-
Recollection and Reorientation of PTCA in the New Era for Asian Theological
Education -
Program
Committee Meeting and Consultation, PTCA
STS,
Sabah, Malaysia
Jan.
15-17, 2012
by
Huang Po Ho, Dean of PTCA
Introduction
The
attempt to formulate theologies and to implement theological education in Asia
can be dated back to the arrival and establishment of Christians of Oriental
Orthodox tradition and multiplied with successive Christian sojourn to
Asia of Roman Catholic and Protestant Christian missions from Europe and North
America. Theological education as institutes of professional higher education
has been operating in many of Asian countries for more than a century. Because
of the Christian mission legacy, theological education systems
implemented in Asia were/are mostly modeled after theological schools from
western countries in all their structures, disciplines and curricula. Over the
years, despite of many challenges and arguments for new form of theological
education and many conferences which have been held to urge that transformation
be made for traditional models of theological education, there is still ongoing
search for appropriate theological education to meet the contemporary
ministerial and societal challenges voiced both by theological faculties and
students and church leadership.
Encouraged
by the internal conditions of the church mission developments
and the external
challenges caused by the international power remapping,
an
identity awareness of being “Asian” Christian was begun to emerge in Asian
Christian communities after Second World War. Theological educators in Asia
came together to form associations for theological schools to encourage
personnel exchanges, resources sharing, and shaping solidarity for theological
development in Asia. Association
for Theological Education in South East Asia (ATESEA) was formed in 1957 and increased its
members from 16 in the beginning to 102 at its apex. Asian Theological Association (ATA)
was formed in 1970 and has 128 accredited members and 64 associated members.
Both associations are committed to the idea of “train Asian in Asia” while
ATESEA has stressed on contextual orientation for theological
construction.
It
was in the midst of this background, that the Programme for Theologies and
Cultures (PTCA) was given birth as a theological movement to the service of
contextual theological formation and theological education in Asia.
The
Creation of A Theological Movement in Asia
The
Programme for Theologies and Cultures in Asia was first formed as a theological
workshop in 1983, which was a joint program collaborated by Christian
Conference of Asia (CCA), Association for Theological Education in Asia
(ATESEA), South East Asia Graduate School of Theology (SEAGST), Tao Fong Shan
and Kansai Seminar House. Its first workshop was hosted in Tao Fong Shan, Hong Kong. This theological initiative was given a mission
of to do reorientation to the young
faculties in the theological schools in Asia and doctoral candidates of SEAGST
for a contextual awareness of doing theologies and theological education. It
was thus considered a theological movement for contextual theologies in Asia.
Four
years later in July 1987, an inauguration for the Programme for Theology and
Cultures in Asia (PTCA) was formally held in Kansai Seminar House, Kyoto Japan
to open a new era for this theological
movement on doing theologies with Asian resources. This inauguration of PTCA
has not only marked a milestone for the history of PTCA, but also initiated a
new epoch for doing theologies in Asia. The common themes for the series
consultations that held by PTCA in the following years on “Doing Theologies
with Resources in Asia” has a significance of to steer the theological
endeavors in Asia away from the theological methodology of “contextualization”,
which was proposed by the third mandate of Theological Education Fund (TEF) of
WCC.
Theological
development in Asia has gone through different stages after it was introduced
to Asian world by the missionaries, these stages are divided according to the
theological methodologies applied to the theological construction and the essential role of Asia cultures as elements of theologies.
These stages are: stage of theological indigenization, stage of
contextualization and stage of doing theology with Asian resources. Generally
speaking, the trend of indigenization has taken the
people’s cultures of Asia as a tool to interpret the Christian faith and
theologies that introduced from western churches, Kosuke Koyama can be seen as
a representative Asian theologian for this method, in his book on “Waterbuffalo Theology” he explained
that through his experiences confronted with the farmers and waterbuffaloes in
the muddy paddy field where his church in Northern Thailand was situated, he
was reminded the teaching of Paul about his adaptation and self-transfiguration
to adjust the contexts given (1Cor. 9.22f), therefore he was inspired and
convinced with a decision of to subordinate great theological thoughts like
those Thomas Aquinas and Karl Barth to the intellectual and spiritual needs of
the farmers.[1]
Shoki
Coe when served in TEF of WCC commends Koyama on his creative and courageous
theological mind to take Asian realities and experiences into account for the
theological endeavors. However, he also pointed out that the theological
attempt to make use of indigenous cultures as mediums of interpretation for
western theologies has its limitation of being static and past orientation. He
proposed that theological formation should be done with dynamic and future
orientation, through critical engagement with people’s life contexts, providing hope to the victims amidst of
their struggles and sufferings. He thus, advocated theological method of
contextualization, making an implication of “incarnation” he suggested that
theologies done in different contexts need to engage critically Christian texts
with people’s contexts. And as context is changing contextualization of
theology should be a continual process of contextualizing.
It
was derived from these continual theological joint efforts that Asian
theologies have developed to its critical edge, the traditional divisive
concept of Gospel and Cultures were called into question, an interesting development was also happened in WCC’s theological
formation, an inter assemblies study topic was modified from the “Gospel and
Cultures” which was proposed to be studied after the Vancouver Assembly (1983)
to that of “Gospel in Diverse Cultures” after Canberra Assembly (1991). This
thematic modification implies potent significance of theological
transformation, cultures particularly cultures from the non Christian world are
then no longer considered opposition or even not independent entities from the
Gospel, but are seen as matrix of it. This revisit of relationship between
Gospel and cultures has been understood in Asian contexts through its axiom and
theological formula of “text” and “context”. CS Song the first dean of PTCA
questioned the methodology of contextualization, he argues, that text can only
be understood in its context, therefore no text can be isolated from its
context, and to be contextualized into another context. He thus proposed the
theme on “Doing Theology with Asian Resources” for a series of theological seminar workshop that were held jointly by CCA,
ATESEA, SEAGST, Kansai Seminar House and Tao Fong Shan, for the purpose to orient and reorient those doctoral students of SEAGST and young faculties in the
region. This series of theological workshop continued for 5 years and
fruitfully equipped more than one hundred alumni through its annual workshops.
A
Signpost for the Journey of Asian Theologies
When
the PTCA was founded it was clearly announced that there is no intention to
establish a new organization or an institution, rather it was an inception of a
theological movement. CS Song echoed with the founding participants of the
inauguration to describe this inception of PTCA as “a fresh beginning” and call
upon a collective works for a creative theological community in Asia. He
commented on the inauguration consultation of PTCA held in Kansai Seminar House
after the meeting, said:
This
is a fresh beginning in Christian theology, theology not dictated by western
theology, but by what has been disclosed and yet to be disclosed in the Bible,
by lived and living experiences of people and nations of Asia. the main
question is how to bring about this fundamental theological
reorientation....The key to the question of how, the consultation concluded,
was to be found in the “resources in Asia” - resources related to the lives of
people, resources from cultures, religions, histories, in short, resources that
reveal the struggles and aspirations of peoples and nations of Asia throughout
the centuries. Such resources, abundant and varied, deeply rooted in Asian humanity
hold the key to creative living theology in Asia. To affirm these resources as
integral parts not only of Asians but of Asian Christians is the beginning of
Christian theology in Asia.[2]
The
communiqué issued by the participants after the inauguration consultation has
stated the aim, mission and its future works expected. It is worthwhile for us
to revisit this original motif of the creation of this theological movement
when we are to do the re-engineering of future PTCA in this strategic meeting.
The full text of the communiqué is quoted below:
Communique
of Inaugural Consultation (PTCA)
Our aim, affirmed at the Inaugural
Consultation in Kyoto, July 7-11, 1987 is “to strengthen through concentrated
joint efforts the formation of living theology and to facilitate the growth of
a creative theological community in Asia.” In Doing Theology with Resources in
Asia, we are also firmly committed to solidarity in the causes of peace and
justice in the region. In order to realise this aim we are committed to:
a. helping equip younger theologians and church leaders, women
and men, lay and clergy, in a
theological reorientation for their various ministries.
b. recovering our own cultural and spiritual resources in Asian
countries and making these available for the doing of living theology in Asia.
c. promoting creative, indigenous theological writing within
the concrete experiences and heritages of the Asian area.
d. facilitating active theological interactions within Asia and
between Asia and other parts of the world.
The Programme for Theology and
Cultures in Asia is not designed to establish a new organisational structure,
but:
to strengthen a network for
theological efforts and partnership,
to provide a base for a mobile programming
throughout the region,
to stimulate activity for a new
patterns and methods for doing theology locally,
to serve regional associations for
theological schools and seminaries,
to stimulate common efforts among
Christians in Asia to be effective agents for the mission of God in the region
and in the world,
to facilitate the emergence of
theology from women’s perspectives,
to bring about theological
expressions from minority groups, and
to discern the insights and
aspirations of people in struggle.
The Asian Setting Despite the diverse and unique features of life
in Asian countries, and their rich racial, linguistic and cultural heritages
and historical backgrounds, Christians in this area have long looked to the
West for leadership and for theological in sights, neglecting their own
resources in culture, history, and spiritual expression.
With an extensive ground-work laid before the Inaugural
Consultation, which was held at Kansai Seminar House in Kyoto, Japan 7 - 11,
1987, the Programme for Theology and Cultures in Asia· has awakened among the
133 participants the awareness that God has always worked and is still
working in Asia today, providing gifts of resources for discipleship and
theological dynamics for mission. It· was affirmed by the gathering that
it is crucial to act on this awareness and to be imaginative in cultivating the
resources we have so that there will be an authentic living theology firmly
rooted in the concrete life of all Asian societies and histories.
Doing
Theology in Asia, The phenomenon of Asian ways of doing theology is not a recent one for there has been unique
theological thinking and exploration in the past. But the dominant influence of
Western theologies has often created a
blockage to indigenous theology and at times hampered creative efforts for
living theology in our own ways, style and method. Theological minds in the
region were not meeting other thoughts and realities within the area, but
tended to look westward for growth, for appreciation and stimulation. .
The
groundwork of the Programme can be traced to 1983 when the first theological
seminary-workshop was held in cooperation with the Ecumenical Study Centre at
Tao Fong Shan in Hong Kong, in search for ways of doing theology with Asian
resources; Another workshop the following year focused its attention on doing
theology with folk literature; The third workshop was held in Kyoto on doing
theology with people's movements and the fourth workshop dealt with. doing theology with the. religions of Asia. In each case
participants prepared papers beforehand and worked intensively upon them during
the seminar-workshop. Selections were later published in the East Asia Journal
of Theology (EAJOT), and Association for Theological Education in South East
Asia (ATESEA) Occasional Papers.
These
workshops provided participants with opportunities for in-depth study and
theological reflection upon the realities of Asia today. There were also
opportunities for finding new comrades and partners in Christ for future
interaction and theological grappling. The almost 100 participants are now
dispersed over many part of Asia, engaged in doing living theology locally. The
Programme itself will be coordinated
initially in Kyoto and Singapore with activities also based in
Jogjakarta and Hong Kong. Related Partners, Ecumenical bodies and organisations
are thus important bases for this Programme. Involved in the Programme at this
stage are:
The South East Asia Graduate School
of Theology
The School of Theology, Doshisha
University
The Pacific School of Religion
The Association for Theological
Education in South East .Asia (ATESEA)
The Korean Association of Accredited
Theological Schools (KAATS) ,
Kansai Seminar House (Nippon
Christian Academy)
Council for Mission and Ecumenical
Cooperation (New Zealand)
Association of Christian Institutes
for Social Concern in Asia (ACISCA)
Asian Christian Art Association
(ACAA)
Working
relationships are now being established with the Christian Conference of Asia,
the Northeast Asia Association of Theological Schools, the Board of Theological
Education of the Senate of the Serampore College (India) as well as other
ecumenical bodies. But the catalytic function of the Programme will be
important not only for Asian countries and churches but also for Pacific and
other regions.
Future Work
The
Inaugural Consultation called for bold and extensive cultivation and
exploration of Asian cultural heritages and resources in order to appropriate
the freshness and imaginative approach of Jesus Christ to people in response to
their needs and creativity. Some 50 people from 15 countries, lay and clergy,
women and men, Catholic and Protestant, were present at the Inaugural
Consultation. One of the joys shared by the participants was the arrival of
Korean delegates on time for a full presence, at a time of the people's
struggle for democratization in Korea.Future programme will include annual
seminar workshops in various parts of the region, the first of which will be
held in Jogjakarta, Indonesia, May 29 - June 12,1988, with the theme: Doing
Theology with People's Symbols/Images in Asia. This begins the Second Series.
Other theological seminar workshops will deal with spiritual life and
empowerment, history and mission, creative forms of preaching, the Bible, and
so on. Smaller work groups will be involved in research and writing projects
and the Programme also plans to offer consultative services. A fresh beginning
has been made. Let us work together for a creative theological community in
Asia.
July 11, 1987 in Kyoto
This inauguration communiqué has
well sketched the nature, its mission and programs of PTCA, it can serve even
today as a road map or a foundation for us to work on for our recollection,
reflection and envisioning PTCA.
Revisiting
PTCA Ministries
As mentioned in the communiqué, the
major program of PTCA was to continue the theological workshops dealing with
different sorts of people’s resources in Asia such as folk literature, people’s
movement, religions, people’s symbols/images, spiritual life and empowerment,
history and mission etc., in addition to these workshops, small working groups
was formed for research and writing projects, and a Journal for Theologies and
Cultures in Asia (JTCA) were also planned and implemented.
Viewing from the vision and mission
of this PTCA movement, as the inaugural consultation indicated, a key to
highlight this new initiative theological attempts is the “Resources in Asia”,
resources related to the lives of people. The question to the mission of PTCA
thus, was/is how to theologize the non-Christian cultural resources in Asia,
and this was indeed become one of the major contributions that PTCA has offered
to the theological world in past thirty years. CS Song the first dean of PTCA
advocated for story theology, he
has proposed a method of storytelling that considers theology as story of
people that tells the passion and hope of people who struggles to understanding
the meaning of life through their faith in loving redemption of God. Following
CS Song, Archie Lee the second dean of PTCA has laboured for a “cross textual
reading of the scriptures” method, which argues no text can be read isolated
when the world is so
much interconnected.
The cross textual reading method has deliberately bring together the text A
(Asian text) and text B (Biblical text) for mutual illumination through reading
both texts compassionately. Another theological method proposed to deal with
the Asian resources is method of “re-confessing” that is suggested by this
writer. “Re-confessing” method considers theology as a confession of Christian
identity, that involves both one’s native
cultural values and faith traditions, in another word, theology has to do with
critical engagement of gospel within diverse
cultures.
All these theological endeavors laboured
by PTCA colleagues are based on a common concern of the identity issue that
Asian Christian confronted after being evangelized to bear their Christian
identity. A vital theology thus, has to do with the cultural values and the life struggling and hope of people in Asia. Therefore a
theological reflection upon these cultural resources has become essential task
for doing theologies in Asia. Over last 30 years PTCA has been working through
different methods to promote this doing
theologies with Asian resources. These working methods can be divided to five
stages which have been timely respond to the changing circumstances of Asian
theological development and church conditions. These stages are targeting on
younger theologians especially those who are in the final stage of their
doctoral program or those who have just joined in teaching ministry in the
theological institutes in the region and beyond[3]:
1. Seminar Workshops (1983-1987)
2. Regional Consultations (1987-1994)
3. National Consultations (1994-2000)
4. Regional Conference (Call for papers
2000-2007)
5. Sub-regional consultations and
Inter-sub-regional doctoral students Colloquiums (2007- )
Changing
Contexts of Asia
and Re-engineering PTCA
When PTCA was just formed, there was
hardly higher theological institution in Asia that was capable to offer Master
and Doctoral programs. Theological educations were
implemented primary as training programs rather than true academic studies. The
theological education format, theological curricula and theological contents
operated in theological institutions reflected mostly Western fashion. To
re-orient Asian theological scholars for doing theology with Asian resources
was then urgent and necessary. It is however, the scenario has been changed today;
the following phenomena are just highlights of them:
●
Rapid
growth of theological education institutions. ATESEA was formed with 16 member institutes half a century
ago, it has now grown to 102 members, ATA has almost the same numbers of
membership, not counting those independent theological institutes.
●
Quality
upgrade of theological education. With
hundred years’
labours of theological educators, theological education in many countries of
Asia have been vastly upgraded with regard to their quality and quantity
particularly over the last decades. Many theological schools initially
established to train catechists and evangelist with minimum academic
qualifications, are now upgraded to degrees awarding institutions. The
qualifications for admission, appointment of faculty, teaching and practical
training, library, dormitory facilities are carefully planned to assure quality
in theological education.
● Establishment of Advanced degree
programs. Although
lack of credible accreditation in the region, there are quite a few theological
institutions start to confer doctoral degrees and many more to start Master
degree programs in Theology in Asia today.
● New initiatives created to share
common theological concerns and tasks:
The
Conference for Asian Theologians (CATS) formed under the supports of CCA,
providing fellowship for theological scholars and forum for theological
exchanges within Asia region. The Institute for Advance Studies of Asian
Theologies and Cultures (IASACT) created by the United Board for Christian
Higher Education in Asia (UBCHEA), has acted to provide young theological
scholars an open forum for exchanges and orientation. It is however, the CATS
is operated more as a platform for fellowship. And the IASACT of United Board
does not particular focus on orientation for contextual theological
methodology.
●
The
attitude of state toward theological education in many Asian countries:
Theological associations such as ATESEA, Senate of Serempore and ATA have grown
in their membership rapidly and work on accreditation services to their member
schools. However a regretful factor is that the care that is taken to upgrade
the facility for training and the demanding work of accreditation done by
theological associations in Asia (except that of Senate of Serempore) are
excluded from any state recognition and public acceptance in most of the Asian
countries. This state attitude is not only affecting the
credibility of church’s mission and witness in relation to public issues
concerning the whole of society, but also restricts the potential resources to
be assessed by the theological schools and the scholarly challenges and mutual
enhancement of theological science with other disciplines.
Nevertheless, This
situation has been corrected recently in many Asian countries, as governments
of Indonesia, Thailand and Taiwan have recently become open for different
degrees of the seminaries or divinity schools to be registered in the state
education systems and their degrees to be included in the list of academic
recognition. If we add those countries which already allow theological degrees
to be admitted and recognized by state authorities such as: Korea, Japan, Hong
Kong and the Philippines, the map and landscape of theological education in
Asia regarding this concern has already radically changed.
● Cross boundaries cooperation and
sharing of education resources among theological institutes from evangelical
and ecumenical groups. With the increased
numbers of theological institutions in the continent, which are not only
divided by the different traditions of their founding denominations, but often
also split by the division which exists between the so called ecumenical and
evangelical (Pentecostal) camps and the unique Asian phenomenon of ethnic and
regional loyalties. The divisions have not only weakened the competence of
theological schools to react to the challenges faced; they have also consumed
the limited resources for theological education in this continent. Efforts to
bring these institutions together to enhance theological education in the
region and for sharing fellowship, resources and exchange of theological
findings are crucial and really meaningful.
● Challenges from globalization versus
quest for local authenticity. Traditional theological education which the Asian world
imitated from western churches, in general, is a product of Enlightenment. It
was predominantly perceived as academic discipline. Therefore, mastering
theology as an academic discipline was considered as sufficient tool for
managing the Christian communities and their affairs. The contextualization has
challenged this presupposition, and theological education that is based on that
premise even in the West. It calls for a program of theological education which
equally takes into consideration the experience of human communities from where
the candidates are recruited for training and are sent to serve. The
globalization, a renewed contemporary force which tries to homogenize the human
cultures and traditions has given further boost for the search for
contextualization from the perspectives of retaining and preserving the local
identity and priority. The Charismatic and Neo-evangelical Christian movements
inspired from outside Asia as well as those originated within Asia have induced
new forms of faith expressions and Christian community ethos posing new
challenges to prevailing traditional theological education in Asia.
● Increasing financial challenges for
the long-term viability of institutions of theological education. There are increasing signs that
several Asian institutions of theological education are facing a crisis in
terms of their long-term financial viability as the culminating effects of
global recession and rising prices of energy and electricity as well as
limitations of churches to provide appropriate salaries for theological
professors are affecting theological colleges in Asia.
It is in the midst of these changing contexts that we are
challenged to revisit PTCA ministries and seeking a possible re-engineering of
this important theological movement in Asia. Due to the resources limitation,
we have decided to suspend the regular publication of our historical Journal of
Theology (JTCA), and changed it to an occasional issue.
For last couple of years, in collaboration with Senate of Serempore, we have
struggled to continue our movement by focusing our labours particularly on sub-regional consultations and the “Inter-sub-regional doctoral
students colloquium in Asia”[4]
in responding to current theological concerns and its methodological
accounts in Asia, hoping to bring together the upcoming young scholars to share
a community fellowship as well
to shape common theological voices from Asia. It is a time for us to review and re-assess these works
together and seeking direction and ways to carry forward our future ministry.
Moving Ahead Towards Deeper Waters
As this strategic committee meeting is held to revisit and
re-engineering PTCA, I would rather keep the future open, and humbly listen to
your wisdom and work collectively together to shape future PTCA. However, I am
happy to report also on the recent developments and some new initiatives relate
to theological education in our continent, providing tokens of discussion for
our brainstorming.
1. Mapping Theological Education in Asia in the Changing
Context:
A research proposal is ongoing discussion with ETE/WCC and FTESEA for mapping
theological education in our continent to discover how responses being taken by
theological institutions in Asia
toward the challenges that confronted
today. (details see attachment 1) This Research
project can be collaborated with the recent project launched by ETE-WCC on
“Survey for Global Theological Education”.
2. The Attempt to form a new Asian Forum
for Theological Education (AFTE), this is also an attempt under the
auspices of ETE-WCC. Its first meeting of preparation was held in Singapore
last June and the second meeting will be held in Indonesia in the end of August.(details see attachment 2)
3. In responding to the changing
attitude of state toward theological education in many Asian countries. Theological
education is gradually accepted to the university system. While the European
theological educations are struggling to re-assess and identifying problems
created by this public theological education system, how can Asian theological
education to create a new model of theological education that is able to assess
public resources, enhance cross disciplinary learning while not to be duplicate
the weakness that European sisters and brothers are faced is of an urgent task.
A small scale university divinity schools
deans consultation is planned to be held in Chang Jung Christian University
sponsored by FTESEA in collaboration with Formosa Christianity and Culture
Research Center (FCCRC) in the coming June. (details see attachment 3)
Can PTCA find its role in the midst
of these developments and new initiatives? Thanks for your attention.
Current
Officials of PTCA
●
Dean: Huang Po Ho
●
Committee members:
Dr. Archie Lee (Chair)
Dr. Wati Longchar (secretary, India)
Dr. Thu En Yu (Malaysia)
Dr. Hisako Kinukawa (Japan)
Dr. Waiching Wong (Hong Kong)
Dr. Yeong Mee Lee (Korea)
Dr. Daniel Nuhamara (Indonesia)
●
International Consultant:
Dr. Jeffrey K. J. Kuan (USA)
●
JTCA Editor: (the journal has been proposed to be suspended)
Dr. Wati Longchar
[1] Kosuke Koyama,
Waterbuffalo Theology (great Britain: SCM Press Ltd, 1974) p. viii
[2] C.S. Song, Fresh
Beginning for Christian Theology, unpublished paper dated July 15, 1987
1) 2009 South Asian sub-regional consultation on “Religious Fundamentalism, Minorities and Interdisciplinary
Education”, Kolkata, India Nov. 25-28, 2009
2) 2010 South East Asia Sub-regional Consultation on “Religious Fundamentalism, Minorities
and Interdisciplinary Education”, CJCU, Tainan, Taiwan. April. 1-4, 2010
3) 2010 Inter-sub-regional doctoral students colloquium on “Ecumenical Response to Ecological Crisis” Kolkata,
India, Dec. 7-11, 2010
4) We have recently submitted another proposal to ETE-WCC for the second
Inter-sub-regional doctoral students colloquium on “Environmental,
Marginalized Communities and Commercial Tourism”, which is yet to be discovered its result.
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