RSS 1.0Asian Christianity / Theologies
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The Asian Christianity / Theologies collections gathers sources on the history of Asian Christianity and churches, with a focus on their theologies embedded in the specific socio-political, cultural and religious contexts of the Asian region. It includes articles from major Asian religious journals, such as Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies, Chinese Theological review, Ching Feng, Indonesian Journal of Theology, International Journal of Sino-Western Studies, Religions and Christianity in Today's China, and others. The collection is supported by the Foundation for Theological Education in South East Asia FTESEA.
Image taken from: England, John C. 2002. Asian Christian theologies: a research guide to authors, movements, sources. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, ISPCK/Claretian Publishers.
Recent Submissions
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Theological Functions for Human Life in the Perspective of Asian Theologies in the Era of Society 5.0Human civilization has changed so quickly since humans entered the era of the industrial revolution. In this context, the role of theology seems to be dead, i.e. it has not yet functioned for the benefit of humanity in the world. This study examines the development of the meaning of theology, theology for Asian theologians, and the function of theology towards human suffering in the midst of world crises. This study used literature studies. The study's findings include the functions of Muangthai's Waterbuffalo Theology, Catholicism's Polulorum Progression, Choan-Seng Song, Indonesian Pluralism Theology, Secularism Theology, Liberation Theology, Indian Dalif Theology, Korean Minjung Theology, and Philippine Struggle Theology. Basic conclusion from the process of human understanding of God's will for the present and future of humans based on the Bible Humans use the formulation of theology to free themselves from the problems of life, including poverty, education, the economy, security, and politics. Man invites God to intervene in human life to depends on the goodness of God. Sound theology is rooted in God as a way of life that has a closer relationship with God, the Creator. This hope positions theology as a solution to human problems in the world, specifically giving humans life in holiness, giving humans life in eschatological victory, giving humans life as the Salt and Light of the World, and theology of safeguarding humanity's hope against suffering calamity.
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Towards an Australian Chinese Catholic spiritualityAustralia is a multicultural, multifaith society and the Australian Catholic Church is a multiethnic organisation. The Chinese Catholic communities in Sydney began over five decades ago during the era of the White Australia Policy. They have grown in size and complexity with the rise in Chinese migration and the changing demography of the Australian Church. Asian Christianities now form a vibrant sector of global Christianity. Within China and in the Chinese Diaspora, Christianity is the fastest growing religion. Is there a spirituality of Australian Chinese Catholicism? We can catch a glimpse of it by seeing how the Chinese New Year is celebrated by Chinese Catholics in Sydney. Lex orandi, lex credeni: the liturgy is fundamental to the development of an authentically Australian, Chinese and Catholic spirituality.
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Receptive ecumenism through Asia's triple dialogue theologyThe present article has as its premise that the objectives of Receptive Ecumenism, a method of engagement recently promoted in western churches, is already well captured by the Asian Church’s method of triple dialogue. Both emphasize the Christian community’s willingness to learn from rather than to teach their partners-in-dialogue. The contextual realities which gave rise to the Asian Church’s theology of dialogue with the poor, the religions and the cultures of Asia will be discussed, especially with reference to the teachings and experiences of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences.
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Our Lady of La Vang Journeys with the Nation: Marian Devotion and Pilgrimage in VietnamThe sanctuary of Our Lady of La Vang (OLLV) reveals the role of popular devotion in Vietnamese Catholicism. It manifests the recent strategy from Vietnamese Church leaders to maintain a public presence with an emphasis on reinforcing a sense of Catholic identity through popular devotion and liturgy. Devotion to OLLV then reflects the interaction of several factors: the promotion of the clergy, political influence, and the collaboration of the Vietnamese Catholic laity. Building on existing scholarship that focuses on the cultural inheritance and collective identity of Vietnamese Catholics around the world, this paper explores the case study of the basilica of OLLV with an emphasis on the rituals and the institutional church’s strategy to promote the popular site. It argues that Mary’s presence at La Vang, as seen in pilgrim literature, and some devotional forms such as Marian Procession, Rosary, and Eucharist Adoration, as a living mother for pilgrims. More specifically, the Marian procession, oral prayers during the night, and the night performance-based prayer reflect the journey of Vietnamese Catholic pilgrims to their mother’s house. This lively devotion to Mother Mary expresses the clergy’s effort to journey with the nation and the Vietnamese Catholics and at the same time, reflects the role of the believers who keep the devotion alive.
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Theological Functions for Human Life in the Perspective of Asian Theologies in the Era of Society 5.0Human civilization has changed so quickly since humans entered the era of the industrial revolution. In this context, the role of theology seems to be dead, i.e. it has not yet functioned for the benefit of humanity in the world. This study examines the development of the meaning of theology, theology for Asian theologians, and the function of theology towards human suffering in the midst of world crises. This study used literature studies. The study's findings include the functions of Muangthai's Waterbuffalo Theology, Catholicism's Polulorum Progression, Choan-Seng Song, Indonesian Pluralism Theology, Secularism Theology, Liberation Theology, Indian Dalif Theology, Korean Minjung Theology, and Philippine Struggle Theology. Basic conclusion from the process of human understanding of God's will for the present and future of humans based on the Bible Humans use the formulation of theology to free themselves from the problems of life, including poverty, education, the economy, security, and politics. Man invites God to intervene in human life to depends on the goodness of God. Sound theology is rooted in God as a way of life that has a closer relationship with God, the Creator. This hope positions theology as a solution to human problems in the world, specifically giving humans life in holiness, giving humans life in eschatological victory, giving humans life as the Salt and Light of the World, and theology of safeguarding humanity's hope against suffering calamity.
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The Priest of Han as a Theme in the Christian-Shamanist Interfaith DialogueIn the article I would see into the ‘priest of han’ as a theme which Nam-dong Suh, one of the fathers of the Minjung theology, has developed, and suggest how he has made a creative and critical encounter with the shamanistic hanpuri. First, I examine in the first step how influential the shamanism is still in Korean society. In this connection I would investigate briefly how the shamanism is incorporated in Korean Protestantism. Second, I explain han and hanpuri in the context of Korean shamanism. Third, I analyze how the Minjung theology has employed the themes of han and hanpuri. Lastly, I give some suggestions about a spiritual formation for the ministry. From the Christian encounter with the shamanism I draw a few consequences. First of all, I suggest that Christian minister should learn something from the attitude of shamans towards the weak and oppressed. They have “a special predilection for the weak and oppressed” (I. M. Lewis) and are ready to be in solidarity with others in suffering. Of course, Christian minister need not to suffer the initiation sickness like shamans, but they must be trained to attain a spiritual competency to sympathize and to be in solidarity with the little people in suffering. Second, I think that the church should be earnest to the priesthood of han. It is not just the duty of the minister. The priesthood of han should be reinterpreted from the perspective of the priesthood of all believers.
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“If the Gospel we preach disregards human rights, I would rather not preach this Gospel” : towards a lived theology of Hong Kong churchesBoth pro-establishment Christians, who support ‘obeying the authority’ (Romans 13), and pro-democracy Christians, who participated in the 2014–20 protests, want what is best for Hong Kong and truest to their Christian faith, but they understand those aims differently. The former believe social stability is a way to create space for Christian faith to flourish, while the latter judge that we need to break the current unjust system for Christian faith to begin flourishing. After conducting interviews with lay Christians, we found that both sides can struggle to communicate their vision for faithful Christian political theology. One reason, which we explore here, is that the key theo-political concepts at issue—namely, protest, democracy, and rights—derive from the historical context of post-Christendom societies rooted in the Western Enlightenment tradition. Hong Kong is adjacent to that tradition, but not at home in it. Using the method of ‘narrative portraiture,’ we endeavor to explore their respective theologies. This method uses the participants’ own stories, so that we, as researchers, are not speaking for Hong Kong Christians, but instead illuminating their own ideas. Presenting these lived theologies can remind us, as church leaders, that our congregations are a source of God's revelation to us, even when they may lack the terms to communicate effectively, which is why we should not forget to listen to the “average Jane.”
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The Religiosity of the Indonesian Constitution: Article 29(1) and Its InterpretationThis paper examines the problem of whether the inclusion of religious words in the Indonesian Constitution is tantamount to the establishment of a religious constitution. By focusing on the Constitution’s provision on “belief in the One and Only God” in Article 29(1), this paper challenges the received theory of the religiosity of the Constitution. To that end, the paper first investigates the doctrinal and historical implications of Article 29(1). Particular analysis concerns the implications of this constitutionalization for Islamic law. The Constitutional Court’s decision on interreligious marriage is critically examined as an example of how the received theory is endorsed and articulated in the case of marriage. This paper argues that Article 29(1) concerns all religions, without any implied exclusion of non-monotheistic religions. Moreover, this paper affirms what is called the Pancasila state, located between an exclusively secular state and a religious or theocratic state. This arguably makes the notion of the religiosity of the Constitution unjustified. The Constitutional Court, however, has interpreted Article 29(1) in a strongly religious sense, leading to religious supremacy and, accordingly, is contrary to how the Constitution ought to be understood.
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The Significance of the Dalit Sant Ravidas: A Theological ResponseThe life and teaching of Sant Ravidas provide all Dalits encouragement and a shining example of gaining their dignity and place in society as equal human beings. It is clearly shown that the Bible affirms this, and theological analysis and reflection reconfirm the mission of the Church to help all Dalits gain their rightful, respected and dignified place in society.
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JNANADEEPA: Pune Journal of Religious Studies 25.4Challenges and Tasks for the Asian Church Editorial: Challenges and Tasks for the Asian Church 3 Current Trends and Future Tasks of Christian Theology of Asia: In Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Foundation of the FABC Peter C. Phan 8 Living on the Edge of Hackable Life: Commoditization of Human Privacy Victor Ferrao 30 John Henry Newman and His Untiring Quest for the Truth: The Magisterium and Personal Conscience Savio Vaz SAC 49 From Peter to Mary: Rethinking the Theological Virtues of Faith, Hope and, Love Antony J. D’Cruz O. Praem 65 Jesus and Ambedkar: The Relevance of the Emancipatory Correlation between Jesus and Dr. Ambedkar to the Contemporary Indian Catholic Church G. Arokia Sebastin Babu, HGN 92 Dialogue among Religions: For Harmonious and Meaningful Future Clement Valluvassery 104 Solidarity and Fraternity of All Brothers and Sisters: A Creative Reading of Fratelli tutti ....... Soroj Mullick SDB 129 Book Reviews 157
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Editorial: Challenges and Tasks for the Asian ChurchFr Stan Swamy SJ, died on Monday, July 5, 2021 as a martyr and tribal activist and he symbolised the challenges and tasks of the Asian Church.. The personal opinion of Julio Ribeiro, a retired IPS officer, former Mumbai Police commissioner and DGP, Gujarat and Punjab is to the point: “Stan Swamy lived a life of service to the poor and oppressed. He paid for his commitment.” He thinks that citizens of this ancient land who have a heart will shed a genuine tear or two. There will be many more like him who would truly grieve, some vocal but mostly silent mourners whose cerebral dislike for injustice rankles in their guts. According to him the great majority of the mourners cannot be accused of even a whiff of parochial feelings.
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Statement of Asian Theology Conference Ecclesia in Asia (EA) & Church's Service to AsiaWe are 40 theologians from different Asian countries who have come together to reflect on the document EA. We are grateful to the document for challenging us to rethink and revision what it means to be Church in Asia. EA brings into focus the importance of an inculturated theology. We acknowledge the need of being Church in a holistic way that recognizes human needs in an Asian context. At the same time, we realize that we have too easily absorbed even dehumanizing elements. We confess our shortcomings. We remain in great part a clerical Church in which patriarchy, inequality based on caste differentiation, gender insensitivity and an unhealthy spirit of proselytization continue to disfigure the countenance of the Church in Asia. Yet we discover God’s saving action and the presence of the divine in the many faces of the Churches in Asia as well as in other faith persuasions.
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Current Trends and Future Tasks of Christian Theology of Asia: In Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Foundation of the FABCThis essay begins with a brief assessment of the theological legacy of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences in terms of a triple dialogue (with the Asian poor, cultures, and religions) and contextual theology It then surveys eight common features of Asian Christianity, namely, foreign character, colonial heritage, dehumanizing poverty, ecological destruction, minority status, Communist and socialist governments, ubiquitous migration, and anti-woman ideology. Next, it points to eight contemporary theological trends in response to these eight commonalities. It concludes with an examination of one of these eight trends, namely, interreligious dialogue, with reference to Pope Francis’s teaching on this theme.
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Third-Stream Orientalism: J. N. Farquhar, the Indian YMCA's Literature Department, and the Representation of South Asian Cultures and Religions (ca. 1910–1940)This article reconstructs the history of the Indian YMCA's Orientalist knowledge production in an attempt to capture a significant, if forgotten, transitional moment in the production and dissemination of scholarship on the religions and cultures of the Indian subcontinent. The YMCA's three Orientalist book series examined here flourished from the 1910s to the 1930s and represent a kind of third-stream approach to the study of South Asia. Inspired by the Christian fulfillment theory, “Y Orientalism” was at pains to differentiate itself from older polemical missionary writings. It also distanced itself from the popular “spiritual Orientalism” advocated by the Theosophical Society and from the philologically inclined “academic Orientalism” pursued in the Sanskrit departments of Western universities. The interest of the series’ authors in the region's present and the multifarious facets of its “little traditions,” living languages, arts, and cultures, as well as their privileging of knowledge that was generated “in the field” rather than in distant Western libraries, was unusual. Arguably, it anticipated important elements of the “area studies” approach to the Indian subcontinent that became dominant in Anglophone academia after the Second World War.
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Contextualizing Christian theology in South AsiaSouth Asian region has largely been under the influence of Indian, Chinese and Arabic cultures. All of the religious traditions have been strongly localized and tolerated various forms of folk cultures. Christianity in this region came in the early sixteenth century and flourished in the colonial era. It is normally assumed that it escaped from the process of adaptation and syncretism. However, this is not the case, as there were a number of missionaries not interested in Europeanizing their converts as in the case of Jesuits missionaries in India. Here in this article an attempt has been made to explicate the early attempt of western missionaries and local Christian to localize Christianity. To achieve this goal this paper has been divided into three sections. First section sheds light upon the overall attitude of early missionaries to the indigenous cultures and religions of India. Second section deals with the early efforts of contemporization in Indian Subcontinent. Third section will illustrate the situation church had to face after the partition of India, and how this partition impeded the process of contemporization movement. As a method, this article reviews the efforts of both native Christians and missionaries to indigenize Christianity in Indian first chronologically and then thematically.
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The hermeneutical concepts of Minjung theology in historical perspectiveThis article aims to explain the hermeneutical concepts of minjung theology as a genuine Korean form of liberation theology in historical perspective: the concept of minjung as the oppressed masses; the Missio Dei as a missiological paradigm of minjung theology that understands redemption as covering all aspects of human life; event such as the Jesus event which has continuously happened as minjung’s socio-economic-political events in history, and the doctrine of the minjung messiah as an acting subject in history. It can be stated that the gospel is contextualised in an encounter with the socio-political injustice and the religious-cultural spirituality within the specific national context during the military dictatorships of the 1970s and the 1980s.
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Faithful Education Madrassahs in South AsiaWhat do we know about madrassahs? Should Western policymakers be alarmed by the recent increase in the number of these institutions in Muslim countries? Is there any connection between them and the "global jihad"? Ali Riaz responds to these questions through an in-depth examination of the madraassahs in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India. Faithful Education examines these institutions and their roles in relation to current international politics.