Asia Journal Theology

We Weep as “Jesus Wept”

2024-03-31T20:41:09+00:00

It is observed that the New Testament contains fewer records of weeping narratives and employs comparatively restrained emotional language in contrast to the Old Testament. Additionally, psychologists and sociologists have noted that individuals from Asian cultures tend to exhibit a lower degree of emotional expressiveness relative to their counterparts in a European/ American culture. This article is a response to both claims through the lens of weeping and tears in the NT, in particular, the tears of Jesus. I demonstrate that there is sufficient data for a survey on the topic of weeping and sorrow in the NT and argue that our findings can and should inform the relatively emotionally suppressed Asian culture. I focus only on the emotional expression of weeping by Jesus, for if Jesus himself is known to have personally experienced pain and sorrow and even openly wept and cried, then should not followers of Jesus also be encouraged and allowed to do the same?

On the Continuity of the Western Christian Tradition in Asia

2023-12-20T22:32:43+00:00

In this essay I address whether the Western Christian heritage is suitable for theologizing in Asian contexts or whether it is insufficient and ought to be discarded by the Asian church, as suggested by various Asian theologians. I respond primarily to the arguments put forward by Hwa Yung in his seminal book Mangoes or Bananas. Hwa’s critiques of the Western tradition have been influential in shaping the Malaysian and Southeast Asian theological context. I hope to show that his view is untenable and ultimately mistaken. The solution I advance takes seriously the concerns raised by Hwa but suggests that the goal should not be to part with the Western theological tradition, which is indispensable in maintaining orthodoxy. Rather, the answer lies in distinguishing between orthodoxy and orthopraxis in such a way that allows the Asian theologian to address context-specific needs without the danger of being lost in a sea of cultural relativism.

The Book of Jeremiah and What ‘Exile’ Means for the Hong Kong People in Diaspora Today

2023-06-22T00:36:00+00:00

This paper examines the theological significance of the exile of Israel as depicted in the book of Jeremiah, with a special focus on chapter 29 and draws implications for the Hong Kong people who were forced to emigrate due to the social unrests in 2019 and the subsequent tightening policies implemented by the Beijing and Hong Kong governments. The experiences of the Babylonian exile resonate with the Hong Kong diaspora as they are similarly driven to depart from their native land and build new lives in foreign territories, despite differences in contexts and situations. By analyzing the biblical text and drawing parallels to the contemporary context, this study seeks to shed light on the theological implications of exile and offer insights that can be applied to the Hong Kong diaspora.

On Karl Barth and Asians

2023-10-02T03:03:29+00:00

In this essay, I argue that Karl Barth (1886-1968) is a contextual theologian who can be an interlocutor in contextualization and decoloniality in Asia. While Barth is seen as antithetical to natural theology, which may imply opposition to contextual theologies, his theology is nevertheless contextual since he was fully engaged with the mood of his time while proclaiming that God turned his face toward humanity. In this article, I will draw on his concept of actualism found in his Church Dogmatics II. I contend that actualism calls us to 1) go beyond the translation approach, 2) respond to God’s revelation through contextualization and decolonization, and 3) consider God as the main subject and object in our contextual and decolonial endeavors in Asia.

Sin and Human Suffering

2024-03-06T22:38:48+00:00

In the course of human history, sin and human suffering have been perennial topics of discussion. It was commonly believed that human suffering was the result of sin. This article argues, using contextual criticism, that the link between sin and human suffering is not found in John 5:14 and John 9:1-3. In other words, human suffering is not always caused by sin. The exegetical findings of John 5:14 and John 9:1-3 are then placed in dialogue with the Karo understanding of the connection between sin and human suffering. The aforementioned procedure is called contextual criticism.

On Religious Liberty and Secularism in Plural Societies

2024-09-16T02:11:14+00:00

This article argues that a rightly framed understanding of religious liberty and secularism in a plural society facilitates public square deliberation. Addressing first the religious (Christian) constituent, I demonstrate how the Noahic covenant and the traditional doctrines of eschatology, anthropology, and missiology push toward promoting religious liberty for all. By implication, a full-bodied religious liberty welcomes different voices in public square deliberations. Conversely, in addressing the nonreligious constituent, I explore how one dimension of the urge to exclude religious voices from public square deliberations comes from a misguided understanding that the secularization of a society is automatically accompanied by the emptying out of religion and religious beliefs. Rather, a more appropriate secularism focuses on the neutrality of the public square and does not prohibit religious voices in public square deliberations. I conclude by highlighting a philosophy of pluralism that captures this rightly framed understanding of religious liberty and secularism—covenantal pluralism.

Asian Christian Ethics: Evangelical Perspectives

2024-10-01T04:30:14+00:00

This is a book review of Aldrin M. Peñamora and Bernard K. Wong, eds., Asian Christian Ethics: Evangelical Perspectives, Cumbria: Langham Global Library and Asia Theological Association, 2022.

John Song: Modern Chinese Christianity and the Making of a New Man

2024-04-02T01:58:23+00:00

Song Shangjie (Chinese: 宋尚節; 1901-1944), also known as John Song or John Sung, was a prominent Chinese evangelist who played a key role in the revival movement in China and Southeast Asia during the 1920s and 1930s. Numerically speaking, Song, often considered an exemplary figure of an indigenous Christian tradition independent of the West and a source of the present Christian revival in China, can rightfully be called the greatest Chinese evangelist of the 20th century. Despite controversies surrounding his biography, mission methodology, and character, Song's influence in China and Southeast Asia remains palpable to this day. Daryl Ireland, Research Associate Professor of Mission at Boston University School of Theology and the associate director of the university’s Center for Global Christianity and Mission, stands as one of the foremost authorities on the life and work of John Song. His latest work, "John Song: Modern Chinese Christianity and the Making of a New Man," is an impressive culmination of years of research efforts previously captured in individual small publications and his 2015 dissertation on John Sung.

The Alliance Movement in Hong Kong: The Historical Development of the Hong Kong Christian and Missionary Alliance, 1949–1999

2024-06-25T11:14:49+00:00

Visions and inputs are roadmaps for church growth, and this is particularly true for the Hong Kong Christian and Missionary Alliance (hereafter as the Alliance or Alliance Church), one of the most dynamic denominations in the territory. Even though Christianity (i.e., Catholicism and Protestantism) remains a minority in Hong Kong, making up appropriately 16 percent (1.2 million) of the population, its cultural influence is disproportionate to the small numbers. In the Alliance’s case, their evangelistic and educational services have exposed the non-Christian public to the faith. This book is derived from a Ph.D. dissertation that Ellis Ming-Cheung Ho defended at the Central China Normal University. Ho draws on archival materials to investigate the continuity and change of the Alliance Church in modern Hong Kong.

Why Evangelical Theology Needs the Global Church

2024-09-30T23:38:35+00:00

This is a book review of Stephen T. Pardue's Why Evangelical Theology Needs the Global Church (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023).

A Missional Reading of the Fourth Gospel: A Gospel- Driven Theology of Discipleship

2024-10-06T12:26:11+00:00

This article is a book review of KWON Sung Chan, A Missional Reading of the Fourth Gospel: A Gospel-Driven Theology of Discipleship, Oxford: Regnum Books, 2022.