India travel seminar: Observing faith formation practices
BY JAYME BABCZAK
Greetings from Hyderabad!
As a student with a passion for religious education, I’ve been wondering a lot about faith formation while in India. How is faith passed down from generation to generation? Are faith formation practices in other religious traditions similar to the way Christian formation happens? How do the practices compare in varying cultural contexts?
We have been able to observe and learn about some faith formation practices as we visit religious monuments and places of worship. This morning we explored and experienced the Birla Mandir, a local Hindu Temple. While taking in the beauty of the structure and the lively spirits of those visiting, I observed several faith formation practices occurring around me.
Many families climbed the steps of the temple together, often hand-in-hand, and paused to pray in front of each shrine for the many deities. Following their time of pooja, prayer, and worship, adults would initiate the placement of a bindi on the forehead of their family members. I observed one couple playfully and reverently introduce their child to the materials. They touched the colorful paste and placed it on each other’s skin. Children placed several rupees in front of the shrine as almsgiving and they continued on, visiting each part of the temple.
Families made sacred space for their children to encounter the divine. They made sacred space for their children to explore religious tradition and ritual at their own pace, in their own way. Over the past week in India, I have learned and taken notes about ways to make sacred space — ways to encourage individuals of all ages and abilities to use their five senses to engage the divine. I have noticed that religious education across faith traditions and cultures is meant to inspire awe, to encourage curiosity, and to build a more understanding community. It is about faithful people nurturing the seeds of faith in others. Learners become teachers and the teachers continue to learn.
Perfume in Hyderabad’s main market, Char Minar.
I am grateful for the time we have had observing faithful people in their places of worship. It is a privilege and great honor to be present in sacred spaces, to learn from various religious traditions, and to see how we are all connected in our spiritual journeys.
There are so many learning moments to process and convey, but this is too short of a blog post to do our experiences justice! We look forward to sharing more of our experiences when we return!
Jayme Babczak is a dual-degree (M.Div./ M.A.C.E.) student at Union Presbyterian Seminary.
