Christian Mission Among the Peoples of Asia

by Jonathan Y. Tan

Overview

Explores post-colonial realities of evangelism in the world's most populous continent.
In recent decades, traditional notions of evangelism as missio ad gentes --, mission from a Christian center out "to the peoples--." have been nuanced by a new understanding of evangelizing as missio inter gentes, mission "among the peoples." Beginning from this new understanding of mission, Jonathan Tan rethinks the task of evangelization in Asia, home to two thirds of the world's population. Tan explores the challenge of doing Christian mission in the context of profound socio-cultural diversity and religious pluralism, complicated by the interplay of postcolonialism, globalization, migration, religious exclusivism and other forces. Ultimately, Tan concludes, the mission efforts of Asian Christians themselves will be the crucial factor in determining the furture and even the survival, of Christianity in Asia.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608335220
Publisher:	Orbis
Publication date:	08/21/2014
Series:	ASM , #50
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	930 KB

About the Author

Jonathan Y. Tan is Senior Lecturer & Discipline Chair in Studies of Religion at Australian Catholic University in Sydney, Australia. He holds a Ph.D. from The Catholic University of America, and is the author of Introducing Asian American Theologies (Orbis Books, 2008).

Table of Contents

Preface to the American Society of Missiology Series xi

Abbreviations xiii

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 Mission in Asia: Selected Historical Snapshots 11

Early Beginnings: The Assyrian Christian Mission to India and China 11

Christian Mission in the Age of European Empire Building 15

India 18

Japan 20

China 25

Vietnam 30

The Birth of Korean Christianity: Mission by and for Koreans 34

From Patronage to Propaganda Fide 37

Conflict between Padroado and Propaganda Fide 41

Ancestor Veneration and the Rites Controversy 43

The Great Protestant Missions of the Nineteenth Century 47

Chapter 2 Mission in Asia in the Face of Religious Pluralism 55

Christian Mission Meets the Postcolonial Realities of Asia 57

The Christian Minority Presence in the Sea of Asian Plurireligiosity 62

The Dilemma and Challenges of Religious Pluralism 71

Stanley J. Samartha 75

Raimon Panikkar 77

Jacques Dupuis 78

Religious Pluralism at the 1998 Synod of Asian Catholic Bishops 81

Contemporary Asian Theological Responses to Religious Pluralism 89

Hwa Yung 90

Peter C. Phan 91

Amos Yong 92

Chapter 3 The Mission Theology of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences 95

The Birth of the FABC 95

The Challenges of Pluralism in the ASIAN Milieu 99

A Commitment and Service to Life IN Pluralistic Asia 105

The Quest for Harmony in the Pluralistic Asian Milieu 109

Mission as Dialogue with the Threefold Reality of Asian Religions, Cultures, and Poverty 112

Building Up the Reign of God in Asia 120

Toward "Active Integral Evangelization" 124

Chapter 4 Toward a Theology of Mission among the Peoples in Asia 129

Mission among the Peoples: Four Propositions 130

Proposition 1 131

Proposition 2 136

Proposition 3 146

Proposition 4 151

Mission among the Peoples in Multicultural and Plunreligious Malaysia 159

Chapter 5 The Challenges of Contemporary Migrations in Diasporas and Cyberspace 169

Mission among the Asian Migrants 171

Migration in Asia: An Overview 171

Mission and the Challenges of Migration 174

Migration in the Documents of the FABC 176

FABC V: Journeying Together toward the Third Millennium (1990) 177

FABC-OHD: Journeying Together in Faith with the Filipino Migrant Workers in Asia (1993) 178

FABC VI: Christian Discipleship in Asia Today: Service to Life (1995) 180

FABC's Colloquium on Church in Asia in the 21st Century (1997) 181

FABC VII: A Renewed Church in Asia on a Mission of Love and Service (2000) 181 FABC VIII: The Asian Family: Toward a Culture of Integral Life (2004) 182

FEISA V: Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees: A New Way of Being Church (2002) 183

An Emerging FABC Theology of Mission among the Migrants 189

Mission among the Digital Natives of Asia: New Frontiers of Mission 191

The Rise of the Digital Natives 191

Cyberspace and the Rise of Social Media 193

Engaging the Youth and Millennials of Asia in Cyberspace 196

Mission among the Youth and Millennials of Asia in Cyberspace 200

Epilogue: Imagining New Possibilities 205

Works Cited 211

Index 231

The American Society of Missiology Series 241