Culture and Faith Encounter Spaces: An Intercultural Approach to Sasi Worship in Formulating Contextual and Responsive Christian Religious Strategies

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FORMOSA NEWS - Jakarta - Halmahera Traditional Sasi Worship Offers Novel Model for Ecological Faith Education and Resource Conservation. A newly published study by Mike Makahenggang from Universitas Kristen Indonesia examines how integrating the traditional Indigenous practice of Sasi with Christian worship in Halmahera, Indonesia, provides a powerful model for environmental conservation and contextual religious education. Published in May 2026 in the Indonesian Journal of Christian Education and Theology (IJCET), the research investigates how traditional natural resource management mechanisms can be combined with modern theological frameworks to foster sustainable community habits. The findings highlight how localized cultural practices offer practical solutions to modern environmental crises while deep-rooting faith education in community responsibility.

Relevance in an Age of Global Ecological Crisis
As global communities face escalating environmental destruction, resource depletion, and climate destabilization, researchers and policymakers are increasingly turning to traditional ecological knowledge for sustainable solutions. In rural regions like Halmahera, modern industrial pressures such as mining activities threaten localized ecosystems and long-standing community livelihoods. Traditional resource management models often struggle to maintain authority amid rapid globalization and technological shifts that reframe farmers and fishers as commercial producers focused on maximum short-term yield. Bridging traditional Indigenous customs with established community religious structures provides a resilient framework for environmental protection, social solidarity, and ethical resource governance.

Methodology
The study utilized a qualitative research design with a reflective-interpretive framework grounded in intercultural studies. Makahenggang analyzed Sasi worship practices in Halmahera through three complementary analytical lenses:

• Hermeneutic Analysis: Interpreted the cultural-religious symbols, rites, and narrative structures associated with Sasi practices.
  
• Phenomenological Analysis: Examined the existential experience and faith practices of the local Halmahera community as a lived reality.
  
• Cultural Philosophy: Evaluated the ethical implications, spiritual meanings, and microeconomic realities of Sasi in relation to modern economic pressures and globalization.
  

Data sources incorporated local cultural traditions, liturgical practices, contextual theological literature, and educational theories in Christian religious pedagogy.

Key Findings

The integration of Sasi into church worship transforms a traditional customary practice into a dynamic space for ecological spirituality and social ethics.

• Socio-Ecological Function: Sasi enforces periodic moratoriums on harvesting land and marine resources—such as fish, coconuts, and forest products—allowing ecosystems to recover and ensuring long-term sustainability.
  
• Theological Reinterpretation: Christian integration reinterprets Sasi from an ancestral cosmological ritual into a form of obedience and gratitude toward God, framing nature conservation as a moral duty to care for creation.
  
• Interfaith and Social Harmony: Non-Christian community members, including local Muslim families, respect Sasi as a vital conservation tool. Some Muslim families participate socially during harvest periods by sending portions of their yield to the local church to be prayed over by pastors before distribution to church ministers.
  
• Educational Medium: Sasi worship serves as a practical, grounded medium for Christian Religious Education, moving beyond classroom doctrine to teach social solidarity, discipline, and environmental stewardship directly within daily life.
  
• Resistance to Exploitation: The ethical philosophy inherent in Sasi worship offers a direct cultural counter-narrative against modern commercial greed and environmental exploitation driven by aggressive industrial and mining interests.
  

Real-World Impact and Practical Applications
The findings demonstrate how religious institutions and educators can leverage existing cultural traditions to advance global environmental initiatives and community development. For educational leaders and clergy, incorporating practices like Sasi into curricula transforms abstract religious principles into tangible, community-wide conservation actions. For policymakers and environmental organizations, the study proves that conservation initiatives achieve higher compliance and long-term sustainability when aligned with local spiritual and customary values rather than imposed through purely top-down administrative regulations.

Author Profile
Mike Makahenggang holds an academic degree in theology and education from Universitas Kristen Indonesia. His field of expertise encompasses Christian religious education, contextual theology, intercultural studies, and cultural philosophy, with a specific focus on the intersection of local wisdom, ecological ethics, and educational practices in Indonesia.

Source
MikeMakahenggang: Culture and Faith Encounter Spaces: An Intercultural Approach to Sasi Worship in Formulating Contextual and Responsive Christian Religious Strategies. Indonesian Journal of Christian Education and Theology (IJCET). Vol. 5, No. 2, hlm. 267-274.
DOI : https://doi.org/10.55927/ijcet.v5i2.27
URL: https://journalijcet.my.id/index.php/ijcet