SPCK International Study Guide 50 Asian Theology on the Way Christianity, culture and context Edited by Peniel Jesudason Rufus Rajkumar 6PCK)Part 1 Asian Christian theology: birds’-eye views of the furrows1 The task, method and content __ of Asian theologies sethonathan Clarke Bf Abstract In this chapter Clarke identifies five defining dimensions of theologiting in Asia He characterizes Asian Chaitan theology as human reflection on a shared God and Christan reflection on Jesus asthe interpreter of God. tnd human being: a a conimunitarian theology aba discerning and cti- Cal theology; a a constructive theology, and a2 tansformational theology ‘which purses ie in all its fullness. He further explores thee significant ‘themes that represent the content of Asan Chistian theology: building sol: ‘arty wih neighbours of diferent faiths throug widening the understand. Ing of God; constructing ahistorically concrete ess who gives voice othe (es and lifts up the hope of Asia's poor and marginalized and developing ‘complementary modes of biblical interpretation in response to the multi> ‘cripual and postcolonial Asian conte. J Introduction Although constructed asa single ent, the continent of Asta contains ‘multnade of elites. From one viewpoint an essentially united worldview Ties atthe heart ofthese complex and various interpretations of reali, This vision is well articulated by Olakura Katazo in the opening lines of his ‘book Ta dea ofthe Eas Ais tone. The Himalaya divide. ony oacentuate to mighty clization, ‘he Chine ith is communism of Conf and the Indian wih is Sndvdunis of Veda, But nt even dhe snomy Bae can tempt fr one ‘omen ht broad expanse of love fr the Ultiate andthe Univeral whieh [tthe common thought inhestanee of every Ate ce (ako, 1903: 1) 2Sie ye vows of efron Quite contrary to this unitary conception of Asia exists another, pluralistic vesion, Different peoples with unique histories, worldviews, ences and national apiraions appear o be forced into a common mould under the gaze of colonialism. Leo Ching, in reaction to views suchas those of alazo, tate: ‘Aaa acer a eau eligious or lnguie unsy nor unified word The prin of unity Hes tee of ely ean to (an)otbe. ne ‘an sorb to Ala any vague vente of uy, it at which exuded and ‘bjt by the wet in service of ts vc progress, Aa and can be ‘ne, nly under the impel ee af the west. (Ching 1988) leis within the contrast between this oneness and these plurals that Asian ‘theologies must be located. OF coure this discourse i ise projected as unitary phenomenon; and yet itis atculated by many communities, com {eats and histories. Having admitted to this appacent paradox, {shall for reasons of styl and simplicity reer to the area of theological reflection that [shal explore i this chapter a ‘Asian theology’ “his essay has two pars, In theft part which deals wit the formal side ‘ofthe discipline, Loffer a definition of Asian Christian theology ad then explicate some of lis methodological features. n the second part, which represents the material sie, I examine thre substantial theological themes that have aken ctr stage in Asia. A definition of Asian theology its method and task 1 shall begin expotinding thetaskand method of Asian theology by offering definition. Asian Christan theology, I suggest is collective reflection on God, the word and human beings and thei inteeatonshins, this reflee- tion being framed by Jesus Christ and formed through the Holy Spc in light ofthe lies af the peoples of Asa for the purpose of transforming the life of the world in accordance with the good news thatthe Hingdom ‘of God is at hand! (Starke 115). Let me euckdate this dense defintan by ‘exploring five elements that pau the various dimensions of theology in ‘si, First, Aslan Christian theology is human cflecton on a shared God and. ‘Christan reflection on Jesus Christ asthe interpreter of God and hi- rman beings. Asan theology is not mere porting or announcing of pre packaged lenowledge fom God. Is human reflection on what i afirmed to be divinely inspired knowledge of God. It selection by human beings for their fllnes o fein harmony with the rest of creation forte parpone of bringing gory to God. A commonality with other religious communities is racy accepted in Asa, and celebrates out common fama flourishing, 4 Tho tc, method and content on theses that glotlies God ovr univenal and shared erator, Yet the dstnciveness fof fsian Chistian theology comes fom a por commitment that lit up Jesus Citas dhe exact mae of Cod aa he complet iage of human bts to fame this rellecion. The power ofthe Holy Spite guides both the com ‘monality (God as universal Creator) and dhe particularity (Jesus Chit as (Concrete mediatr) of such relleaion ito ever new th, second: Asian Christian theology is communitatan. Asian theology Is petal but not private. Both in its eeception by the community ofthe faihfl and in is faihfal expression in Church and socexy, theology inter acts with other voces, beliefs and experiences. A sense of humility i ull into thevoeation ofan thealogiane Despite the prea ofthe contempor- ary lobalized cthos of inividualism and egotism, the idea that theology only erains to me and ‘my sweet Lord's untenable in Asia Nor isthe practice of Asian theology felegated to deeply inspired Fastem mystics 4nd bilianly wained oriental academics. The democratization of Aslan the ‘ology and the consoquent interuptions by those seeking to engage In da Jogue may generate a more messy end this les neatly packaged theology, ‘bu they help to bring o theological activity the questions and the answers ‘ofall God's people. Asian theologians are called to exercise patience. Theit ‘wotk needs oe cried out in conversation with the broader vision ofthe ‘armmunity and more subaltern versions of theologies ofthe people, This ‘commitment to include ordinaty people in theological refection i 2 im portantaspeet of Asian theology. "These fst wo charactecstes of Asan theology are well aculated by wololeung Yeung Fe theologians shod sum tec eyes away from the play of abit des nd theolgieinsend withthe living cares of crdinary people. Secon, no single theology could ci univer or exercise dominance over othe, fultres (Thus) Asian theologians have condude thet theologies should be Tring and pla (eung 2002: 152), ‘Third, Asian Chistian theology is not unertcally absorptive. When we characterize theology 38 ctl we must be conscious that we there i ly ewo difeent meanings. The fst meaning hast do with the fac that ‘eology dels with imporany indeed crucial matters. Sometimes we over Took the fact that crtieal means exremely important (Le. This procedure is ‘rtcal to saving the life ofthis woman’ ‘Te ericl ar ofthe plot can bye found only in the dreadfully dull tenth chapter of this long book) The limponance of theology stems frm the fac that alWays sees to be 3: countable to God aswell 351 people. However, we cannot shy away Eom, a second aspect of ou theological atv, which ental the discriminating faculty of reason. This is the more popular use ofthe ter “erica algo the mest dsinsted, buta qualification may make lt more appealing It ‘may help in the Asian contet to ute dhe terms ‘dacerning or reflective to 5irae ou of the frou xpress sis crt function that has been gifted by God to human beings Hiuman being, ar distinc from other living organisms, have dhe bility fo be ellecive both about themecles and about thei context. These dimen sions ofbeing discerning ae intrinsic to Asan theology. Fourth, there isa constructive clement to Asian Christian theology. Hu ‘man beings lve within the gifts of inherited wadilons and the constructs of imagined futures. ‘No one pus new wine into old wineskin otherwise the new wine wil bust the skins and wil be spilled, and te skins wil be destroyed. But the new wine must be put into fresh winesking’ (Luke 5.37, 38) Inthis sense Asgn Christian theology isnot cya or rela. Iedoes not see to come back to the same staring point. ty oto speak, ‘even the wheat in order to spin ne historical paths and civese human pattems ‘The non-cplical movement of God in history leads to new forms of the present which in turn disrupts and tes the future from inherited cyclical, Davies of history an fed notions of God's wl. In Asia this infasing of the imaginative and erative has helped in rescuing theology from academic pundits and priestly narraters, and in incorporating in thelr place the work of anists and prophes. Finally, ransformative objectives of life in all ts wholeness permeate Asian Christian theology. Asan thology is not only ‘discourse or words out Goa Its also about changing the course ofthe dis-ease that under- ‘mines hfe as Géd desires it forall of xeation persuades the realities ofthe word and human beings o Bt into God's the Mngdom of God! Tissa Balasuiya's notion of planetary theology accoudingly presents an idea of liberation that encompases a harmonious owe iterating all aspects of lie de individual, soceties, cultures religions and various elemens of the cosmds (Balasuiya, 1984. For move than hal century Raimon Panik has insisted that suc a restored reality i always ‘cosmotheandde (where cosmes, cosmic order, dias, de divine and anivpe, te human, are recon ted into “The Rhythm of Being). Joseph Prabhu's Foreword to Pan's recent magaum opus pas thls sucinly for Panilay, the Tad structure (of Realty comprises che Divine, the Human and the Cosmic in thorough joing relational (Prabhu, 2010: x) ‘Theology thus cannot be about transformation of any ofthese compo: ents ofreality in isolation. & oo Cea arcane cream iy ee ee oe tug fecha Sopa earoar ghee a % Reece aera airare ‘The tik mated and content of stn tacos Three themes that represent the content of Asian theology Keeping these formal features in the background I shall now examine a + lection of themes that reflect the content of theology as expressed inthe ‘sian continent. Clearly all sch bundling of motif reece the particular penpectives and speal commitments of whoever selects the material snd plates the subject mater. The bis toward choosing, relating and a vocating liberation, contextual, constructive, and upconventional ajc toves in theologiing is explicitly acknowledged. As Tmterpret the coatent ‘of Asian theology inthe twenty-first century, I identify thee broad themes, ‘that have gained a significant foothold, Religious pluralism in Asian theology Fs, theologizing in Asi has sought to forge solidarity Between Christians and thet neighbours of differing igous fits by cresting spaciousness in God. ‘Though history these waters have overlowed into every selon of the sword. Thus, west Asa gave ith to Judas, Chilanty and stam; south, ‘Asia spawned (or generated) Hindus, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhin: land east Asa engendered Confocianism, Taoism, Shinto and Shamanism. In this sea of living cligions, Chrstianigy isa stall watering hoe. What ‘ve statistics one draws upon there appears to be agreement that Chis tians made up less than ten per cent ofthe population of Asa in 20%0. ‘Asian Chriss have often found themselves theologically estranged from ‘the majoriyof their neighbour, who lived happily within commitment ‘other religious tradiéons This historical cecurtstance has obliged them ‘work toward a tology that is at once both passionately Christan and specfally intenligious.Ihas bees impossible o maintain an imperialistic view of other lions within the bounds of such intimate communi. The ‘way in which Asian theologians explicate their faith and practice is marked ‘by the fac that her religion exists in a continent thats more than 90 per ‘ent non-Christian, RS, Suginhaajah expieises the postive sie of this “The bak tht now i not te decaation ofthe pepe in an Aan eye but icering i af nthe ongoing broken rlatonsipe beoween diferent, fomminties and between human commons and the creed der, “The tsk is sean not os adapting the Chistian gospel tn Asian idloms but 7Sc ye vows of earns 5 seconcepuslising the basi tenets ofthe Christian fh inthe light of ‘sane, (Sugitharaab, 1994: 5) Trust has therefore arsen in the spaciuanest of God, ining theology in ‘Asia to embrace other eligous experiences and treitios. The abundance Within God i reclaimed graciously and generously in order to remember and re-integeatloal and native cstural and eligious experiences end trade tions, and thus to reelaim the identity of Asian communities that were fEagmented or overpowered by colonial forms of Christianity. This vine capaciousnes (lrgencs) fees Asan Christian communities to grant theo logical vale tothe divine experiences that nourished tellive before they cepted Jesus as Lov. This emphasis on Gods spaciousnes also permits ‘Asian theologians working in religiously plural sings to realn,uillae and celebrate the religious and cultural resources available to their non Christan faniies, neighbours and ancestors, Stanley Samarha isan eatly voice who cogently wotked on de-parochiliing (undoing the nssrowness of Goat A proces of ejecting exclusive clan and seeking ew ways of understanding the restonship of less Catto Gad aed humanity ated undeay ‘Rom what may be descbed as ‘normative ecuivim,” Christiane ate roving toward a positon of eladonal distactneney” of Cet. Te ‘eltonal because Christ doesnot remain wardated to neighbor of othe ‘aihs, and disineave Because without eogniing te dstneivenes ofthe sent eigiousuadlions as dient responses tothe Mery of Cod no ‘tual enrichments posable. (Samantha, 1991:76,77), ‘Thistle the drcton of apace theologan Keke Koyama’ een to consider an epansive and inteelous Chatology in convertion sh Grsk and Buddhist egos thought and piacophy. n'a caper ied ‘roel Peper and Bodh ate wen et Chi be “as Ch notin the oxtight econ ofboth Aroteln pepper tod Bais salt but rather in using then low ean one we Ane nd Bus (thew reatape) toca ess Chit alin Tha tang (Roya, 1974287), Jesus and the poor in Asian theology ‘Second; making God more capacious doesnot prevent tology from etab- lishing histoscallyeonerate Tesus who amplifies the cy and ifs high the hope ofthe Asin poor and marginalized. In spite of dhe focus on Acs In met global dicourses of the bottom Dillion, Asia in the wsesy-ist century sil as the highest ving namber ‘of poo: people Ironically this sate of affairs has coincided with the rise of ‘China, Kores and India. a major global economic powers. Furthermore, the growing disparity benween the ich and the poot in Aas use fr concer, ‘While the shrinking of dhe world has become a hallmark of if today, eco- “The tik mothe and conan Asn, ‘omic globalization hes not led to a more economically just world ‘Amartya Senisacutely aware of the power imbalances inferent in globe tion. But more imporantly he identifies the growing numberof voles te refs to accept sch a situation in the twenty centny ded the rel debate on globalisation lately, not about the efieny ofthe marks nr about the imponance of modern technolo. The detec, tater ig abou the seveze amet of poe for wiih here ch tolerance now than inte wri hat emerged a the en of the Sood Word War what i absolutly des that people ae fa les wing to ace smasive eae tan they were in 1943 (Sen, 2005: 342,583) ‘Asian theology joins in this crtque of globalization from the standpoint of the poor and exuded. oes urea Hs cies ada ie cen is OME Ses i eM Bi LURE Making space inthe abstractions ofa universal God (inthe Asian muli- {ah context) needs o be accompanied by puting ford ie sbvenive and liberating dimension of the Riso Jeu inte stan conte of over). Alas Pets consistent alls about hs al Aan contest ne which involves he many selgos and te many por (Pes, 1996 143). ‘Asan theology wil ot low the stra Fens to rest in peace and renin withdrawn from the suflting experienced by the poor and by Irgnalized commune or fiom the hope for feed thelr cs res. Various eonal Ciisologler hae reed Jesus sone of her Seles in ther stg agunt rutile addon re@imes and deologes ‘openting in cllaboraion wih prodt-diventannalonel caporations Minjung theology fom Korea focus on the working poor expo 3 they ae by the nation state In connivance with burgeoning corporations Dal and Tbe theologies rom nda foreground the of hat were once tefered to as the unouciables (hey themes prefer the term ‘Dal, ‘thik means roken one) and Taal (dhe preter vast which means “cial dwell) Women jin the dacoureehy calling upon Jes cal lenge sian patchy nis hs and moder ors tn many instances, ‘eho ess is promoted asthe sole bass and crterion fhe oe of Asan Crna theology in warding ofthe defacing and egemone conse. {usaces ofthe, dominant helopes By identtjing te slay ote strc es wit the por and te cade, Ain ology ges vue ww such peoples extension and connect ths wih Gods mison 1 fee and uplift them. The human Jens ws the Huan One fom God ‘who idee with and continies o wock with the poor, te colonized, Minjung Dalia divans, otheted women, and ihe outcast in hel ight °Bio van of the fron live as human beings with dignity and justice. C.S. Song powerily links the historia Jesus to such marginalized groups: ess in shot ithe cad peopl! eas means cred people To sy es 'stosay sulting people To know juris to know sferngpeople.Tradiona Chriian nology tls ws that to Sow Jesus we mst know Cod ft Bat we ses that oItow God we must kno ets bern et rales Go el 12 {u Now we muse go even father to kaow lata we st know people By People ean thowe men, women, apd children ia Jes dy oa, ai a the dye come economia explo aliclly ppeese culturally 20d religiously clienatd seal ray or dae wae cited agains (Sone. 2000215, 216) In focasing onthe theological rejection of dominant and powerful models ‘of human social and economic organination, one cannot ignoe the forceful and ceativecontpution of Asian feminists as they make Jes take onthe oppressive, cumulative and allencompassing system of patlarchy. Etched ino centuries of cultural and veligious traditions, systems of patriarchal Privilege were embedded in the prevalent consrucs of gender tltions, afetng women both inthe Church and in sclry at large. Asan women have built a powerful movement to challenge the legitimacy of ec forms ‘of patriarchy, Let me lis two creative offerings that mavl his telamation af Jesus by Asian women. ist fom the Phillppines, and in continuity with the work of Virgina fabela and Mary fohn Mananzan, win urged a shift in emphasis from the historia acident of fesus’ malenes o the ontological significance ofthe liberation process thathe initiated, Muriel Orevilo- Montenegro makes n0- {able contibucon, She interprets Jeaus though ‘the many-Sreased mothe’ Jnown in Filipino mythology as Inang Baya (literally he mother of the land and peopl). Like Tnang Bayan, Jesus wept with hi people, was ain for them and yet ‘ses again and gain in te communities that continue to strugle for fullnes oft’ (Oreillo- Montenegro, 2006: 198). Second, fiom a Korean context that draws ieally on shamanisti religion and exlure, Chung Hyun Kyung proposes the notion of Jesus as Priest of Henn emt Ploying the tr hax (which refer to the intense burdens that build p35 ‘result of oppression and injustice) she identifies a ibecative roe for Jesus, ‘spec in connection with sian women, ln her words, ‘Asa Korean sha. ‘man has been healer, comforter and counselor for Korean women, Jesus (Christ healed and comforted women i his ministy (Chung, 1990: 6) Asian theology in a multi-scriptural context ‘Tied, the mult-sciptural context and the postcolonial situation of Asia verse to quite diferent yet complementary mode of Bible interpretation Inthe continent Religious fascination and engagement with the Bible has always been att of Asian theology. However, while graitide nd reverence were evident 10 “The tek method ad content of Asan thooogies ina mulweligous context, one in which Scripture was a means of pres ing and promouing fllnes of hie such engagement tended to engender «sspicion and scepticism in a postcolonial situation, wherein the Bible had bec used asa means of legitimizing and expanding colonialism. "The mulé-scriprural context of Asi, on the other hand, has infuenced ‘Chistian theology to cherish its own textual narrative while also respecting ‘other expressions of sacred wisdom. Thus, eading the Bibl alongide the ‘acted scriptures af Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists opens up genuinely (Geaive spaces or ‘eading religous texts ietetelgiouly”. Peter Phan points ‘ut the edifying consequences of sch itetextual interpretations: Ieisnota materofeboosing ight agains dashnes, sth again err goodness ‘gaint rl benuy saint ugliness father, tiene a mater of inching and Intgrag dene insights one hs gubered fom sites reading of the non-Christian scripts into anew Frmulaion af the Chessan Eat and proce: (Phen 2003-350) ‘The sgnifeations of the Bible cannot be understood in isolation from the preeiting word of religious txts that e part of the social memory and practice of Asan communities. The value ofthe Bible ie enhanced eater than diminished within such ahistorical setng afar that aes on special significance among communities that have been denied acest o Serpe. ‘Asan ample, we can cite the reception and valuation af the Bible among Dalits. twas not asf they merely did not have the sacred ee instead twas that they were refused it because such a pure form of divine revatio could not be placed close to ther polluted being, Kancha lala draws ou atten tion tthe manner in which the arva of the Chistian Bible tansformed the identities of Dalits and Tebal communities by incorporating ther imo the sacred world of leracy and religous reetvgy (alah, 2008). The ible i wuly a cherished and prized concrete sacred gif, accepted by Dalit (Christians asa sign of dvine wisdom. The respect given to various scpstes Jn Asian cultures cannot be discounted in any theological proces witout ‘benaying the modem ox posumodern tendency to decontexualive and de- histaicize dei socal. psychological and religous value, ‘This being sid, the growing infvence of postcolonial biblical scholar. ship in Asia must also be acknowledged. Led by the substantial work of| 1S. Sugihara hisschool of theology epresents quitea diferent mood and mode of operation. I has helped seeptcally and deliberately to undo ‘colonial intepreations of Scripture and a Wester exegesis that justifies domination. As fs step, the hermeneutics of suspicion’ thus dilocated {he colonize from his or her privileged position of weaving biblical mas ter narrative that fueled Asian theology. Therafer, in a second step #e- ferred to as thehemeneutis of recovery and tansfiguration diverse naive ‘voices deliberately disabled the position ofthe colonizr asthe subject of (Christian word-vew that was once taken for granted as al and skilfully Interjected their otn ‘tered identiies as the authors ofa more authentic "Birdseye ews of tha forone ‘sian-Chrstian world-view. This secon step canbe said to have sree ob fects Fist it excavates testimonials of dhe agency of colonized, marinal- lzed and dominated peoples fom within the archives of hidden history. ‘Second, it consciously gress together the multiple voces of such over looked peoples, inciuding elements both of contestation and complicity ia eating with dominant narratives. hid, postolonial Asan scholars take Into consideration the experiences of the colonized in developing pewspec- tives which remake the fature fr both she subjugated and the dominant. ZZ conclusion Sugintharja in his ear, Hiberton-teted phase (that before he ex braced, almost completely, his Diaspora location a¢ am alternative to is advocacy for the ‘margins reminds us of an oveding commitment 3 (stan) theologians: ‘When we ome to decide the guesons that affect our communities and people suchas housing health a, socal sec cation of homed, the telesae questions will be about how they alec the Ties of te people tater than whether the pepasl i modem or non-moder, clonal ran colonia. The tak of potcalonlslim isto ensre thatthe yeraings of the oor take precedence over the inten ofthe fue, that te emancislon ofthe subjogated as primacy over the edom ofthe power and that the Daricpaion ofthe margnaled takes pony ove the perpeturon of the System which stamatalyexceds them. (Siptharele, 2003: 33) [subunit that Feus gives theotogial legitimacy to such a radical commit ‘ment in Asian theology The various themes disnueed in this etay make ‘clear in many ways tat Asan Christian theology is committed to tans fering ife forall human beings, even while groans fr the restoration ofthe ene cosmos. No doubt ths canbe achieved through collaboration ‘ith al rigious communi. A universal God wills this forthe common human community. Yet the specially Christian dimension that emerges ‘through such reflections isthe significance of Jesus Christ, who through is solidatiy with the poor and marginalized shapes and propels this theo- logical vision to achieve alles fle ofl. Is because ofthis slidarity, ‘manifest in God-become-esh, tha the Mui, tentativeness and sbstzac tion of theology, Christology and biblical studies are commited flly othe liberation ofthe excluded, poor and colonized, Ka succesteo auestions 1 What ar he fue dimension inthe method of doing Chtian theelogy in Asia? How do thay help you express your Chiatan fat? 2 he tok. method and catato sen theologies 2 Wha ar the te inponant themes pursued by Chis ‘Ala? How evan ae hey to yourconeaty |” "ete Helo 3 Exploin the idea of ‘divine spaciousness. Are you comfortable with this ideo, which seeks to have an open sttiude towards neighbors of alferont feths? What sons of practess might this ideo a deine spaciousness imply for you your content? 2