RESPONSES (1)
 
 Asian Theology in a Changing Asia:
 Towards an Asian Theological Agenda for the 21st Century

by Dr. U. Kyaw Than

Rather than the term �ASIAN Theology�, it may be more appropriate to refer to Asian concerns in Theology in the 21st century global village. The modification is to acknowledge that we do not have an ASIAN Theology at present both because of the diversity of Asian contexts and because we cannot claim as yet that an overall �Asian� theology has emerged. Hence Asian concerns in theology might be truer to what we may envisage in an agenda in the 21st century. The changing context is not only Asia but the whole world itself which is fast becoming a global village.

There is also a re-orientation of perspective about Asia not only among Asians but also among those in other parts of the world. British Historian Arnold Toynbee in an old book Civilization on Trial referred to Europe as the northwestern peninsula of Asia. In a more recent publication Operation World -- which provide also statistical information on ratio of Christian populations in relation to that of the world in different continents -- one can see how the substantial Christian communities are now seen in Asia, Africa and South America rather than in the West, either Europe or North America.

As indicated in our opening worship, Christian missionary outreach went from the Churches of West Asia to Europe as Paul responded to the vision of the call from Macedonia. Philip went to the African continent and Thomas to Asia. While many include Asia in the Third World, the late M.M. Thomas reminded us that Asia, Africa and Latin America constitute the two-thirds world and that it might be more appropriate to use such terms of reference rather than hierarchical categories.

Since we heard the presentation on our theme only a short time ago, my response can only be more of a �re-acting� on the spur of the moment rather than a considered response. For me Ms. Wong Wai Ching�s paper introduced the stimulating and seminal concept of �hybridization�. Rather than defining (and hence confining) one collective Asian identity as the victim/hero/heroine, opposed to the western impact we might instead build on creative resources produced in the reality of hybridization among Asian societies.

Dr. K.C. Abraham in his paper affirmed that from a Christian perspective identity is not an absolute category. He quoted Jurgen Moltmann�s discussion of the doctrine of creation: �Any living thing needs a space and boundary for its secure living, but if that boundary is absolutely sealed and closed, the living thing dies. Every frontier, if it is closed the living thing dies�.

On the eve of the twenty-first century we are living in an age of the super highway of communication. Computers and the Internet enable inter-facing among people in distant locations or continents without the necessity of actual travel and conference attendance.

Asian concerns in theology will need to be considered in the context of the emerging context of the global village, but such concerns will still have specific and particular sharpness, focusing on the specific challenges we face as Asians. Our perspectives of course will also take into account the insights of interpreters and scholars from around the world. For example in reflecting on missiology I value deeply the research, indications and insights of the late David Bosch whose work Transforming Mission will be an abiding resource for years for those concerned with understanding Christian Mission.

I have some hints for my response to the three papers under three headings:

(1) Sharing the Good News: we all have heard the statement that the church lives by mission as a fire lives by burning. �The church begins to be missionary not through its universal proclamation of the gospel but through the universality of the gospel it proclaims.� ... �World history is between the Ascension and the Parousia. Churches and Christians live with this consciousness�...

Sharing the good news is not just proclamation. It is incarnation of the word because the word was made flesh as God reaches out to the world. God communicates in terms of becoming one with us and in deeds of love. We need to take care that the Word becomes a theology which cannot live among people.

(2) Participation: At the 1959 inaugural Assembly of the East Asia Christian Conference, the theological point of entry of the Asian Churches was with reference to �The Christian community within the human community.� The Assembly�s statements on relations with people of other religious commitments (not other religious systems); Christian witness in the midst of rapid social change in Asia; Inter-Church aid for mission and service; religious freedom, etc. were compiled into a publication under the above mentioned title and theme.

The concern was to manifest community. Modifying the categories of another presenter in a WCC Committee I would refer to different thrusts of Ecumenism. Firstly we are familiar with the concern for koinonia as �classical� ecumenism tackled issues of Faith and Order. Secondly the concern for community was expressed in terms of attending to pressing issues churches face together and of action-oriented cooperation. Thirdly, concern for unity and community was indicated as the term �larger ecumenism� was used. It was not only the search for participation and community among Reformation churches and Orthodox churches but also with the church of Rome, and even beyond the communities which acknowledge Christ to reach for fellowship with people of other religious traditions.

Because �God will sum up all things in Christ� and as �In Him all things hold together� Christians are called to reflect and act on the implications of our obedience to Him in whom God�s cosmic purpose can only partially be comprehended (as in a glass darkly). In the twenty-first century we may need to dwell more on the theology of the �Diaspora�.

(3) Love in Action: As Christians in Asia, we seek to serve the Lord who identified Himself with the hungry, the naked, the imprisoned and the needy. The conference of theologians in Asia held in Hongkong in 1966 concentrated on Faith and Order issues, but under the theme �Confessing Christ in Asia Today�. It made a distinction between confessions in the history of the Churches, the Confession of Christ, and the confessing acts in which Asian churches need to be engaged. Van de Aalst (1974) was quoted by D. Bosch as saying �There have been countless councils on right believing, yet no council has ever been called to work out the implications of the greatest commandment to love one another.�... Churches have been pre-occupied with orthodoxy in the sphere of faith but have been poor in attending to orthopraxis of love.