"A Fresh Attempt to Do Theological Reflection in
the Global Context”
- An Asian Approach
Kim Yong-Bock
In Asia some of us
(Christian intellectuals) have decided that the world should be understood in
the Asian perspective of the three intertwined matrix of the global empire, the
global market, and the convergence of advanced technologies and their impact
upon the life of all living beings, including human beings.
This requires our fresh reading of the signs of times,
and it demands an alternative approach to intellectual activities, the quest
for Integral Study of life (Zoesophia), and a fresh construction of Asian
theology as a part of our intellectual activities.
Invitation to
Construction of Global Asian Theology
At the end of the last century a Chinese theologian
made a bold proposal, “Construction of Chinese Theological Thought: 中國神學思想建設”.[i]
I believe that it is an important historic project for Chinese Christian
community. It is post-revolutionary project. It is post-denominational project
in ecclesial terms. It is post-Marxian project in ideological terms. In this
sense it is post-religious project of Christian faith. It is an attempt to
construct a theology out of Chinese reflections upon faith experiences of
Chinese Christian communities. I am taking a cue from this bold and creative
proposal.
In the 21st century it is likely that the
Christian demography will change dramatically. At present time the Christian
population in China Indonesia India India Korea Asia ;
310.6 million Christians in Africa , 419.1
million Christians in South America , The
demographic center of the world Christianity has shifted to the APACALA
countries. [iii]
However, the number of the population is not everything. It is the matter of
faith experiences in Asian Christian communities that would determine the
nature of theological reflection.
Unique Faith
Experiences of Christian Communities in Asia : Christianity
as an Asian Religion at its Origin and at its History
The Christianity rose in the West
Asia as an Asian religion. It is geo-politically, culturally and
religiously (West) Asian religion. This reality is ignored and suppressed in
the history of Christianity and in the Western scholarship on Christianity.
A history of Asian Christian movement is a unique
experience of faith and life, for it is a history of interaction and convergence
with Asian religions, cultures, social, political and economic societies and
communities of lying beings. Naturally it needs a critical reflection and a
reconstruction. The historical context in which Asian Christian movement has
been shaped Asia has been complex and
changing. There is a suppressed history of Asian Christian history from the
early period on.[1]
In the recent past we have experienced the Western encroachment, the
modernization with national independence, and now the globalization. In the light
of these changes in Asian historical context we need to attempt write a fresh
history of Asian Christian movement not as a mere extension of the “Western
Christendom.”[2]
This task calls for a fresh construction of history of Asian Christian
movement. In the context of Asian people’s struggle for national independence,
it is clear that Asian Christian movement should have been regarded as an
integral component of national liberation movement. In the context of Asian
people’s struggle for democracy and justice, Asian Christian movement should
have been an integral part of people’s movement. However, the Asian
Christianity remained by and large an Asian version of the Western
Christianity. There has been much effort to overcome the identity of the Western
Christendom in Asian Christianity. Translation of the scriptures and
theological text books and other Christian writings of the West was the first
step. Then there was a process of indigenization and acculturation of the
Western Christianity in Asian soil. Still another step was a process of
contextualization of the classical theology, rooted in the Western Christendom.
Why a fresh
construction of Asian theology?
In the 21st century the whole life of all
living beings on earth is facing a critical situation as it is stated before. In
Asia we believe that a unique perspective and resourcefulness
can be evolved in response to this historic situation. Asian Christian
community can be an integral part of this response.
New Global Signs of
Times
The global signs of times are a
symbiosis of global economic regime (globalization) and the global empire.
This symbiosis is penetrated by the convergence of advanced sciences and
technologies at the core. To meet challenges of these global powers, it is
necessary to do a fresh theological construction. This is understood as a task
of Asian Christian intellectual community.
The signs show an unusual global trend of total
destruction of the life on the globe. The global trends are unusual in their “totalistic”
nature, be they geo-political, economic or ecological. They show
multi-dimensional and yet closely inter-related and radically symbiotic powers
of destruction. We need to illustrate this reality.
Indeed the cosmos of life of all living beings is
under the threats of the symbiotic powers of the global empire and global
market regime. This is experienced in AACAPALA as well as in the global north.
1. Consolidation of
the Global Market against the OIKONOMIA of the Life
There is a general consensus about the dominance of
the global market. Neo-liberal market on the globe manages the castle of Greed Asia .
The victims of the globalization are all living beings
on earth. The hierarchy and structure of victimization is determined by the
global regime of the market and empire. We can grasp this reality of victimization
and threats to destruction of all living beings through their stories
(Zoegraphy=生命社會傳記) in Asia which are inter-woven throughout the earth.
What are the central causes of unprecedented
victimization/suffering and socio-economic exclusion of the people and of all
living beings?
“The core is
that capital owners invest their money where it can grow quickest with highest
profit rates and returns. So the
absoluteness of property is the base on which the accumulation of capital takes
place. Capitalist economy is in its
essence not for satisfying the needs of all people, but for creating wealth for
the owners.”[3]
“As the highest
returns can be secured in speculative financial transactions most of the money
goes there and not into the production and distribution of necessary goods and
services. In addition the return in the
financial markets of at least 15% puts pressure on industry and agriculture to rationalize
and to neglect economic criteria. The
result is unemployment and the destruction of the earth instead of using the
increase in productivity to reduce work hours and deal carefully with nature.”
“Finally all
elements of life are being commoditized, privatized and subjected to the
accumulation of capital: the seeds, the animals, and even the genes of human
beings. The result is wealth for the few
on the one side, hunger, exclusion, mass [iv]misery,
despair, violence and ecological destruction on the other.”
This capital is
manifested into the global market regime. This has a special significance, for
the global market will make a greatest impact on Asian people in the next 20
years. Asian tigers and China India Japan
2. Global Empire on
the Rise[4]
The most outstanding sign of our times is the
suffering and cries of human persons and other living beings throughout the
world, as their victimization proceeds in a systematic and unprecedented manner
under the global US America
The US
Ever since the collapse of the Soviet
Union in 1991, the U.S. America
Military Hegemony is a core dynamics of the global empire. It is
officially claimed that the United
States USA USA US US
The Ideology of the Empire: The most conspicuous and salient feature of the empire’s
approach to international affairs is its universalistic and monopolistic
claims. The empire uses “democracy” as an umbrella term for the kind of
political regime that it would like to see installed all over the world.
Bringing democracy to countries that do not yet have it is claimed as the
defining purpose of US US
Cultural hegemony of empire is a slow yet sure way of
making people accept the role, function and reality of the empire as
indispensable, normative and ideal. The
minds of the subjects (most nations, peoples, individuals, institutions,
governments) of the empire are made to believe and confess that there is no
alternative (TINA) to the empire. Homogenization of cultures, traditions,
values and lifestyles, and the spread of triumphal Christianity can be
identified as ways of extending the empire in all directions in global society.
The emergence of religious fundamentalism can also be seen as linked to the
empire. Technology and the media also are turned to its own advantage to
perpetuate the values of global empire.
Global Sovereignty of the Empire: The “National Defense Strategy 2005” states that the most
important strategic objectives of national security are to defend the US
The gender ideology of patriarchy is especially
visible in the global market and the geopolitics of the global empire. It is manifested
in all spheres of life. It is the pivot of all domination hierarchies, not only
in human society but in the communities of all living beings.
3. The Global Empire/Market and Convergence of Technologies[vi]
In the New and Advanced Convergence of Science and Technologies the world
has reached a new stage. The power of the modern science and technology in
symbiotic relations with the global market and empire is a grave signs of our
times that threaten the future of the life of all living beings in the cosmos.
This is a central facet of the global society.
The modern Western science and technologies have
eroded the traditional civilizations in the West and in the rest of the world. This
is particularly true in Asia . The traditional
economy has been replaced by the modern economy. The traditional politics has
been replaced by the modern nation state. The modern Western culture of science
and technology has eroded traditional cultures of Asian people. The social
structures and social relations have been radically altered due to the
modernization or westernization of societies. This has been the modern history
of the world.
Threats to the life of all living beings rise not only
due to the powers of the global market and the global empire but due to the convergence
of the modern science and technology into an unlimited power to control and manipulate
the life of all living beings, reaching the natural limits.
Logic of
Convergence, Oppressive and Liberating
Scientific and Technological Convergence is used
increasingly in the context of scientific and technological advancement for
industrial, cultural/communication and military use. For example, the 2002
National Science Foundation report, Converging Technologies for
Improving Human Performance: Nanotechnology, Biotechnology, Information
Technology and Cognitive Science is the case in point. This
convergence pushes human ability into transhuman stage[6].
When such ability and mechanism is converges with the military and the biotech
industry, it will bring about an unthinkable situation. Such convergence of
technologies is being researched and tested in the area of biotech industry, military
industry and media-communication industry. It will also have a great impact in
the field of education and culture.[7]
There are major
questions that we have not experienced before.
The convergence
of advanced science and technologies give humans the capacity to invade the
order of life in its microcosmic and macrocosmic dimensions to dissect the life
into fragments to analyze, control, manipulate and even destroy it. When this
is applied to the order of life, it can disrupt the order of species in general
as well as it can transforms humans into transhuman beings beyond human
spieces. When this process is dictated by the unlimited market logic of the
capital, it can subjugate all the parts of the body of human and living beings
into sheer commodities often with messianic claims as seen in the bio-tech
industry. Also when it is controlled by the dynamics of military hegemony of
the global empire, the convergence of advanced technologies can bring about the
omnicidal catastrophe on earth.
Convergence in natural sciences and technology is
still reductionist in epistemological sense; it is still a matter of human
control and manipulation of all living beings in technological sense; it is
still fragmentary, not holistic, seen in the light of an integral study of
life. Even it pushes the cosmic order into unlimited trans-species tract. Does
it lead the cosmos of the living beings into an “Omega “point?
From Asian perspective the integrity of life can be
enhanced with traditional wisdom of the people, which can transcontxtualized
into 21st century. This quest is our attempt to do an Integral study
of life, which demands a multidisciplinary and trans-disciplinary convergence
to deal with this technopia process. It demands convergence of wisdom and
science, of humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, of the East and
the West, of the present and the past.
Global Empire/Market
in Symbiosis with Religion
For Asian Christian intellectuals there is a special
question of symbiotic convergence with the powers of the global market and the
global empire with religions which have serious consequences. It is a
contra-convergence to suppress and destroy the integrity of life in the created
order.
On the one had there is a rise in religious
fundamentalism: Christian, Islamic, Hindu and other types. On the other hand
there is a collusion of religious powers and power of the capital. Religions
are used by the empire to justify and provide the ideology of war. This religious dimension has led to an
intensification of violent conflicts fuelled by theological justifications and
invoking divine purpose. Christianity has a special relationship with the
Western capitalist development. In this Christianity has a unique place,
because of its symbiosis with the power of the global empire/market.
Western Christianity has been closely related to
empire since Roman days. Since then it
has spread throughout the world, and now it is being used to provide
ideological legitimation for today’s empire. Globalized Christendom and the
“crusades” it embarks upon today are symbiotically intertwined with global
capital and the power of the global empire. In its triumphalistic pursuits, it
discounts if not condemns all other religious faiths and cultures. The
indigenous religions of communities are destroyed, and Islam is vilified.
The convergence of Christian religion with Western
secular modernity has destroyed the religious and cultural life of peoples and
their communities throughout the world. The powers and principalities of the
global market and empire are being baptized by these theological distortions of
“Christianity,” which promote religious conflicts and bigotry globally.
The Christian religion of empire names the “gentiles”
to be conquered, the “evil empire” to be destroyed and the “axis of evil” to be
eradicated from the earth; the empire claims that the “goodness” of the empire
must overcome these “evils.” Its false
messianic spirit is imbued with the demonic.[8]
In the context of
the Symbiosis and Convergence of the Powers that Be it is not merely a question
for Asian peoples. It is that of peoples in the whole world. However, Asian
theological community has special problems and particular and unique perspectives
in its being Asia . Here Asian Christian
intellectuals need to take a fresh approach and a fresh theological
construction in response.
An Integral Study
of Life (Zoesophia)
With these background assumptions our reflection will be
set in the context of global empire and global market with their serious
ramifications for the whole life all living beings
For Asian Christian
intellectuals I would propose an integral study of life as an alternative to
the reductionalist modern science. The question for us is to liberate the whole
cosmic order of all living beings. It is to overcome the powers of death and
destruction on earth as manifested in the 21st century.
Basic assumption is
that all living beings are subjects; they cannot be relegated to mere objects.
Living beings give birth, feed, grow, learn, heal, create and live together
(conviviality) for themselves and among themselves.
All living beings
are victimized on 8 discernible (and more) dimensions: ecological threat,
geopolitical threat, economic injustice, health threat, political
objectification, multiple social injustice (class, gender, race, ethnicity,
caste and etc), cultural erosion and religious distortion. These dimensions of victimizations
are intensified in the 21st century regime of powers and
principalities. There is a need to respond to this threat in a convergent way.
This demands an integral study of life in transdiciplinary methodology.
This means that there is a need to have a convergence
of movements. Movements for ecological integrity of the cosmic order,
geopolitical peace for all living beings, economic justice, political
sovereignty of all living beings, the whole hearth, just and secure community
of living beings (conviviality), fiesta of life (culture), spiritual vitality
and fullness of meaning (religion) must converge to realize a fullness of life
on earth. This is an objective of integral study of life – a search for wisdom
of life (Zoesophia).
For Asian intellectuals we need at least triple
convergences: 1) Convergence of the “East,” that is, Asian wisdom of Life, past
and present and the “Western” wisdom of life, modern and traditional. 2)
Trans-disciplinary convergence of sciences and philosophies across the East and
West, and 3) Convergence of theology (religions) with the wisdom of life. These
convergences should be liberation; it should overcome reductionist and
fragmentalist ways to search the whole wisdom; and it should be able reach new
openness for creativity of life.
In this context I propose a fresh construction of
theology in Asia . There are many other reasons
why we should seek such a path.
In the first place, the identity of Christian movement in Asia
is being seriously questioned as to its true character of the Gospel, that is,
its truth and its nature of liberation in a recent global geo-political context.[9]
This is not a new question but a constant question in the Asian expansion of
the Western Christianity. But this has become far more an acute question in the
21st century than ever before. Recent Christian association with the
wars, waged by the US Asia and which has maintained close relations with the
Western Christendom and with the Western Christianity.
A closely related issue is the exclusive attitude of
the Asian Christianity towards Asian religious experiences as well as Asian
religions and their heritages. The so-called Christian dialogue and relation
with Asian religions presuppose and emphasize its distinctness and even its
exclusiveness. The most important continuity of Asian Christian religious
experiences and heritages with Asian religions are underestimated, if not
rejected. The efforts of indigenization and contextualization of the Western
Christianity have not dealt with this question. The root of Asian Christian
movement has not been clarified and established.
Furthermore, the Christianity may be becoming a religion of the global empire, as it
seeks to build “World Christendom.” This is an old vision, inherent in
the world mission movement of the Western Christianity. The Western Christian
ecumenical movement of church unity and of social and cultural liberation
movement is being seriously challenged by the conservative and fundamentalist
Christian movement in the West. This has a similar impact upon the “mission
churches” and upon ecumenical movement outside of the West as well, for they
are fundamentally rooted in the West. While some Christian groups in the West
are looking forward to see “World Christendom, the reality is that the center
of World Christianity has shifted from the West to the South, that is, Africa , Asian and Latin America .
This is demographically so; but the context in which the most of the Christians
in the world live is not the Western culture, but the African/Asian and Latin
American cultures and religions of multiple diversity. The nature of the
Christian faith and life is bound to be transformed in a fundamental sense.
Asian Christianity
is a Unique Faith Experience and Life
The Christian communities in these continents and
countries experience their faith and life in completely different religious, spiritual,
cultural, social, political, economic, geo-political and ecological contexts.
They have different religious histories and faith journeys in diverse
situations. This demands critical reflections and it is natural for their
communities to have different theological tasks and different way of faith and
life. Yet the Western Christian faith, Western way of Christian life and work,
and the western theologies have dominated the main line churches in Asia .
The most of them have lived in politically
disestablished nations and in the past three centuries they experienced the
Western colonialism in a very ambiguous ways, and they lived in their religious-cultural
history and environment. Socio-economically they are poor in general. In most
recent century they experienced their national struggle and nationalism as well
as colonialism. Asian Christians were caught in between these forces. Asian
Christians lived in the Asian history and context as the Asian people and their
civilizations were under the encroachment of the Western power, on economic,
political, geopolitical, religious and cultural levels and dimensions. These
are unique experiences of Asian Christian communities.
In the second
place, Asian Christian movement has been and becoming a “religion of the
capitalism.” This limits sociologically to reach the poor and alienated people
in Asia .
At its root the Western Protestant mission has been a
religion of rising capitalist bourgeois class of the Western societies. Asian
Christian movement has lived among the people, poor, oppressed and alienated,
in Asia . One dimension of Asian Christian
movement has been Christian solidarity with the people (the Minjung); but this
has been marginal and it is being marginalized today by the (Western-inspired) capitalist
class Christianity in the global market.
Today Asian Christianity as a whole has not yet taken
seriously the challenge of social, cultural, caste and racial movements of
liberation. It did not take seriously Christian movements and their Christian
religious experiences in the post-capitalist and socialist societies of Asia . When Chinese Christian movement proposed a project
of “construction of Chinese theological thought,” it is most challenging to the
Asian Christianity as well as to the world Christianity. This is truly another
dimension of crisis in Asian Christian identity. Asian Christianity is not a
religion of the people and not a religion of liberation. Christianity is too closely
tied to the global capitalism. For example, some economist observed that 80 %
percent of economists are Christians, leaning toward crude capitalist
economics.
In the third place
the Asian Christianity as well as the Western Christianity has failed to cope
with the Western modernity with all its manifestations in economy, politics,
culture and ecology.
The Western chauvinistic penetration into Asian
civilization and the modernization drive of Asian nation states has an impact
of total disintegration in the order of all living beings. It effects deeply in
the micro- and macro-cosmos in the order of life in Asia
as well as in the fabric of economic, geo-political, political, social and
cultural as well as ecological life of all living beings in Asia
and in the whole world. This means a disintegration of Asian civilization.
Christianity was an integral part of this factor, along side of the Western
modernity. What is the identity of Asian Christian movement in this process of
erosion of Asian civilization?
In this 21st century the life of all living
beings on earth is in a grave situation. The current human civilization moves
in a dangerous course. Thus Christian religion, like all religions, lives an
uncertain future.
Asian Reflection on
Faith Experiences and Life
What is faith experience
of Asian Christian movement under such signs of times? It is resistance against the power of destruction and death
among living beings. It is also faiths experiences of all religions as well as
Christian faith experiences. There is a radical continuity and complementarities
among all religions in their resistance against the all powers of death and
their struggle for life of all living beings. All religions, symbiotic with
destructive powers and principalities of global market regime and global
empire, are betraying their authentic faith experiences of life. Can Christian
religion be reconstructed and rehabilitated in its historical terms? Any
construction of Asian theology must answer this question.
Jesus the Asian in Galilee against Pax Romana :
Any construction of
Asian theology must liberate Jesus from the Western captivity. – An outline for fresh theological construction in Asia
A. Christian religion has become that of the Roman Empire in its early history. It had been
westernized politically and culturally.[10]This
is the Western Christianity. It lived through the development of the Western capitalism
in its modern industrial form and in its Western modernity. It became a
spiritual base of the Western Christendom and the Western colonialism. It had
become the foundation of the Western civilization.
Going back to Jesus the Galilean is an attempt to outstrip
Jesus from the Roman cloak of the Empire. It is to recover Jesus as the original
bear of Asian Christianity.
Jesus of Galilee and
his movement had been Against Pax Romana.[11]
He was crucified by the power of the Roman Empire ,
and his disciples became martyrs and his community of faith was persecuted
under the Roman Imperial Regime. This is the fundament in the faith experience
of Jesus and his company. His movement was against the power of destruction and
death. His movement was anchored in the hope for resurrection of all living
beings. His community confessed, “Jesus is the life of the world.” Jesus in Asia has never been crowned as the prince of peace (Head
of Pax Romana). He lived among the people in the world (cosmos). Asian Jesus
may be a pivotal point of departure for a fresh attempt to construct Asian
theology. In the struggle against the powers and principalities of the Roman Empire Jesus has stood at the people who suffering
and struggling in the regime of Pax Romana.[12]
The Korean Minjung theology shares this path of critical and constructive task
of Asian theology.[13]
Jesus did not count
upon his religious heritage of the past for the new vision of the world. Jewish
religion was not only bankrupt but very much compromised. A new world for the people of Galilee
could not come from it. This has a
universal implication. All religions, symbiotic with the powers and
principalities, block any path of visionary imagination of the people for
better tomorrow. It is like Hinduism which justifies any caste system of
oppression. Other religions would be in the same predicament, when they are
locked in the system of oppression and injustice. Especially this would be the
case with the Christianity, just as it has been the case of Roman Christianity.
Today Western Christianity has been being molded as a new religion of the
empire, seeking to create the world Christendom. This is a political criticism
of religion. Asian theological construction requires this political reflection.
For example, the Dalit people have been suffering
under the caste oppression, which is justified by the Hindu religion. The Hindu
religion again enjoys a collusive relation with the powers of the global
capital. The Dalit people have been seeking to overcome the powers and
principalities of the caste oppression and the class oppression. Jesus of Galilee would be the Dalit of India
Suffering people under the global empire are the
foundation of ecumenical horizon for a new
city
Jewish religious tradition, once divested of its
symbiosis with the powers that be, can be trans-contextualized and converged
with emergent new vision of Jesus and of his people. This applies to Asian
religions as well.
C. the vision of Jesus for the world is against the
order of empires, all people and all living beings are oppressed and threatened
to death. His vision of the world is a cosmic order of all living beings, which
are groaning under the powers and principalities of cosmic darkness and chaos.
Jesus is the very life of the world, which is the ground of the cosmic order of
all living beings. In this cosmic order of all living beings the suffering
people and the victimizing living beings have hope for life, abundant life and “eternal
life,” liberated from the powers of death and destruction.
Roots of Asian
religions as well as all world religions share Jesus’ vision of the world,
which is a cosmic order of life. There is no dichotomy between the human history and the comic order of
living beings in all Asian religions. This is true of the root of the Biblical
religion as well. Religions of East Asia as
well as South Asia have inclusive vision of
one comic order of all living beings.
This reality of Asian religions presents an inclusive ecumenical
horizon of integral life of all living beings. From this point of view current
practice of ecumenical dialogue and infer- or multi-faiths relations are
faint-hearted and fragmentary. Radical inclusiveness and integrality of life is
at the root of Asian religions, which is the foundation of vision of comic
order of all living beings. Fundamental reason why this radical inclusiveness
and integrality of life has not been realized is because religions have become
captives of the powers and the greed. Christian symbiosis with powers and
principalities of the global empire and of the global capital prevents
Christian ecumenism being radically inclusive and integral.
Asian theology is to recover the cosmic dimension of
theological reflection. It goes beyond the framework of the model of modern
physics. Asian wisdom of the life in the cosmos provides many clues, which can
transcontextualized for relevance in the 21st century. K. H. Ting’s
concept of the cosmic love of Christ is an excellent example of Asian
theological construction.
E. Jesus
is Asian.
Faith community of Jesus has been formed in Asian soil
and culture. Just as Jesus and his company have neither been conquered by the
powers of any Asian empire, nor been dominated by the Western culture of
Greco-Roman empires. Their language and culture has been Asian. They lived in
the West Asia in geo-political terms. This
Asian root of Jesus’ faith community must be the very foundation of Asian
ecumenical movement.
Unfortunately, this Asian root of Christian faith has
been almost completely neglected in its nature, and its value has been
underestimated. Just as Jesus has been politicized by the Roman
Empire and the subsequent Western Christendom, he has been
acculturated by the Greco-Roman culture and subsequent culture of the Western
modernity. Asian Christianity is by and large an expansion of the Western
mission Christianity, politically and culturally disconnected from the Asian
root of Jesus’ faith community. Our efforts of Asian indigenization, Asian
acculturation and Asian contextualization have not yet reached the very Asian
root of Jesus’ faith community. Our starting pivot of theological thought has
been misplaced. This meant that Christianity has been always western culturally
in its origin and in its historical manifestation. When we recover and
strengthen Asian rootedness of Jesus’ faith community, Asian Christian faith
movement will discover clues to authentic Asian identity. I am very happy to
see some development in this direction.
F. Asian Ecumenical Movement affirms Jesus’ cosmic
love of the world and affirms the cosmic order of all living beings in justice,
peace and integrity. The love of Jesus converges with the compassion of Buddha,
with the Tao of Lao-tzu, with Jen of Confucius, with charity of Mohamed and the
Hindu-Love of Indian faith. Because this love is the core of the cosmic order,
the life of all living beings is in mutual harmony in the universe. Such love
is the cradle of true and full life.[14]
This is a convergent point of Asian religious ecumenism.
From this pivotal point Asian Ecumenical movement to
love the life of all living beings who are suffering the threat of death and
destruction. The people live together with all living beings; and all living
beings are mutually interdependent(SangSaeing:相生). Likewise there is solidarity of suffering among all
living beings.
A New
Historiography on Asian Christianity
Christian story in Asian historical context should be
reconstructed. A new historiography is in order in terms of methodology as well
as content. The subject of Christianity is Jesus the Asian among the Asian
people.
The historical root of Christianity is the Galilee of Asia (the West Asia ). To be exact it begins with Jesus the
Galilean. Jesus and his companions and subsequently the early Jesus movement
have begun a Christian network of movements in the West
Asia with its cultures and religions. It took two directions subsequently:
one towards the east and the other towards the West. The Eastward movement of
Jesus has been on a completely different from the Westward movement of Jesus.
This is not a geographical difference, but it is a political, cultural and
religious difference. Jesus movement has been established politically in the
West. But it is disestablished in the East. For example, for the Western
Christianity the relationship between the church and state is a key vector,
whereas for Asian Christianity the church and the people is the axis and the
state is a secondary dimension. Yet we have taken the church and the state
relations as the key vector of Asian Christian history. For this reason Asian
story of Christianity cannot be a simple continuation of the Western story, not
even an indigenous one. It is a new story from the beginning, at the present
and in the future. Historiography of Christianity in Asia
is a completely different one. This does not mean the omission of the Western
mission history, but it is a historiography of Asian Christianity to integrate
the chapter of Western mission history in Asian perspective.
From now on Jesus the Asian takes the pivotal place in
the Asian history of Christianity in which the Western mission takes a place of
chapter. It is not Asianization of the Christianity, but it is the whole history
of Asian Christianity in which the Western mission history is integrated and to
which the Western Christianity is to be connected.
This is a new and fresh construction of historical theology.
It is a part of Asian history from the beginning. It is a history of the
people, a people-centered history, not the kingdom- or empire-centered history.
This has a subversive implications to the Western “established” church history
as well as to the history of Asian “established” religions. It is a history of
the people in tension with the powers of kingdoms, nation states and empires.
In this history the subject of history is the people together with all living
beings.
Convergence of
Visions, Philosophical, Cultural and Religious Visions
My beginning
point has been "Jesus of the Galilee
against Empire" and it is to lead my reflection towards "people/cosmos-centered
convergence" of the East and the West and that of religions and sciences
beyond dialogical mode of interactions among civilizations and religions. This
is the pivotal proposition of any theological statement. All nations and all
creatures gather together into the convivial fiesta through the service of
Jesus the Galilean. Jesus is the cradle of the Convergent Wisdom of Life of all
living beings and all peoples. This wisdom is to serve all living beings and
their conviviality to be subject of the life.
In Asia , major
religions have long been reservoirs of wisdom and vision for a world of peace
and justice. Cultural visions include, which reflects a definition of
personhood that finds its meaning within the context of a common humanity,
sharing in God-given life, dignity, interdependence and a common future.
From Dialogue to
Convergence
Asian Christians have been afraid of syncretism which
might dilute the truth of Christian faith. They have been exclusive of faiths
of their neighbors. The regarded religions and cultures of their national
community as pagan and gentile. In recent decades the ecumenism of dialogue
made a great stride to learn from each other as well as overcome religious and
spiritual hostility with each other.
But there has been a rise of new opportunities as well
as necessities to overcome the gap between religious communities of the world.
This is a movement from dialogue among religions to a convergence among
religions toward a common vision of life on earth.
Fresh Bible Reading
The Western theological dogmas have influenced the
reading of the bible in the Christendom and the modern Western hermeneutics and
biblical studies have been influenced by the modern Western historical studies and
hermeneutics. Fiorenza’s critique makes sense (Union Theological Review (2004).
A Cross Textual Reading Asia .
Significance of reading the Bible with the texts of Chinese classics has been
recognized, for these Chinese texts are influential in the life of the people.
In the socialist countries of Asia the social
philosophies have influenced their reading Bible as well as doing their
theology.[15]
Fresh Hermeneutics : Kairotic Reading of the Bible for
Life Wisdom in the context of the global empire in 21st century.
Jesus the Galilean in the context of the Roman Empire
is a hermeneutical key. Convergent Reading
Methodology of Convergent Reading
Theory and Praxis
in the Zoesophia:
Asian Ecumenical
movement is to love integral life of all living beings.
a. Industrial civilization has a mode of production
which conquers the micro- and macro-cosmos of life. The infinite greed in the
capitalist market is the engine of the industrial economy; and the greed begets
the collective evil and the evil destroys the life of all living beings. It
denies the economy of life. Food and health have become commodities of the
global market, and they are denied to the hungry and the sick in spite of their
plentiful production.
Ecumenical movement would promote the economy of life.
b. In order to secure and expand the global regime for
limitless greed the global empire construct an absolute political and military
hegemony over the globe, indeed over the cosmic order of all living beings.
This is a global system of destruction and death. The global power is used to dominate
rather than to serve the people and living beings for their subjectivity. It
seeks to subjugate any participatory
democratic political movement
of the people from below and to suppress and co-opt direct participatory civil
society movement of the world and every society.
c. There is no sovereignty of the people and living
beings, and there is no security for all living beings as well as for the
people. There is no space allowed for politics of the life of all living
beings. Ecumenical movement is to raise all living beings as sovereign subjects
who would do the politics of life to promote the security and peace for life.
e. The regime of limitless freedom of the greedy
capital and of infinite competition of the powerful with the powerless breeds a
complex vortex of violent contradictions and conflict, where only the strongest
and the fittest can win and survive. This logic permeates into the cosmos as
well as to the society. Justice and conviviality in the cosmos as well as in
the society is rejected and denied. The security of life for weak living beings
is radically undermined. Love and sociality (Koinonia) is regarded as
unrealistic. Ecumenical movement would be grounded upon the cosmic love and conviviality among all living beings.
f. Cultural identity and aesthetic sense is eroded and
uprooted. It is replaced by the market culture; and it is polluted by the
ideologies of the domination. The cultural well spring of life among all living
beings is dried up and the garden of culture is turned into waste land. The
consciousness and senses of all living beings is colonized and homogenized by
the artificial culture of greed and hegemony as we see in the media and in the
cultural market. Deep aspirations of life on the part of all living beings are turned
into a desperate desire for the hedonistic desire for “happy and easy life,” as
we see in the consumerist society dictated by the global market. The culture of authentic and full
life is eradicated.
g. Sustainable ecology for all living beings is not a
matter of biology and sociology. In Asian cultural and religious life it is
deeply spiritual matter. Despiritualisation
of the earth by the modern science, exploitation by the global market
and totalistic destruction by the global empire are orchestrated into a
destructive process of the cosmic abode of all living beings. The ecology of
life is now manipulated to serve the global market and the global empire. The
OIKOS of life is dominated, exploited, manipulated and destroyed. Ecumenical
movement is to work for profound renewal of ecological spirituality of integral
life. This is the practice of ecological love.
h. Historically religions have existed in symbiotic
relations with the powers that be and have often lost their vitality among the
people. In a similar way they are closely connected with the powers of the
global market and of the global empire. They are often functioning
ideologically in the context of the power struggle, siding with the powerful.
The world Christianity has functioned in such a way in the context of the
domination of the western powers over the world. Ecumenical movement is to
restore and renew the original root of faith among all religions so that they
become truly and authentically sources of resistance against the powers of death
and of life for all living beings. This renewal can take place, transcending
religious boundaries, when it takes place among the suffering people and among
the victimized beings of life.
New Vision of Integral Life
Through the peace and life movements around the world,
various visions of a peaceful world for the full and abundant life of all
living beings are taking shape. The beginning of the 21st century saw the
emergence of an international civil society consciousness, informed by
disillusionment with the current neo-liberal economic globalization and empire,
and searching for an alternative community of life in justice and peace.
In making our contribution to new visions of community
of life in justice and peace we recognize that it is grounded in the struggles
of the people who are resisting neo-liberal globalization and the empire in
multi-dimensional, multi-cultural, multi-faith, interdependent and
interdisciplinary ways of convergence. This is the aim of the integral study of
life.
The Kairotic locus
of Jesus the Galilean is the “open omega point” of liberation-centered
convergence of all wisdom (all religions, cultures and philosophies).
This is the service
to the life of living beings in the cosmic order. The Convergent Wisdom of liberated Life of all living
beings is against the powers such as the global empire that has absolute claims
over against all living beings. Theological task is to realize liberating convergence
of all dimensions of life in the midst of reductionist and fragmented life
under the regime of modern science and technology. This is the convergence of
all wisdom of life from ages to ages.
Ecumenical Matrix of
Convergences
Critique on the Convergence of Technological Domination is in order. The Global
Market/Empire is using the convergent technologies to open new technopia in the
universe. There are serious questions in this development. The Convergence of
technologies leads to an Omega point of human society. What has made the theory
controversial is claims that it is experimentally verifiable, that the beings
near the Omega Point will resurrect anybody who has ever lived into a state
close to classical descriptions of Paradise and that the Omega Point itself
corresponds to the religious notation of God. From a transhumanist perspective,
the Omega Point is the logical conclusion of our striving towards higher
levels, regardless of its nature. The convergence of technologies is a powerful
process to manipulate and create the cosmic order on the micro and macro
levels. Epistemologically and technologically the process is fundamentally
reductionist and objectification of all things, living or otherwise.
Convergence for
Liberation
In order to overcome fragmentation of liberation
ecumenism, it is necessary to do an integral approach. Multi-disciplinary and
trans-disciplinary convergence of methodologies in the integral study on the
life of all living beings is required. It should be free from the fragmented
reductionist methods and aggressive technologies. It should be free from the
illicit symbiosis with power of the global market/empire. The convergence
between the East and the West, convergence of faith / science and technology
for transformed world and
Convergence of Wisdoms of Life through convergence of
religions and philosophies can be a liberating process in the context of
integral study of life.
Dialogue as
Convergence
Interfaith dialogue has been a general practice in the
ecumenical movement. But strictly speaking, it is a form of convergence; for
dialogue with philosophies and ideologies as a form of convergence. When
persons and communities are engaged in dialogue, the involved parties get
transformed by the experiences of dialogue. There emerges a common experience
between the parties of dialogue. The dialogue partners cannot go back to the “original
self” which is a state of pre-dialogue.
Asian Christians live in Asian cultural religious
contexts, which cause inner dialogues in the Christian person and in the
Christian community. This dialogue is extended to the neighbor in the
community. There is an unconscious convergence of Christian faith and
religious/cultural contexts in a given community.
A liberation convergence of various dimensions of the
integral life seeks to overcome fragmented, yet multiple contradictions in the
present cosmic order of life. The modern industrial development and the
scientific and technological advancement of the global market/empire manipulate
and destroy the macro-ecological order of life and the micro-cosmic world of
life. In addition, Geo-political contradictions, Economic contradictions, Political
Contradictions, Social Contradictions, Cultural contradictions, Health
Contradictions and Religious / Spiritual Contradictions form a vortex of
violent interactions
The whole and full life on earth (an integral wisdom
of life) is envisioned as an alternative to the present cosmic order of life,
ridden with the vortex of multiple contradictions. It should be a search for Convergence
of Wisdom of Life towards convivial community of all living beings on earth, for the convergence is a gate to
emergent new reality; it is a seed for new body and community of life. It is
the convergence in a context into a trans-contextual mode. Vision of Fiesta is born out of a
convergence of all wisdom of convivial life. All cultures and spiritual
wisdom of living beings will be present in the feast of life. All living beings
as well as all nations will participate in this Chukje(Fiesta). Bibimbab is a
very good example of convergent food with vegetables, rice, ground meat, egg,
sesame oil and pepper paste source in a traditional vessel. Our dinner table is
that of convergence, for we eat various delicious foods which become convergent
life energy in our body.
Asian Christians
Has Lived the Convergent Faith and Life in their own History. We need a critical reflection about this historical
reality. In the era when the Western mission dominated Asian Christian
communities, they were forced religiously, culturally and intellectually
denunciated their own heritages. They were taught that there is fundamental
discontinuity between Christ and Asian religion and culture. Nevertheless the
actual experiences of faith and life among Christian communities could not be
in a vacuum, but in the religious and cultural matrix of their history and
their people. In spite of religious and cultural conflicts the Christian
communities experienced a “syncretism” which was condemned, a hybridization of
religious and cultural life, and conscious and unconscious indigenization and
acculturation. There represent a sort of convergence of the divergent
religious, cultural and intellectual realities. Christian insisted on the
identity, integrity and superiority of Christian religion in the midst of this “convergent
history of Asian Christian faith communities. Theoretically any faith
experience of Christian communities in the convergence process cannot be the
same as that before the convergent experiences. Christian faith experience
becomes a new faith experience. This reality requires a fresh and new
theological approach for reflection, critical and constructive.[16]
Historical Cases of
the Convergence for Liberation in Korea
1. The Tonghak Religion has emerged as a new religion
of the Minjung in Korea China Korea
2. The March First Independence Korea
3. Democratic movement is grounded on an ecumenical
convergence (for example, the Coalition for Human Rights in Korea) in which
Buddhists, journalists, workers, intellectuals as well as Christians joined
together to struggle for people’s human and democratic rights and for the peace
on the Korean peninsula and national reunification. The progressive social
thinking has converged in this movement. It is not out of a ideological or
political solidarity, but the common vision out of such convergence provided a
decisive foundation for such a people’s movement in 1970’s and 80’s.
Ecumenical Convergence of all
living beings: There rises convergent movements in a Kairotic time and space in
the history. There are many different models of convergence. There are
different levels of onvergence. And yet convergent points must be liberational,
wholistic and open to emerging new reality. It is historical and cosmic. Eight Taeguk (八太極) is an Asian model of integral convergence of the
life in the cosmos. Theological equivalent would be a Kairotic convergence at
the Omega point, that is, the fiesta of life at the Messianic Reign.
A Closing Word:
Jesus the Galilean
of Asia Proclaims the Fiesta of All Living
Beings against the Global Empire. Jesus draws his faith from Jewish tradition while he
opposed the politicized Judaism. One can say that his faith converged with the
Jewish tradition. His community, the early church, has actively converged with
faith experiences of Asian people in so far as its opposition to the domination
of the Roman Empire . This was never recognized
and studied in the Western theological scholarship. The discontinuity of the
early church with Asian faith experiences has been emphasized.
The vision of the fiesta of life has risen from the
convergence of the faith experiences of the early church with Asian tradition
and faith experiences.
The fiesta of life is the direct opposition to the
domination of the Roman Empire over the cosmos
of the life. The fiesta of life of all
living beings is the core of Jesus’ vision. Asian and the Integral Convergence
for Liberation may a way for doing theology in Asia
in resistance against the regime of global empire/market.
We have suggest some dimensions and directions for a
fresh consideration on the Asian ecumenical movement and thus for a fresh
attempt to construct Asian ecumenical theology. Many of our theologians in
Asian ecumenical movement have provided much wisdom, and many of African,
Pacific, Caribbean and Latin American
theologians are providing rich wisdom. Also there is much wisdom in the
marginal history of Western Christianity. For our fresh reflection on Asian
ecumenical movement we need to be close conversation with these theologians of
the world for a new global convergence in doing Asian theology.
Furthermore, we need to be in touch with rich cultural
heritage of indigenous people in the world and all religious and cultural
struggles of the people in the world as well as our Asian cultural and
religious heritages and struggles. We need to embrace them radically to
understand and digest their wisdom for life. This includes what we might call
people’s philosophical and intellectual traditions for liberation and for life.
Our ecumenical intellectual horizon must been as deep as it is all inclusive
globally.
In our reflection on these issues, we remain in the dichotomy
of the East and the West, in the dichotomy of the Western Christianity and
Asian Christianity, and in the dichotomy of the modern and the traditional
thinking. We must overcome actively these dichotomies to struggle for life,
that is, for theology of life. Our final criterion is that of abundant and full
life of all living beings, that is, the fiesta of life.
In and for this fiesta there is a convergence of all “nations”
against the global powers of the empire and market to share a cosmic vision of
life.
All religions and philosophies would converge in this
movement of resistance against the global powers and principalities. Such
convergence not only resist and overcome the fragmentation and domination among
living beings, but also heal the wholeness of life injured by the powers that
be. This was the very vision of Jesus the Galilean in the Asia .
[2] There have been
many attempts of implantation, indigenization, and contextualization. A fresh
attempts should converge its approach with the past findings wisdoms.
[3] The three short
paragraphs are quotes from the Cape Town Document on Economic Justice and
Ecological Integrity (WARC 2002). I have participated in the drafting of the
document.
[4] This section is
based upon the Manila Declaration on the Global Empire (2006). I have
participated in drafting the document.
[5] According
to reliable sources of information, the Pentagon has military connections or
alliances with 130 countries around the world.
[6] Transhumanism
is a philosophy that humanity can, and should, strive to higher levels, both
physically, mentally and socially. It encourages research into such areas as life extension,
cryonics,
nanotechnology,
physical and
mental
enhancements, uploading
human consciousness into computers and megascale
engineering.
[7] Nanotechnology is alone serious enough.
The term ‘nanotechnology’ was used
first to describe a way to manufacture something from atomic molecules (such as
the food replicator in many science fiction films where one says, for example,
“Coffee” and the machine builds, synthesizes
the coffee molecule by molecule) (3). The term nanotechnology has since then
evolved into a different meaning. Today, nanotechnology is used to mean
‘nanoscale technology’ and nanoscale sciences covering ‘nanotechnology’
research and development products, ideas and processes with controlled size
below 300nm. Many Nano-Taxonomies exist which show the numerous fields,
processes and products covered under ‘nanotechnology’ today (4). The original meaning of the term is now
generally known as molecular manufacturing or molecular nanotechnology (4). Nanotechnology in all its meanings allows
for, among other things, the manipulation of materials on an atomic or
molecular scale and enables a new paradigm of science and technology that sees
different technologies converging at the nanoscale namely:
a. nanoscience
and nanotechnology;
b. biotechnology
and biomedicine, including genetic engineering;
c. information
technology, including advanced computing and communications;
d. cognitive
science (neuro engineering)
e. synthetic
biology.
Hence,
the designation "NBICS" (nano-bio-info-cogno-synbio). Many lists of
anticipated Nanoproducts exist (5;6). The National
Nanotech Initiative (USA) envisions applications for NBICS products in areas
such as the environment, energy, water, weapons and other military
applications, globalization, agriculture, health (more efficient diagnostics
and genetic testing, cognitive enhancement; life extension, enhancing human
performances in general) (41) each of
which come with their own sales pitches, social consequences, problems and
implications. Others such as the social group of transhumanist
believe that advances in NBICS hold the key for extreme life extension to the
level of immortality and the achievement of morphological(7), ‘full reproductive’ (see e.g. artificial womb research(42)) and genomic freedom. (6) Other areas which impact and are impacted on Nanotechnology are
synthetic biology(43;44) A list of many anticipated
Nanoproducts can be found here (45;46)
The U.S. US
[9] Samuel Huntington,s
thesis on the Civilizational Clash is one example, which puts Christian
identity in question.
[18] Kim Yong-Bock,
Historical Transformation, People’s Movement, Christian Koinonia, Ph. D.
Dissertation for Princeton Theological Seminary, 1976
|
42,283,000
|
||
|
170,405,000
|
||
|
96,614,000
|
||
|
86,801,000
|
||
|
72,225,000
|
||
|
54,012,000
|
||
[iv] In the new neo-liberal model of capitalist
globalization, either by self-induced or imposed powerlessness or by design,
governments tend to do the contrary:
l
They deregulate the globalized economy more and more, allowing capital
to follow its own laws of self-aggrandizement
l
Instead of progressively taxing wealth and redistributing it for peoples’
welfare, by corruption or by being blackmailed they lower taxes, do little or
nothing against tax flight and even subsidise capital
l
In order to balance their indebted budgets, they cut down on public,
social, health and other services (through Structural Adjustment Policies,)
For these purposes the governments of the rich
countries dominated by the USA
[v] The report of the Project for the New
American Century, entitled Rebuilding America’s Defences: Strategy, Forces and
Resources for a New Century, published in September 2000.
[vi] The
convergence of nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, and
cognitive science will have a substantial impact on companies and markets in
the future. . Though technology convergence is still only a concept, it is
already beginning to define the global marketplace. Technologies such as
connections between the brain and machines, wearable health monitors, smart
houses made of environment-sensitive materials are not science fiction anymore,
but are scientifically feasible. It is very likely
that these technologies will emerge in the next 20 years. Some convergent
technologies are already hitting the marketplace. Among these are optical
microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), the subject of a multiclient report soon
available from Technical Insights. However, the key question is whether
technology developers want to devote their resources to the technologies that
are further in the future. Corporate and political strategy as well as public
preferences will determine the course of convergent technology.
댓글 없음:
댓글 쓰기