Another groundbreaking book from Simon Chan
By Donner C. S. Tan - December 27, 2014
I've been following closely the thoughts of the Singapore theologian Dr Simon Chan since at least his publication of 'Spiritual Theology' in1998.This book 'Grassroots Asian Theology' is arguably one that lays out his theology most explicitly to date. As such, it opens up a wide range of vistas into the various aspects of Christian thought and practice notably in the Asian context.
The first chapter discusses the various methods undertaken by various theologians in developing a theology relevant to the pluralistic Asian background. Chan basically found the elitist approach such as represented by the liberationist theologies of CS Song, MM Thomas, etc wanting not least because it fails to address the primal spiritual consciousness of the people. He proposes in its place a theology 'from below' that takes seriously the ecclesial experience of the ordinary men and women of the church and uses the concept of the Trinity as an organizing principle.
He then demonstrates throughout the rest of the book how this is done using the classical systematic theology schema. In the discussion on God, he sees the trinity as analogous to the human family and takes the functional hierarchy of the trinity (ie the Father as the sole source of the divine persons) as a model for human relationships. This finds ready resonance in many Asian societies that are structured hierarchically and at the same time challenges its inherent inequalities and injustices (eg the caste system). It is also interesting that Chan uses the same model to question the modern egalitarian ideology that tends to flatten out gender distinctions.
Sin is similarly dealt with in terms of personal relationships rather than as a legal infringement. As Asian ethical culture is largely based on shame and honor, sin is understood primarily here as 'shame while reconciliation is the restoration of honor.'
Chan goes on to discuss the various ways in which Christ has been presented to the Asian audience as the cosmic Christ, the liberating Christ, the suffering Christ, and the enlightened Christ. All these have their merits. Yet they share a common pitfall in reducing Christ to a general principle. Chan following Barth (contra Tillich) emphasizes instead the particularity of Christ as Jesus of Nazareth whose 'life, death, resurrection, ascension, giving of the Spirit and parousia' has far-reaching effects on the world. He cites the numerous conversions of Muslims brought about by a personal encounter with Jesus (in dreams and visions) as evidence of the irreducibility of Christ as a divine-human person. Whereas the West has tended to highlight the kingship and prophetic ministry of Christ, Chan sees the priestly ministry such as presented in the book of Hebrews to be better suited to the Asian context that values the priestly ministry highly.
The chapter on the Spirit has to be Chan's distinct contribution, drawing from Pentecostal and Orthodox traditions, to our reflection on the role of the Spirit in the divine economy. He shows how the Spirit is the bond of the divine persons that binds the church to Christ and that hypostatizes the non human creatures, thereby fulfilling the ultimate divine purpose of bringing all things into communion. The Spirit's particular work in bringing the world into communion with God is also set against other attempts that see the Spirit as simply working to realize human aspirations or certain socio-political ideals. He notes that Pentecostalism has been much more successful than elitist theologies in Asia largely because it touches the Asian instincts for a personal encounter with God through physical healing and miracles. Sadhu Sundar Singh was a prime example that took such an approach.
The final chapter on the church brings these theological concepts to a focus that is essentially ecclesio-centric. He advocates a high view of the church as the contrast community in the world with porous boundaries. Wang Ming Dao and Vishal Mangalwadi are two exemplary models of such a proposal. In this regard, the western preference for 'dialogue, inculturation and liberation' falls short of the church's mission in proclaiming the gospel and converting people to Christ. So too advocates of 'churchless Christianity' in neglecting the sacramental dimension of the spiritual life runs the risk of losing grip with Christ altogether. Nonetheless, even these indigenous movements provide an alternative response to the pluralistic Asian challenge that can yield different and sometimes surprising insights.
Chan ends with an epilogue that puts the whole discussions into a neat summary.
As usual, Chan's book offers much fodder for a fresh rethink on many aspects of Christian theology and practice. While noting the discontinuity between Christianity and the great axial religions, Chan also helps us see areas of overlaps as well. One takeaway among many is the need to rethink the concept of the communion of the saints in light of the practice of ancestral veneration. Christ here can be construed as our supreme ancestor, 'the firstborn from among the dead' ! Over and over again, Chan helps us see the gospel with new eyes and suggests ways to commend the gospel to the Asian conscience in a more sensitive way. In so doing, our service to the worldwide church is also enriched and sharpened.
The first chapter discusses the various methods undertaken by various theologians in developing a theology relevant to the pluralistic Asian background. Chan basically found the elitist approach such as represented by the liberationist theologies of CS Song, MM Thomas, etc wanting not least because it fails to address the primal spiritual consciousness of the people. He proposes in its place a theology 'from below' that takes seriously the ecclesial experience of the ordinary men and women of the church and uses the concept of the Trinity as an organizing principle.
He then demonstrates throughout the rest of the book how this is done using the classical systematic theology schema. In the discussion on God, he sees the trinity as analogous to the human family and takes the functional hierarchy of the trinity (ie the Father as the sole source of the divine persons) as a model for human relationships. This finds ready resonance in many Asian societies that are structured hierarchically and at the same time challenges its inherent inequalities and injustices (eg the caste system). It is also interesting that Chan uses the same model to question the modern egalitarian ideology that tends to flatten out gender distinctions.
Sin is similarly dealt with in terms of personal relationships rather than as a legal infringement. As Asian ethical culture is largely based on shame and honor, sin is understood primarily here as 'shame while reconciliation is the restoration of honor.'
Chan goes on to discuss the various ways in which Christ has been presented to the Asian audience as the cosmic Christ, the liberating Christ, the suffering Christ, and the enlightened Christ. All these have their merits. Yet they share a common pitfall in reducing Christ to a general principle. Chan following Barth (contra Tillich) emphasizes instead the particularity of Christ as Jesus of Nazareth whose 'life, death, resurrection, ascension, giving of the Spirit and parousia' has far-reaching effects on the world. He cites the numerous conversions of Muslims brought about by a personal encounter with Jesus (in dreams and visions) as evidence of the irreducibility of Christ as a divine-human person. Whereas the West has tended to highlight the kingship and prophetic ministry of Christ, Chan sees the priestly ministry such as presented in the book of Hebrews to be better suited to the Asian context that values the priestly ministry highly.
The chapter on the Spirit has to be Chan's distinct contribution, drawing from Pentecostal and Orthodox traditions, to our reflection on the role of the Spirit in the divine economy. He shows how the Spirit is the bond of the divine persons that binds the church to Christ and that hypostatizes the non human creatures, thereby fulfilling the ultimate divine purpose of bringing all things into communion. The Spirit's particular work in bringing the world into communion with God is also set against other attempts that see the Spirit as simply working to realize human aspirations or certain socio-political ideals. He notes that Pentecostalism has been much more successful than elitist theologies in Asia largely because it touches the Asian instincts for a personal encounter with God through physical healing and miracles. Sadhu Sundar Singh was a prime example that took such an approach.
The final chapter on the church brings these theological concepts to a focus that is essentially ecclesio-centric. He advocates a high view of the church as the contrast community in the world with porous boundaries. Wang Ming Dao and Vishal Mangalwadi are two exemplary models of such a proposal. In this regard, the western preference for 'dialogue, inculturation and liberation' falls short of the church's mission in proclaiming the gospel and converting people to Christ. So too advocates of 'churchless Christianity' in neglecting the sacramental dimension of the spiritual life runs the risk of losing grip with Christ altogether. Nonetheless, even these indigenous movements provide an alternative response to the pluralistic Asian challenge that can yield different and sometimes surprising insights.
Chan ends with an epilogue that puts the whole discussions into a neat summary.
As usual, Chan's book offers much fodder for a fresh rethink on many aspects of Christian theology and practice. While noting the discontinuity between Christianity and the great axial religions, Chan also helps us see areas of overlaps as well. One takeaway among many is the need to rethink the concept of the communion of the saints in light of the practice of ancestral veneration. Christ here can be construed as our supreme ancestor, 'the firstborn from among the dead' ! Over and over again, Chan helps us see the gospel with new eyes and suggests ways to commend the gospel to the Asian conscience in a more sensitive way. In so doing, our service to the worldwide church is also enriched and sharpened.
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