A Burmese Public Theology of Religions and Reconciliation after the 2021 Coup

Abstract

This article is a contextual reflection on the religious dimensions of reconciliation and anti-coup resistance. In doing so, the article addresses some fresh methodological issues and nuanced approaches to religions and public life. It begins by suggesting a paradigm shift in reimagining a public theology of religions and reconciliation that calls for engaging not only with academics, but also with lived practitioners. It critically examines the paradoxical role of religions. It first examines why and how religions play role in the politics of nationalism and tribalism and then suggests how interreligious ethics should be utilized as alternative sources for reconciliation. It shows how the coup creates a kairos for a transformative vision of interreligious solidarity and interethnic reconciliation. It then examines the ongoing stories of interreligious activist everyday resistance to the coup as adharma. Given that resisting the coup in public life is dangerous, the article also argues that public theology is not just about the reflection on public witness, but also about the hidden witness of faiths. It concludes by suggesting how religions shape the moral vision of ethnic reconciliation, federal democracy, mutual embrace of identity and otherness.