“We need to place our theology at the feet of the people of Asia” tells Roman Catholic theologian Fr. Clarence Devadass at the pan Asian theological summit

Programme Review and Programme Direction

Two key deliberative sessions during the 15th CCA General Assembly are the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions.

The Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions will both be conducted in three groups relating to the CCA’s programme areas, namely, (i) General Secretariat (GS), (ii) Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF); and (iii) Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia (PD).

Assembly participants will have the option to join one of three groups for both the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions. For the sake of coherence, the assigned group will remain the same for both sessions.

General Secretariat

The General Secretariat oversees the coordination of programmatic, administrative, and financial activities of the organization. The GS comprises various departments such as church and ecumenical relations, relations with ecumenical partners, finance, administration, and communications, which provide crucial support and services for the implementation of programs and contribute to the overall functioning of the CCA.

Programmes: Relations with member churches and councils, ecumenical partners; advocacy at the United Nations; ecumenical responses to emerging issues in solidarity; income development and finance; and communications.

Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF)

Under the MU programme area, the CCA accompanies Asian churches to strengthen their mission and witness in multi-religious contexts, revitalise and nurture church unity and the Asian ecumenical movement, and develop contextual theological foundations.

Programmes: Asian Movement for Christian Unity (AMCU); Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS); Asian women doing theology in the context of wider ecumenism; contextualisation of theology in Asia and ecumenical theological education.

The EF programme area focuses on nurturing and developing ecumenical leaders in Asia. The programme aims to enhance spiritual formation and theological understanding, enabling people to actively engage in ecumenical dialogue and collaboration.

Programmes: Ecumenical Enablers’ Training in Asia (EETA); Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI); Youth and Women Leadership Development; Ecumenical Spirituality and Nurturing of Contextual Liturgical Traditions; Asia Sunday

Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD)

The BP programme area is dedicated to promoting peace, justice, and reconciliation in Asia’s diverse contexts. Through training, advocacy, and dialogue, the programme addresses the root causes of conflicts, empowers communities, and fosters sustainable peacebuilding initiatives.

Programmes: Pastoral Solidarity Visits; Churches in Action for Moving Beyond Conflict and Resolution; Young Ambassadors of Peace in Asia (YAPA); Ecumenical Women’s Action Against Violence (EWAAV); Eco-Justice for Sustainable Peace in the Oikos.

The PD programme area focuses on promoting justice, human rights, and social transformation in Asia. Through advocacy, capacity-building, and raising awareness, the programme addresses systemic injustice, empowers marginalised communities, and advocates for prophetic actions and meaningful change.

Programmes: Human Rights advocacy; Migration, Statelessness, and Trafficking in Persons; Asian Ecumenical Disability Advocacy Network; Asian Advocacy Network on the Dignity and Rights of Children (AANDRoC); Ecumenical Solidarity Accompaniment and Diakonia in Asia (ESADA); Health and Healing; Good Governance; Action Together to Combat HIV and AIDS in Asia (ATCHAA).

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11 August 2019

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Delivering the fourth thematic address on a sub-theme of CATS-IX,  ‘Restoration: Towards the Will of God’ on the final day, Fr. Clarence Devadass, a Roman Catholic theologian called upon Asian theologians by saying, “We need to place our theology at the feet of the people of Asia.”

Revisiting the instances of restoration in the Bible, and relating them to the many facets of contemporary human life situations, an Executive Secretary of the Federation of the Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC)   shared   five ‘spokes of the wheel’ of restoration,  in terms of ‘justice’, ‘healing’, for the ‘common good’, ‘eco-equilibrium’, and ‘technology’.

Fr Devadass spelled out five shifts needed in Asian theological thinking constituted: shifts from ‘exclusivity’ to ‘inclusivity’; from ‘static binaries’ to ‘dynamic dialogical interplay’; from ‘ideological systematisation’ to a ‘cultural systematisation’ of theology; from ‘the world of ideas’ to ‘the world of practical life and mission’; and from ‘theo-centric’ to ‘theo-praxis’.

He asked if Asian theologians could collectively offer a creative theological narrative that could be effective in the work of restoration. In order to work towards greater restoration, Fr Devadass exhorted the theologians present to deconstruct indoctrinated theological methodologies.

“What is significant needed to start from the  point of God’s initiative towards restoration as  it has always been God’s intention to restore us to ‘His image and likeness’”, Fr Devadass shared.

As many countries in Asia are still developing, he said that the churches in Asia have a unique call to respond to the issues of poverty, hunger, discrimination, economic migration, corruption, and several others. He further added, “Apart from all human effort (for restoration and healing), we must also allow the grace of God to heal the world and us, because only God can heal.”

Ethnic and religious conflicts most often grounded in Asia’s plurality are threats to the cohesion and stability of society. In light of this, creative restorative justice was to restore a sense of equilibrium for ‘all persons, communities, and nations connected,’ said Fr Devadass.

Fr. Devadass, who coordinates the theological programme desk of the FABC, stated, “Given that most Christian churches are minorities in their countries, relationships with the wider ecumenical community was to be built on ‘dialogue’. For the purpose of the common good, the Church must demonstrate that dialogue is more than just the communication of a truth. In fact, evangelization is at the service of dialogue, and dialogue at the service of peace. For Asia, dialogue must open up new horizons that make clear the path towards harmony and peace for the common good of all people.”

Fr Devadass also spoke extensively on the role of technology, and how the Church can strive to be more relevant for young people to participate more fully.

Two young Asian women theologians, Dr Sawako Fujiwara from Japan and Rev. Indah Sriulina from Indonesia, responded to Fr Devadass’ presentation and they asked, “Given the emerging situation that young people seem to believe in Jesus and not in the Church, how do we modify the language of the Church for it to be palatable for young people?”

Responding to the presentation of Fr Devadass Prof. Dr M. Mammen Varkki commented on  the deeply disturbed situations by the increasing inequality in the world. Quoting the arguments by Thomas Piketty in his famous work ‘Capital in the Twenty-First Century’ that the degree of inequality is not just the product of economic forces; it is also the product of politics, Prof. Varkki reminded the Asian theologians  “the need for a radical shift in Asian theological thinking to understand, analyse and respond to the increasing inequalities intensifying more  dehumanization in our societies”.

Rev. Dr Justin Moses, a young theologian from the Senate of Serampore University suggested the need for a reinterpretation of restoration as ‘mission’ for the healing of all communities.

A Communique prepared by a representative group of Asian theologians that reflects commitment to developing unique contextual Asian theologies was discussed in detail towards the end of CATS.