Abstract
In many contexts around the world, missionaries have worked to inculturate the Christian faith into the local culture. This was the case for many of the missionaries that have engaged with Indigenous communities in what is now Canada, translating the faith into the language of the peoples they encountered. From a historical perspective, these efforts have become inseparably linked with the colonial project that sought to replace Indigenous cultures, languages, and spiritualities with Western hegemony fueled by white supremacy. Against the backdrop of forced assimilation and cultural genocide, it is not enough to insert the essence of Christianity into an Indigenous cultural paradigm. On the long and ongoing path of reconciliation, a different approach is required: one that recognizes and honours the diverse hybridity of Christian-Indigenous relations, on the one hand; while wrestling with the complicity of Christian churches in the history and ongoing legacy of colonialism and disrupting unjust power dynamics, on the other hand. Based on qualitative research over three summers in a remote Dene community in northern Canada, this paper reflects critically on the role of the Church and its ministers in Indigenous communities. It first highlights the complex ways by which Christian and Indigenous identities interact in Canada today. It then analyses approaches to ministry from a post- and decolonial perspective. Ultimately, it advocates for a kenotic style of ministry based on receptivity to Indigenous experiences, values, and ways of knowing and doing, as a path towards greater reciprocity and coresponsibility in Indigenous church communities.
Presenters
Julian PaparellaDoctoral Researcher, Research Unit of Pastoral and Empirical Theology, KU Leuven, Belgium
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2026 Special Focus—Indigenous Spiritualities in Global Perspective
KEYWORDS
Indigenous Peoples in Canada, Qualitative Research, Indigenous Church Ministries, Kenosis
