Teaching Methods of Theology in Ancient Bali during the 8th–11th Centuries

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-394-8_16How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Methods; Teaching; Theology; Ancient Bali

Abstract

Theology was the primary focus of the ancient Balinese kingdom, serving as the linchpin for various facets of societal life, including economics, social structures, education, and governance. The theological doctrines were not merely spiritual guidelines but integral to maintaining civic order and ensuring the populace adhered to legal and ethical norms. Given theology’s profound influence on the societal framework, instilling its principles deeply within the community was deemed imperative. The research problem addressed in this study pertains to the pedagogical approaches employed in teaching theology during the ancient Balinese period between the 8th and 11th centuries. This qualitative research utilizes a theo-epigraphic approach, with its primary data comprising inscriptions from that era. The findings illuminate the dissemination of Shivaist and Buddhist doctrines, ethical instruction, and religious ceremonies, as well as the discovery of sacred sites and mediums of ancestor veneration. The research reveals that the reverence for both Shiva and Buddhism permeated the worship practices and hermitic traditions of the time. The study demonstrates that the king and religious authorities conveyed theological teachings—one significant method being through inscriptions. Concrete representations such as statues, symbolic artifacts, sacred locations, and religious rites were employed to render abstract theological concepts more accessible to the general populace. Practices such as meditation within hermitages and ethical conduct towards all of God’s creations were emphasized as means of avoiding suffering and attaining purity and spiritual fulfillment.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - I Nyoman Rema
AU  - I Gusti Made Suarbhawa
AU  - Wahyu Rizky Andhifani
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/05/19
TI  - Teaching Methods of Theology in Ancient Bali during the 8th–11th Centuries
BT  - Proceedings of The 5th International Conference on Linguistics and Cultural Studies 5 (ICLC-5 2024)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 124
EP  - 133
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-394-8_16
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-394-8_16
ID  - Rema2025
ER  -