legitimacy of suspending funeral ministry and to evaluate the policy through the perspectives of pastoral theology and contextual theology. Using a qualitative ethnographic approach, data were collected through interviews, observations, and document analysis. The findings indicate that the suspension of funeral ministry does not possess a sufficient theological foundation within Christian tradition. Rather, the policy is primarily grounded in moral considerations concerning gambling practices. Furthermore, the policy weakens the church's pastoral vocation by withdrawing ecclesial presence from families experiencing grief and vulnerability. Through the lens of contextual theology, this study argues that the church should maintain its prophetic stance against gambling while simultaneously providing pastoral accompaniment. The original contribution of this study lies in its critique of funeral ministry suspension as a disciplinary practice and its proposal of a restorative and contextual pastoral model for engaging cultural tensions within Torajan society.