約翰古登堡大學參訪記

再訪歐洲談神學教育合作

去年學假期間應WCCETE 及歐洲神學教育協會的邀請，到挪威奧斯陸參加了歐洲神學教育危機與展望的研討會，作為我學假研究大學教育體系下實施神學教育的優劣之探討的一部分。今年三月中有機會到漢堡參加WCCETE舉辦的有關普世教會協會釜山(Busan)大會後的普世神學教育走向的檢視與想望。兩趟歐洲行讓我對歐洲的神學教育有機會更貼近的觀察與體驗。說實在的，在身歷其境觀察、傾聽與辯論的過程中，所領會到的歐洲神學教育，原本那種宏大、傳統、悠久、深奧的印象，逐漸為悲觀的論調所取代。以許多歐洲學者，甚至教會牧者自稱處在後基督教時代的說法最能表達歐洲目前的神學教育處境，以及盛極而衰的危機情景。(見筆者：「成為真理的器皿」論文)。

在接到漢堡會議邀請之前，好友 Dr. Volker Kuster捎來信息，他已接受美茵茲Johannes Gutengberg University的邀請，將從荷蘭回到德國，接任宗教與宣教研究講座的職位，並開始創設跨文化神學研究中心的新事工，他問我能否代表長榮大學參加並祝賀他的就任禮，同時在他舉辦的研討會中發表論文及討論兩校合作事宜。由於時間剛好在期末考週，對課程影響較小經過學校行政程序同意後，確定了一年來第三趟歐洲之旅的約翰尼斯古登堡大學行程。約翰尼斯古登堡大學距離陳主顯牧師的住處不遠，因此決定提早幾天出發，順便探視陳主顯牧師夫婦，趁機與他們敘敘舊。上一次訪問陳牧師已是十三年前的事，當時是往伯明罕學假，順道參加改革宗與天主教會在羅馬舉行的對話小組會議時繞道美茵茲，在他家受熱情的招待了三、四天。這次則是想藉開會之便探視他們，沒想到經過聯絡，他們與 Volker也熟，因此就在他家住了下來。

漢堡的春雪巡禮

Snowing Mission Academy Conference Hall

普世教會協會(WCC) 的第十次大會將在年底在韓國的釜山(Busan) 舉行，這是WCC一九四八年創立以來第二次到亞洲來舉行大會。這次會議的舉行除了標示其六十五年來重返亞洲的意義，帶給亞洲教會象徵性的肯定外，也由於近年來世界經濟情勢的低迷，影響所有的普世教會機構，WCC 也不得不宣布在此大會後將大幅調整內部結構，持續近年來不斷的瘦身行動，將有進一步人事調整。因此大會之前的準備動作以及各單位的因應措施，顯得忙亂複雜。聽說有些知道自己將在大會後離開的工作人員也因此意興闌珊。

長年以來參與WCC的事務，從早期參與宗教對談，與Wesley Ariarajah，Hans Ucko 等成了長年好朋友，後來轉向神學教育與目前的 Dietrich Werner 有許多同工的機會，一起編書(handbook)，一起組神學教育論壇(AFTE)，一起分享亞洲神學教育的夢想。Dietrich 是一個深具委身、苦幹型的歐洲學者，在釜山大會之前他一方面準備為亞、非、拉丁美洲出版神學教育手冊，每冊都超過七百多頁的出版品作為大會提供各地神學教育者參考外，一方面也籌備大會前兩個禮拜的合一神學教育的全球學院(GETI - Global Ecumenical Theological Institute)，及會議期間的神學對談(theological conversation)，這些活動我都有緣參與：當編輯委員、參與教授團或有分於其中的活動。年初接到他的邀請函說三月中為了處理WCC 結構改組後的ETE(普世神學教育)的未來，要在漢堡召開一個小型的會議找各地的專家來討論。會議才安排一天半，我飛機的行程就要兩天，同時又是剛開學不久考慮向學生調課麻煩，然而在他的敦促下，我還是同意參加。

李喬《情天無恨》書中的宗教素材與神學反省

長榮大學禮聘李喬先生為駐校作家

李喬《情天無恨》書中的宗教素材與神學反省

黃伯和

                                      這個學期開始長榮大學禮聘李喬先生為 
                                     駐校作家。頒贈聘書當天有機會與李喬 
                                    再見面分享。臨別他竟提起這篇近十年
                                   前的文章。回家後找出來再讀一次，覺
                                  得仍可以與有興趣者分享。 -- 黃伯和識

「一個文本的多重解釋」

第四福音書有一段約翰特有的文本資料，記載有一天，耶穌在聖殿有群眾來找他，聽他的教導。經學教師和法利賽人為了試探他，帶來一個女人，是在行淫時被抓到的。他們叫她站在中間，問耶穌:「老師這個女人在行淫時被抓到。摩西在法律上命令我們，這樣的女人必須用石頭打死。你認為怎樣?」聖經作者指出，這些法利賽人和經學教師是想用這話陷害耶穌，找把柄控告他。但是，耶穌沒有回答他們，只是彎下身子，用指頭在地上寫字。他們還是不停的問他，耶穌就直起腰來，對他們說:「你們當中誰沒有犯過罪，誰就先拿石頭打她。」說過這話，他又彎下身子，在地上寫字。這些人聽見耶穌的話，就一個一個溜走，從年紀大的先走，只剩下耶穌和那個還站在那裏的女人。耶穌就直起腰來，問她說:「婦人，他們都哪裏去了?沒有人留下來定妳的罪嗎?」她說:「先生，沒有。」耶穌乃對婦人說:「好，我也不定妳的罪。去罷，別再犯罪!」(見約翰福音書八:1-11)

PTCA Theological Seminar on Commercial Tourism

Neo Liberal Globalization and Market Oriented Commercial Tourism:

A Theological Critique

PTCA International Theological Symposium

Jointly by NCCI, CJCU and SCEPTRE

Huang Po Ho,

Prof. and vice president of CJCU, Dean of PTCA

Dec. 6-9, 2012. Kolkata, India

 Introduction

PTCA Consultation on Commercial Tourism

Tourism has been defined differently among the concerned scholars, no consensus being reached for its definition.  However, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has its definition of the concept which is widely adopted, that states: “Tourism comprises the activities of persons traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes.”^[1]  General speaking, tourism involves industries of transportation, accommodation, eating and drinking, retail shops, entertainment businesses and other hospitality services.  There are attempts to distinguish tourism from travel; however no significant distinctions are reached. Semantically speaking, all tourists are travelers, but not all travelers are tourists. But travelers are seldom able to be exempted from taking part of tourism; therefore attempt to distinguish the two does not make much sense to the discourses.

It is nevertheless, following the neo-liberal market economic development, tourist activities has been commercially organized to become a collective business industry. This has launched strategic promotion to encourage and gather great quantity of tourist groups, and to increase their frequencies of trips, and thus altered the nature of tourism. This new trend of commercial tourist industry affected by the market orientation has created different side effects related to the exploitation of nature (creation) and distortion of human relationship. It is this sort of commercial tourism industries that invite our attention to reflect upon theologically and to call for repentance and transformation.

Theological Education and Leadership Formation for Ecumenical Movement in a Challenging Era

Keynote Address to the Inauguration Celebration

Program of Studies in Ecumenism and Social Transformation

Hanshin University Graduate school of Theology, Korea
Rev. Dr. Huang Po Ho, vice president & Prof. CJCU
Sept. 25, 2012

Introduction

Hanshin Chapel Choir

The Inauguration of the Program for Studies in Ecumenism and Social Transformation, Launched by Hanshin University Graduate School of Theology at this moment of time has a very important significance to the ecumenical movement in this critical period of history. In one side, this new initiative of ecumenical theological studies can be considered a gift of Asian churches to welcome Busan Assembly of the World Council of Churches to be held in 2013, which is the second WCC assembly to be held in Asia. In the other side, this new attempt of to establish a theological program on ecumenical studies can be seen also as a response of Asian churches towards the challenges and crisis facing ecumenical movement today.

Phyllis Trible in the Consultation 

international program students

Busan Assembly as the second WCC Assembly held in Asia, has chosen the theme of “God of Life, Lead us to Justice and Peace” as its assembly call of prayer to the world and particularly to Christian congregations. This is the first time that the World Council of Churches explicitly taking up the terms of Justice and Peace for its assembly theme.[1] A theme that has its urgency to people in Asia particularly after the declaration of Barack Obama, the president of the United States of its “Pivot to Asia” policy. The recent international tensions emerged in Korean Peninsula, the East Sea, and the South China Sea entangled almost all Asian countries and also the United States, have demonstrated the explosive situation of the international conflicts in the region. Peace and people’s security are threatened by the international interests particularly from the hegemonic supper power countries. Any conflict irrupts in these regions will inevitably involve the clashes between the United States and China, and in which no country in this continent can really stay away from it. True peace can only be sustained when justice is upheld. There will be no unity, no ecumenism if true peace is threatened and justice is undermined. Ecumenical movement has been confronted its test stone in Asia.