Authors & Affiliations: Jung-Yao W., Calvin Theological Seminary USA ', United States

Pages: 7 - 32

Abstract: Alvin Plantinga argues that (1)if Christianity is true, then it is warranted and rational;(2) Christians have the right to think that the incompatible religions are wrong; and (3) given that there is no conclusive argument against Christianity, Christians do not need to reduce their confidence after knowing about the existence of other religions. However, his stance is challenged by religious pluralists. One sort of objection criticizes that Christian beliefs are not produced by a normal faculty nor produced in an environment that leads a believer to the truth. If it is the case, according to Plantinga's epistemology, Christianity is not rational. Another sort of objection argues that given the diversity of religions, a Christian should reduce his or her confidence in Christianity. In this paper, I will reject all three objections from pluralists and defend Plantinga's exclusivism in the light of epistemic peer theory. © 2023 Chung Yuan Christian University. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Alvin Plantinga; epistemic peer theory; pluralism; Reformed epistemology; religious diversity

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

Pages: 33 - 63

Abstract: "Covert progression" is a new development in Narrative Criticism, and was advanced as a method by Dan Shen years ago. Upon investigating the narrative of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts), this present research discovers that behind the overt plot a covert progression exists. This means there is an undercurrent that runs at a deeper and hidden level, parallel to the plot movement. In Acts, the overt plot is that the disciples led by the Holy Spirit evangelize through hardships and dangers from Jerusalem, to Judea and Samaria, and farther to the gentiles till the end of the earth. In contrast, in the covert progression, the implied author alludes that the Jerusalem Church, especially its elders and other senior leaders did not perform as expected and hindered the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in one way or another because of their conservatism and condescension. The implied author of Acts interweaves this covert progression into his narrative in order to convey his theological standpoint and missionary attitude to the implied reader. Discovering the covert progression helps the implied reader understand the narrative from a new perspective, and appreciate more fully its aesthetic values. Without this understanding, the reader has only a partial picture of the theme and a partial image of the characters. © 2023 Chung Yuan Christian University. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Acts of the Apostles; Covert progression; Jerusalem Church; Narrative Criticism

Authors & Affiliations: Chang K.-H., Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary, China

Pages: 65 - 93

Abstract: In this article, following contemporary literary critics, I analyze the macrostructure of Matthew's Gospel from a narrative/ plot perspective and explore the narrative function of the five major speeches in the macrostructure. In so doing, I propose a new solution to the longstanding debate on the macrostructure of Matthew-a solution that can take into account the two most treated structural formulae. As will be introduced, since previous scholarship that applied the first formula Koti eysvexo 6x6 stsX^ctsv 6 Ir|O"o0<; to structural analysis failed to recognize the narrative nature of Matthew, many scholars sought to apply narrative criticism and as a result, the second formula GOTO TOTS f]p^aTO 6 Ir|GOX)<; received considerable attention using such an approach. However, although scholars applying narrative criticism rightly treated the five major speeches of Jesus as embedded in the plot, many of them did not fully explore the narrative function of these speeches and consequently neglected a crucial turning point of the story. Thus, first building upon the emphasis of previous narrative approaches on the theme of "salvation history," I argue in this article that the formation of a community of disciples is one of the major axes of Matthew's plot and, as such, 9:36-10:1 is one of Matthew's major turning points. Second, by using reader-response criticism to explore the significant effect of the five major speeches on the "implied reader" of Matthew's Gospel, I further argue for the structural role of these five speeches in the plot. Therefore, all five speeches of Jesus are to be located in different narrative blocks and thus have different narrative functions within the plot. © 2023 Chung Yuan Christian University. All rights reserved.

Keywords: disciple; implied reader; macrostructure; Matthew; narrative; plot

Authors & Affiliations: Yonghua G., Trinity Western University, Canada

Pages: 95 - 119

Abstract: ''Participation95 is one of the core concept in Augustine5s understanding of Metaphysic, though it has not caught much scholarly attention. This essay examines the difference between Augustine5s and PlatoJs concept of "participation", exploring the former in transforming the concept of “participation” under the framework of creatio ex nihilo^ and the breakthrough in understanding the "One". © 2023 Chung Yuan Christian University. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Augustine; Creatio ex nihilo; One; Participation; Plato

Authors & Affiliations: Lu M., College of Foreign Languages Shandong University, China

Pages: 121 - 141

Abstract: The Rudiments de parler chinois^ published by the Jesuit Diocese of Dedication at the end of the nineteenth century, is representative of the late Qing Christian Church's dialectal teaching materials, encompassing the various forms of writings of the time. They appear to be dialect dictionaries, proverbs, customs books, and advice books, but in reality, they follow the oral preaching and moralizing traditions of the Catholic Church and cater to the development trend of Western sinology, with a popular, academic, and religious focus. This type of Christian Chinese textbook is a fusion of Chinese folk concepts and Christian beliefs, linking Chinese folk, the Catholic Church and Western academia in the late Qing Dynasty, becoming historical evidence of the communication between East and Wfest. © 2023 Chung Yuan Christian University. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Chinese Catholic Literature; French Sinology; Leon Wieger; Rudiments de parler chinois

Authors & Affiliations: Jifeng L., Center for Southeast Asian Studies Xiamen University, China

Pages: 143 - 165

Abstract: In contemporary mainland China, writing about Chinese Christian history is no longer a practice reserved for Marxist theorists or highly-trained historians. It is now increasingly open to diverse authors, and recently, both local governments and local history buffs have shown an enthusiasm for producing historical texts linked to Christianity. This article re-examines that recent phenomenon in Nanfeng City; Fujian Province, exploring diverse forms of narratives about Chinese Christian history to uncover both official and unofficial discursive practices. It provides a basis from which to understand the state project of representing the past, where personal memories are mobilized as part of a grander project of historical reconstruction, paving the way to express different visions of the past. While unofficial narratives are emerging to challenge the master narrative of the state, this paper argues that official and popular historical accounts are not in any simple opposition to one another, often mingling together in a complex relationship. © 2023 Chung Yuan Christian University. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Chinese Christian history; discursive practice; historical memory; official narrative; unofficial narrative

Authors & Affiliations: Wang Z.

Pages: 169 - 172

Authors & Affiliations: Lei S.

Pages: 173 - 179

Authors & Affiliations: You-Dien L.

Pages: 180 - 183