Taiwan Church News 3274 Edition November 24 - 30, 2014 Church Ministry Looking For Taiwan's New Theological Voice In A Centenary Remembrance Seminar Of Rev. Dr. Shoki Coe Reported by Chen Yi-hsuan In a centenary remembrance seminar of Rev. Dr. Shoki Coe at Tainan Theological College and Seminary(TTCS) on November 22, Rev. Dr. C. S. Song, currently a Chair Professor of Chang Jung Christian University(CJCU) and the former President of World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC, 1977 - 2004), pays his tributes toward the pioneering "contextualizing" thoughts and legacy of Rev. Shoki Coe toward the theological education in Taiwan and other Asian countries. But Song also critically comments Dr. Coe's theological boundary limit, which is highly influenced by Karl Barth and molded after western theological traditions, still keeps Taiwan churches in a "Babylonian captivity". Song therefore urges Presbyterian Churches in Taiwan(PCT) and her affiliated seminaries should strive to break through these constraints to search a new theological horizon! Song thinks that Shoki Coe's theological thought is inevitably constrained by his contemporary time and events, so if Taiwan churches wish to enter into a new heaven and a new earth, many traditional ecclesiastical creeds have to thought over again with a new interpretation of the Bible in order to build up Taiwan's Christian theology digesting local stories as the foods of new theological thoughts. Song talks in straight and challenges the audience: Where is the theological voice? He criticizes TTCS is still overshadowed under the establishment of the founding missionaries; the business of annual PCT general assembly focuses only on formal polity issues but not substantial theological directions. He urges PCT refrain from being too frivolous on kinds of ministries. "PCT should spend time to build her own theology, otherwise it is impossible to have our own theology belonging to Taiwanese!", said Song. Song emphasizes our commemoration of the legacy and contribution of Dr. Shoki Coe cannot be limited in praise and eulogy only, rather a deep understanding of his thoughts and then transcend over his limits would be an ideal way. He takes as example the futile strategy of western evangelical mission in Japan. Song says, we would preach the gospel in vain toward the Japanese society, if we insist no salvation beyond the missionary model bequeathed by Western theological traditions, as the root of the problem is that the religious mind of Japanese is radically different from the Western religious mind! Translated by Peter Wolfe |