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ABSTRACT

SPARTAKUS is a Christian youth organization founded as a Christian response to a


capitalist-laden Indonesia in the beginning of 21th century. It is developing ideas and praxis
of Liberative Christianty as an interpretation and revitalization of Pancasila. The Pancasila
itself is the basic principles of the Republic of Indonesia. It is proposed firtsly by Sukarno, a
leftist nationalist some time before the proclamation of Indonesias independence at August
1945. It is Sukarnos Pancasila which is considered seriously and critically by SPARTAKUS
because of the formers socialist spirit.

In the effort to interpret and revitalize Pancasila, SPARTAKUS is theoretically doing three
things: it is (1) drawing inspiration from the Gospel of Liberation (its perspective in reading
the Bible), (2) using Scientific Socialism as a method of social analysis, and (3) envisioning a
Socio-democratic Indonesian Society which it conceives as a fully democratic society.

By doing those things, SPARTAKUS conciously sees itself as a Christian Leftist organization.
It sees itself as such, because it is opposed to capitalism, imperialism/neoliberalism,
militarism, fascism, patriarchy and sexism, racism, and religious intolerance.

Since its inception at 2012, SPARTAKUS has involved itself in social movements, especially
labours movement and democratic struggle in Semarang, Central Java. Its ideas and praxis
has led the authorities associate it with Communism, a cliche usually used by the authorities
to identify every idea and movement critical to capitalism since the beginning of Soehartos
New Order.

This paper tries to explain SPARTAKUS ideas and gives the authors theological reflection on
it. The author itself is an ordanied minister of Indonesian Mennonite Church known as
Gereja Kristen Muria Indonesia (GKMI). Since 2010 the Synod has commissioned him to
teach at Abdiel Theological College in Ungaran and then at theological faculty of Satya
Wacana Christian University, Salatiga. The two cities are located in Central Java, Indonesia.
In this paper he tries to reflect on SPARTAKUS as an Anabaptist Christian.

Anabaptism has been historically suspicious to the Powers, including the state. The author
uses some ideas of the late Mennonite social ethicist and theologian John Howard Yoder
while tries to develop its own theological and ethical position. It is, then, in some sense a
paper about Christian Leftism by an Anabaptist.

Key Words: Pancasila, Liberative Christianity, Scientific Socialism, Socio-democratic


Society, Anabaptist.

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