Authors & Affiliations: Shing W.C., Graduate School of Religion, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taiwan

Pages: 7 - 46

Abstract: As a Christian intellectual, Timothy Tingfang Lew (1891-1947) was an exceptional and controversial figure who adopted twofold perspectives to adapt to Christianity and contemporary Chinese social change Similar to most Chinese intellectuals of his period, Lew could not escape and was to endure the challenges posed by evolutionary social changes. He eventually adopted the social gospel approach, which emphasized both the spiritual and political aspects of the Christian faith. In addition, He promoted modernization in China through Christian education. This study surveyed and evaluated how Lew adapted to social changes, simultaneously developed a theological view toward these social changes, and promoted both the spiritual and sociopolitical aspects of the Christian faith. Chinese Christian intellectuals in the Republican era (1911-49) were typically considered either political competitors who sought acceptance by the masses at the expense of the integrity of their religious faith, or cultural conservatives who regarded Christianity as a modern approach to advancing their Confucian concerns Lew found himself in the midst of conflicts between his dual identities as Chinese and Christian. As a Chinese intellectual, he endorsed Christian ethical values; as a Christian, he actively fulfilled his citizenship obligations by providing solutions, primarily through Christian education, to national social and political problems, including the international status of China. Copyright © Chung Yuan Christian University.

Keywords: Harry ward; Religious education; Social gospel; Tingfang lew

Authors & Affiliations: Ji J., Research Center of Comparative Literature and World Literature, Shanghai Normal University, China

Pages: 47 - 74

Abstract: This paper discusses Matteo Ricci's idea of shang-ti, t'ien and translation of "Deus" in late-Ming China. Affected by the hermeneutic tradition of the Classics and Theology, Matteo Ricci's translation of "Deus" is not only the use of localization strategy and innovation in contextual theology, but also proffers a proof for the existence of God. In the view of Matteo Ricci, Chinese Ancients' right knowledge of God comes from the "natural law"; its essence is to construct a doctrine of God through the use of natural theology and a historical framework. From this perspective, Matteo Ricci's idea will bring forward an important issue: Whether the supreme god of the Catholic Church already existed thousands of years ago in ancient China. It is not only one of the focuses of the Rite Controversy, undoubtedly it is the origin of Sino-Christian Theology. Copyright © Chung Yuan Christian University.

Keywords: Matteo Ricci; Proving the existence of God; Shang-ti and t'ien; Sino-Christian theology

Authors & Affiliations: Luen K.W., Department of Religion and Philosophy, Hong Kong Baptist University, China

Pages: 75 - 110

Abstract: This article studies the interaction between the doctrine of sanctification of the Chinese fundamentalist theologian Jia Yurning (1880-1964) and the Confucian nurturing doctrine of xin (heart-mind). This article points out that Jia's theology of "life" constructs a Chinese Christian teaching of self-cultivation of heart-mind. And its objective is to encourage people to become "Christ-man," whose life is Christ. Jia Yurning asserted that Christianity and Confucianism could learn from each other, though it is a surprising move against the common impression of Fundamentalist theology. He used Confucian terms such as "selfishness" (si xin), "blinded by materialism" (wuyu suo bi), and "addicted" (xian ni) to discuss Christian doctrine of sin. He interpreted the process of Christian sanctification alongside the Confucian teachings in Mengzi (The Book of Mencius) and Daxue (Great Learning). And he asserted that it is similar to the Confucian teaching: "internal sincerity will express itself outwardly." It is not a passive imputation by God, but something that a person can self-odtivate to achieve. Copyright © Chung Yuan Christian University.

Keywords: Christian doctrine of sanctification; Confucianism; Fundamentalism; Jia Yurning

Authors & Affiliations: Wang C.-W., Department of History, Tunghai University, China

Pages: 118 - 148

Abstract: This study investigates the social situation faced by Taiwanese Christians in the 19th century, and analyzes the experiences of Christians during religious and war conflicts, as well as their attitude and responses when facing difficulties. This study discusses the reasons that Christians were frequently accused of collaboration with enemies during several external wars in the Qing Dynasty in Taiwan, and that they became the targets, condemned and attacked, in order to further demonstrate how Christians were regarded as "Le Bouc émissaire" as social crises took place or traditional orders were damaged. Copyright © Chung Yuan Christian University.

Keywords: Christian; Conversion; Le Bouc emissaire; Social situation

Authors & Affiliations: Tian H., Institute of Religious Studies, Sichuan University, China

Pages: 149 - 172

Abstract: Feminist biblical scholar and theologian Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza has made great and ground-breaking contributions to the field of feminist biblical interpretation and theology. Her works focus on theology of liberation, biblical hermeneutics, rhetoric, and the ideology of interpretation, as well as on theological education, radical equality, and democracy. This article illustrates Fiorenza's feminist biblical interpretation from three aspects, namely historical reconstruction, hermeneutics of suspicion, and the problems of malestream scholarship, covering her interpretative methods, models, and metaphors, and exploring how she treats sex-gender, Christian beginning, and kyriarchy. It also provides a general review of her scholarship in the feminist context of the twentieth century. Copyright © Chung Yuan Christian University.

Keywords: Feminist biblical interpretation; Fiorenza; Hermeneutics; Historical reconstruction

Authors & Affiliations: Luh J.-J., Graduate Institute of Philosophy, National Central University, Taiwan

Pages: 173 - 196

Abstract: The problem of cultural depth-dimension of sino-theology lies in the complex of confrontation, conflict and communication between Chinese and sino-culture-system and the Christian religion-system, which has developed in the Western cultural context and from this comes down to the Far East Speaking with the language of contemporary theology, this theme belongs to the sphere of the so-called Contextualization-Theology. But with regard to the philosophical discourse in trend, it stand under the question-horizon of intercultural philosophy. If theological language shall be understood and received in the universal culture-world, it needs to be transformed into philosophical discourse, especially the trend of current philosophy, i.e. hermeneutics. Founded on the text of the main-event of intellectual exchange between Chinese culture and Christianity in cultural context of present Mandarin evangelical church in Taiwan, Communication and Transformation: The Dialogue between Christianity and Neo-Confucian, this essay attempt to translate the model of Contextualization-Theology from Lien-Hwa Chow or his basic concept of indigenous Theology into the language of hermeneutical philosophizing, particularly it will transform the fundamental structure and principle of his indigenous Theology into intercultural hermeneutics, which means the framework of interpersonal relationship and the theological hermeneutics of "Cawwg" or "faithfulness." Then it shall, according to indigenous Theology, outline a ground-conceptualization of the systemic intercultural hermeneutics of theology, for the sake of the paradigmatic change from Contextxialization-Theology to Intercultural Hermeneutics. Copyright © Chung Yuan Christian University.

Keywords: Faimfulness; Intercultural philosophy; Interpersonality; Lien-Hwa Chow; Systemic hermeneutics