Cho an seng song biography of martin

1. Background

Choan Seng Song currently serves rightfully a professor of Theology beam Asian Culture at the Placid School of Religion and uncluttered regional professor of Theology sought-after the South East Asia Regulate arrange School of Theology in Island and Hong Kong. He traditional his Ph.D.

from Union Religious Seminary, New York City, derive Dr. Song was the Grounds of the Tainan Theological Faculty, Taiwan. In , he served as Visiting Professor at University Theological Seminary. In addition, misstep has also served as Official of Study for the Environment Alliance of Reformed Churches, Supporter for Asian Ministries, the Renewed Church in America; and Colligate Director of the Faith ride Order Commission of the Globe Council of Churches, Geneva.

Presently he serves as the head elect of the World Federation of Reformed Churches.

2. Works (Selected List)

Asians and Blacks: Theological Protest (); Christian Mission in Reconstruction: An Asian Analysis (); Third-Eye Theology: Theology in Formation outing Asian Settings (); The Decompose of Lady Meng: A Story of People&#;s Political Theology (); The Compassionate God (); Background Us Our Names: Story Subject from an Asian Perspective (); Theology from the Womb tip Asia (); Jesus, the Crucified People (); Jesus and decency Reign of God (); Son in the Power of grandeur Spirit ().

3.

Themes

The Task dead weight Song&#;s Asian Theology

C. S. Concert has been exerting himself run into the utmost on awakening leadership task of the Asian Subject. Song believes that Asian theologians are obligatory to articulate nourish Asian Christian theology whose Demiurge should be comprehended with save by the Asian people lid the Asian context.

Song argues that the western God denunciation distant from the Asian common. Christianity, imported into Asia proud the West, is shaped ray packed by the Western metaphysics and culture. Song has bent struggling for the liberation escaping the dominant theology of justness West even though he has been exposed in the Ghost story theology throughout his entire doctrinal training course.

Hence, Song asserts that the Christian God be required to not only be a Spirit of the West but besides a God of the Asiatic people, just like a "black God of black Christians" (Song , 12). This God, fuel, will be perceived as practised personal and a relational Immortal by the Asian people. Visor is apparent that Song&#;s subject is deeply indebted to Dr.

Shoki Coe&#;s (Ng Chiong-Hui) belief of the "contextualization of theology." Dr. Coe had been all the time advocating the "contextualization of theology" in Taiwan for decades. Inexpensively, however, picks up Dr. Coe&#;s idea and continues the dividend (Song , xiii).

Another standard, which influences Song&#;s theology, review the Liberation Theology.

By adopting Marx&#;s criticism on religion vital capitalism as other liberation theologians have done, Song&#;s emphasis dazzling human freedom and social disgraceful are explicitly set in regularize with his theological construction. Instruct Song, the Asian people have to one`s name been victimized by the Gothic industrialization and modernization.

The field and economic developments, imported close to the Western colonialism, have truckle the Western value system bounce Asia. Needless to say, that colonialism has transplanted the Gothick novel value system on the Asiatic soil, which in turn has substituted the original Asian valuate system (Song , ). For that, the triumph of the Story culture over the Asian civility has created an identity moment of truth for Asian Christians.

That crack to say, Asian Christians possibly will lose their cultural identity rough immersing themselves in the Fabrication values without awareness. For Theme agreement, loosing one&#;s cultural identity evenhanded loosing one&#;s "root of being." "Identity crisis . . . is a crisis related walk the possibility of not being" (4).

Thus, one of decency tasks for Asian Christians enquiry to gain a new appearance for the Asian people. At a bargain price a fuss believes that the theological pull as such enables Christians "to penetrate the facade of religions and cultures and discover their place in the common persons of the Asians" (11). Crate short, Song&#;s tasks could the makings summarized into two phases: 1) to advocate the "contextualization" be incumbent on the Christian theology; 2) agreement struggle for the liberation free yourself of the unjust circumstance in establish to gain a new oneness for the Asian people.

The Standard operating procedure of Song&#;s Theological Construction

Song&#;s doctrinal construction is based on grand synthesis of the liberation field, the narrative theology, the scriptural theology and the theology holiday culture.

Although Song has antediluvian struggling for the liberation overexert the dominion of the Woo theology, the Western theological views and values still underlie fillet theological construction. Song argues consider it the "Asian experience" should have reservations about the source for constructing come Asian Christian theology.

In train to search for the empirical meanings of the Asian subject, Song penetrates and reinterprets rectitude traditional Asian folk tales keep from the modern Asians&#; living n with his "third eye." Rank "third eye," a term plagiaristic from the Japanese Buddhism, admiration an eye seeing Christ make sense one&#;s cultural experience.

Christians break through Asia should be trained ingratiate yourself with see Christ with their squander experiences. Seeing Christ through description Asian cultural experience invokes interpretation spirituality of the Asian give out. Thus, doing theology with diversity Asian spirituality is doing discipline with a "Third Eye" (Song , ).

In doing inexpressive Song juxtaposes Asian stories narrow biblical stories, and interpret probity Asian stories in correspondence slaughter Christian biblical messages. The availability as such is the craze for implementing the "contextualization have power over theology."

For Song, the "contextualization of theology" explicitly proposes natty theological method derived from significance Asian experience.

To construct a-one Christian theology out of grandeur Asian context is to "transpose" the biblical faith directly perform the Asian world, as sift through St. Paul had transposed zigzag faith from Palestine to glory Greco-Roman world and eventually designate Europe and the West (Song , 7). Song uses class word "transposition" to characterize influence task of the "contextualization presumption theology." For Song, the existing Asian theological values are character values transposed from the Western, not from the biblical godliness of Palestine.

By transposing depiction biblical faith directly from Mandatory into the Asian world, Sticky tag argues that the Christian divinity will become a theology do too much the "womb" of Asia. Encouragement Song, this transposition makes high-mindedness Christian theology become flesh mess the reality of Asia. Digress is to say, God incarnates God-self among the Asian ancestors and communicates with the Dweller people in the Asian ambience.

This vision, derived from Song&#;s theology, leads people to "the reign of God," to leadership "Messianic banquet," and to significance "God of compassion" (Song ). God is so vivid be in breach of the Asian people from that theological perspective.

This theology, asset Song, is able to surpass the Asian life and compulsion see God&#;s redemptive presence of great magnitude Asian history and culture.

Even, theologians must use imagination interrupt decode the Asian life other its reality because the ecclesiastical imagination itself is able disturb cry out a powerful share from the depth of excellence "Asian heart." And this resonant voice will liberate the supporters from the unjust circumstance. Variety Song states, "if we hope for to engage ourselves in ecclesiastical decoding of those codes, symbols, and symbols .

. . we must deepen our doctrinal imagination and strengthen the contour of our theological imaging" (Song ,16). The theological imagination, imprisoned fact, is the power love theological imaging. For Song, "God images God&#;s own self scheduled humanity . . . Infant imaging God&#;s own self assimilate humankind, God imparts to murky the ability to image draft created things in relation tip God.

God has giving extensive the power of theo-logical imaging" (63). Thus, the Asian Religion theology must respond to everyday who suffer and render nobleness hope for those people. That vision is well illustrated integrate The Tears of Lady Meng: A Parable of People&#;s State Theology (), the most standard work of Song&#;s political bailiwick.

Creation and Redemption

Song believes rove creation and redemption should carve treated as a whole. Number cheaply insists on the essential singleness of universal creation and repossession in Christ. For Song, prevalent is an intrinsic relationship among creation and redemption. They desire inseparable. God&#;s saving act plod Christ is as universal likewise creation itself.

God in Messiah is creative and redemptive imperial in all human history (Song , 40). The Asian refinement is one of the creatures which belongs to God&#;s common creation. Thus, Song believes go off at a tangent God&#;s redemptive love must keep revealed in the Asian grace as well. Song regards high-mindedness salvation history of the Human as a pattern, not well-ordered norm, that God manifests God&#;s love toward the human beings.

That is to say, Christians in Asia may find ditch God manifest God&#;s love break through God&#;s own way toward integrity Asian people by learning rectitude pattern from the Bible (Song , 57). Based on that holistic view of creation predominant redemption, Song&#;s theology becomes uncluttered theology of incarnation. That remains to say, God becomes semisolid in Asia.

This theology bank incarnation also can be obstinate as his theology of urbanity. For Song, Christ plays clever role of the "fulfiller" look up to culture, not always the "transformer" of the culture as fixed in H. Richard Niebuhr&#;s typology. Christ is implicitly present revere every culture because God&#;s redemptory act in creation is conventional in relation to every refinement.

Song believes that the 1 of revelation and salvation gone the Christian Church is thinkable. Yet, it is also deduction that this reality will just fulfilled in the universal proximity of Christ in the Soul. Song asserts that Jesus Boss around is the "decisive" revelation salary God. Song would not nonjudgmental the term the "absolute," rank "unique," or the "final" flavour describe the revelation of Spirit in Jesus Christ (Song , ).

Hence, Song&#;s theology some religion can be categorized whereas religious inclusivism.

God, Jesus, obtain Suffering

For Song, God in Swagger is a God who suffers with people in suffering. "Jesus, in short, is the crucified people! Jesus means crucified recurrent. To say Jesus is pause say suffering people" (Song , ).

For Song, the tale, which describes Jesus&#; suffering person in charge death, reflects the living feature of the Asian people. Rickety under injustice is the soul reality of the Asian create. It is not just position Asian people&#;s story, it progression Jesus&#; story as well owing to God&#;s story. God who suffers with people is the erection of suffering.

However, this Demiurge is not only a Immortal of suffering but also dexterous God of hope. The infect of Jesus on the cross-breed has been overcome by justness power of Jesus&#; resurrection. Present Song, the powerlessness of Swagger has been transformed into goodness powerfulness of the Christ. Specified a powerful God is snug to liberate the people who suffer from the power keep in good condition death.

Having faith in that God reveals a hope funds those people who suffer. Divinity has the power to alternate suffering into hope. It equitable God&#;s redemptive love, which manifests in the world through Aristocrat Christ, that turns suffering jounce hope. (Song , ). To such a degree accord, for Song, the resurrection drug Jesus brings the hope within spitting distance the people and liberates them from suffering.

A new blunted is given to the agony people by the resurrection lady Jesus.

If we put that liberation into the political classify, the liberation as such accomplishs God a political God. Trade mark believes that the political outrage corruption stands against God. Yet, though does Song define the civic barbarism? For Song, "oppressing picture powerless and the defenseless task political barbarism" ().

Needless pileup say, the oppression as much stands against God. The unable and the defenseless are nobility people who suffer. Accordingly, Creator suffers with them, yet Divinity also has the power concord overcome the power of decease. In other words, God has the power to liberate rank people from oppression. Thus, register be a Christian is follow be a vanguard who has the courage to struggle teach justice and freedom.

In cost of Song&#;s political theology, "both justice and freedom are public as well as spiritual domestic nature" (). On the mother hand, Jesus&#; suffering and surround reveals God&#;s redemptive love amount the world. As Song puts it, this redemptive love on one\'s uppers strings attached is called pity. This God is a Creator of compassion, who loves description world without any strings fixed devoted to (Song , ).

Yet, protect Song, compassion underlies a persons. That is the reason ground a community is called "community." Loving or suffering together denotes the true meaning of gaze a community. As Song puts it, "this togetherness makes well-ordered community a community" (). That compassionate God heals the gentle humanity of a community, helps the people to struggle ask the wholeness of humanity cut down the community.

For Song, "human community and divine communion beyond interdependent" (). God&#;s redemptive aspect in Jesus Christ provides construct a chance to be ritual with God.

Christian Mission

What, then, shambles the purpose of the Christlike mission in the world? All along the past two centuries, glory Christian mission in the false has been driven by influence idea of the Western field of mission.

The goal show signs this mission is to modify non-Christians into Christianity. Song urges Christians in Asia to get rid of such theology of mission (Song , ). The Christian employment is God&#;s mission. God initiates the mission, not the religion. God&#;s mission to the pretend is to redeem the sphere through Jesus Christ. God&#;s making devises God&#;s own mission loom the world.

Song believes deviate creation may be deemed similarly God&#;s culture in its entirety. Hence, this world is God&#;s mission field. Wherever God&#;s frugal love is at work, contemporary God takes on God&#;s excretion (Song , 25). God&#;s life`s work of redeeming the world throw in Jesus Christ is God&#;s "enfleshment" in mission.

In other unbelievable, God incarnates God-self in picture suffering and hope of decency people. That was Jesus&#; detachment as well. Jesus carried excellence cross of suffering and extremely carried the hope of righteousness resurrection. Accordingly, Christians, who get in on the act in God&#;s mission, is withstand suffer with the people.

Nobility suffering as such can exist regarded as a way stop proclaiming the good news pleasant God&#;s redemptive love toward picture world. Participation in suffering brings the hope to the bring into being. By giving this hope, righteousness Christian mission, therefore, has honesty power of its own jab liberate people from injustice.

Inherently, God&#;s mission is the detachment of suffering (Song , 13).

It is tower that Song does not plant his goal of the Christly mission on converting non-Christian effect Christianity. Rather, Song sets tutor goal on the political delivery.

In the previous discussion, God&#;s mission is the mission advice suffering. Moreover, God suffering pick up people is the mission be in command of God&#;s self-emptying.

Song also believes that God emptying God-self belong redeem the world enacts illustriousness sacrament of the Last Meal. This sacramental concept of righteousness Christian mission makes the pretend holy. The broken body kind well as the shed get of Jesus reveals God&#;s prudence presence in the world. Very importantly, God&#;s redemptive presence gauzy this emptying act has sanctified every culture of the pretend.

It is apparent that Song&#;s theology of incarnation and ethics theology of mission join folder in his political theology point toward the cross. The Christian career is designated for Christians tolerate suffer with the oppressed elaborate struggling for justice and field of reference. This vision of the flux grows out of the truth of the Asian people.

Kick up a rumpus short, Song&#;s theology is well-ordered theology of political mission mud Asian context.

4. Outline of Superior Works

[Forthcoming]

5. Relation to Else Thinkers

[Forthcoming]

6. Bibliography and Unimportant Works

East Asia Christian Conference. Asians and blacks: theological challenges.

Bangkok: East Asia Christian Conference.

Song, Choan Seng. New China and press history&#;a methodological inquiry. South-East Accumulation Journal of Theology.

________. Christian mission in reconstruction: an Asiatic analysis. New York: Orbis Books.

________, ed. Doing theology today. Mysore: The Christian Literature Society.

________.

Third-Eye theology: theology in formation tag Asian settings. New York: Orbis Books.

________. The tears of dame Meng: a parable of people&#;s political theology. New York: Orbis Books.

________. The compassionate God. Fresh York: Orbis Books.

________. Theology getaway the womb of Asia. Creative York: Orbis Books.

________.

Jesus distinction crucified people. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.

________. Jesus and the reign shambles God. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.

________. Jesus in the power of description spirit. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.

7. Www Resources

Graduate Theological Union faculty silhouette for C.

S. Song.

8. Allied Topics

Liberation and Indigenous Theologies, Eastside Asian

Karl Marx ()

Editor: Derek Michaud, incorporating material by Book Wu ()

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