The Challenges and Mission of the Christian Churches

in the Changing Society of Taiwan Today 

Mission Conference of Taiwanese and German Churches

2000/5/27-29

by Chen Nan-Jou (Rev., Th. D.)

Professor, Vice President and the Dean of Academic Affairs 

Yu-Shan Theological College and Seminary 

The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan

At the turn of the century the people of Taiwan experience the coming of a new era in chronological terms and expect the emergence of a new society. During the past hundred years the Taiwan's people have undergone varioed and complicated social changes. Politically we experienced the Japanese colonialism, the totalitarian regime of two Chiangs, a semi-open society after the lifting of the martial law, and democratic political reform under former President Lee Teng-hui. After the presidential election of March 18, 2000, the Kuomintang (KMT), the party that ruled Taiwan for 50 years, was defeated by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) which advocates the sovereignty of Taiwan. A new society began to emerge before our eyes.

Human history tells us that social change is inevitable. The problem is not social change itself, but how we face the issues it brings. How do we participate in making history so that social changes do not damage the welfare of the people? How do we participate in making history without turning away from the will of God? How do we participate in making history with our eyes focused on the realization of the Reign of God? These are the issues of Christian mission that the churches of Taiwan face today. 

The society of Taiwan-A pluralistic society

Many observers considered the fact that Chen Shui-bian of DPP was elected President last March with 40% of the vote (the other main candidates received 36% and 23% respictively) shows that Taiwan is moving towards a pluralistic society. There is some degree of accuracy in this analysis, but we should not forget that Taiwan has been an ethnically, culturally and religiously pluralistic society for centuries. The new dimension is that our pluralism now includes a political aspect. 

The reality of ethnic and cultural pluralism in Taiwan's society was disregarded under the rule of the KMT. The mass media and educational system controlled by the KMT were continuously covering the fact of pluralism by so-called "Chung Hwa Ming Chu" ("Chinese nation") and "Chinese Culture." Many of Taiwan's people still hold to an ideology best termed "Han Chauvinism." They are not aware of the reality of Taiwan's pluralism. But it must be noted that before Han people from the Asian mainland (i.e. Ancient China) immigrated to Taiwan three to four hundred years ago (and again fifty years ago) there were at least ten different aboriginal tribes resident here. Their histories can be traced back six to twenty thousand years. Their current numbers make up only 2% of the total population of Taiwan, and their roots have nothing to do with any ethnic group from China. The Taiwanese aboriginal cultures and beliefs differ from the Confucian teaching which is at the center of the ethnic idology of the KMT.

It is normal for most societies to host divergent political views, but in order to strengthen its regime the KMT suppressed its political critics. Political dissidents were jailed and opposition magazines were confiscated. This shows the political situation before the mid-1980's. 

Now in our open society the convenience of mass communication and awareness of aboriginal self-identity have awakened Taiwan's people to the reality of a pluralism. Political oppression would be intolerable to us now. 

The suffering and the hopes of the people

The destructive influences brought by the unjust socio-political structure and the authoritarian educational system will not automatically disappear in the dawning of the pluralistic society. What does a pluralistic society give to the people who are suffering? Will the coming of a pluralistic society increase the suffering or release people from the present suffering? Does it mean that Taiwan's people have to struggle harder to accomplish their hope or will the struggle be easier than before? In order to understand and answer these questions, we must discern what is the root of our Taiwanese suffering and the heartfelt hope. 

1.The issue of identity

One of the clearest sufferings of Taiwan's people today is the issue of identity. We know who we are, but our identity rejected by most worldwide official organizations. The United Nations disregards the human rights of Taiwanese people and refuses us membership. The World Trade Organization (WTO) promises to accept our application only after that of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The World Health Organization (WHO) promotes sanitation and public health in the whole world, so it should welcome any country willing to join them in accomplishing its goal. But because of the PRC's obstructions Taiwan is denied membership. In 1999, when interviewed by a reporter from Germany, our former President Lee said that, based on history and reality, the relationship between Taiwan and China is "a special relationship between two states." The reaction of the PRC Government was very rude and critical. Some countries even blamed Dr Lee for creating unnecessary tension in East Asia. Various kinds of discrimination come to us in the repudiation of a Taiwanese identity. We are not treated equally in political, economic, educational, and cultural organizations internationally. Our human rights and privileges are violated by the international community.

Those who are familiar with the history of Taiwan will know that the issue of Taiwanese identity domestic as well as international. The KMT is to blame. The ancestors of most people in Taiwan came from the Asian mainland (Ancient China) in the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. They came to escape famine or war under the cruel dictatorship in China. Though they came from China, they identified themselves with Taiwan. They began to call themselves "Taiwanese." It is undeniable that Taiwan is the homeland of the people of Taiwan, and the people are sovereign. But when Chiang Kai-shek came to Taiwan in 1949 after the Communist Party took over China his party, the KMT claimed that Taiwan to be a part of China. This regime, which called itself "The Republic of China (ROC)", claimed sovereignty over China, including Taiwan and the Chinese Mainland. A counterclaim by the PRC maintains that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China-PRC. Under the martial law rule and and other oppressive policies of the KMT Taiwan's people were fed the line that they were "Chinese". The notion that "Taiwan is Taiwan and China is China" was not acknowledged. How is it that the PRC, a government that has never had any relationship with the land and the people of Taiwan, dares to claim it has sovereignty over Taiwan? Both regimes criticized and oppressed the right of self-determination of the people of Taiwan under the fictitious moniker "The Chinese Nation." After Chen Shui-bian was elected to be our president the PRC's attitude towards Taiwan has become "wen kung wu heh." (attack with words and threaten with military power). The international community also submits to Chinese hegemony, humiliating the Taiwanese identity and disregarding the sufferings and hopes of the people of Taiwan. Some people in Taiwan still in bondage to the "great China" ideology of KMT do not identify themselves as Taiwanese and create unnecessary confrontations within our society. 

In short, one of the many sufferings of the Taiwanese people is the issue of identity.

2.Longing for a society of justice and peace. 

The people of Taiwan, like people around the world, long for justice and peace. Taiwanese people also understand that the Reign of God is a vision for this world. But the corruption of "black gold politics," (the politics associated with gangsters and the rich which the KMT allowed in order to strengthen its rule) is not to be tolerated by the people of Taiwan anymore. One of the campaign slogans of President Chen Shui-bian was "to terminate black gold politics." His election shows that Taiwan's people expect a new socio-political situation which will get rid of the destructive impact of black gold. Under black gold: democratic system building failed; environmental pollution was unchecked; social peace and order suffered; Taiwanese identity was eviscerated; the brightest and best of our society looked towards emigration as their only hope; the impetus toward social development was blunted and social ethics deteriorated. This was a the basic concern in the presidential election. Is the power of destruction stronger than the power of construction? For the sake of building an environment of good living, Taiwan's people are hoping to be liberated from black gold so that a society of justice and peace can take its place.

The tension between different ethnic groups and different political identifications also must be faced. Most people in Taiwan hope that Taiwan's sovereignty can be recognized by the international community. There are differing opinions as to the details of recognition. Generally speaking, the people whose ancestors came from China three or four hundred years ago identify themselves as Taiwanese, and the people came to Taiwan after 1949 call themselves Chinese. This creates confrontation among people who hold different political identifications. Social harmony and peace through reconciliation are needed for the new society of Taiwan.

The challenge and the mission of the Christian churches

The Taiwanese people today are in a critical period. The sufferings created by the KMT in the past are on our shoulders, and we expect the new government to bring liberation and hope. As already mentioned above, what does a pluralistic society bring to the people who are suffering? Will the coming of a pluralistic society increase suffering or release us from it? Does it mean we have to struggle harder to accomplish our hope or will the struggle be easier than before? These are serious questions. Will Taiwan's becoming a pluralistic society make our people appreciate pluralism and enrich us through this experience? Will pluralism push people to strengthen the Taiwanese consciousness and build a new Taiwan together? Or will it create confrontation and exclusion and make the society of Taiwan more unstable? Christian communities are part of society. What is the challenge and mission of Christian communities in the social context of Taiwan today? What should Christian communities do today? What can Christian communities do together with Taiwan's people who are suffering? Isn't it the responsibility of Christian communities to discern the signs of the time, to realize its mission from God in this changing society today, and to participate in God's mission bravely? 

The mission of Christian communities today in Taiwan from the perspective of Taiwanese contextual theology has two major foci.

1. To identify with the sufferings and the hopes of the people of Taiwan. 

Taiwanese contextual theology confesses that God who has revealed himself/herself through the history of Israel and the life of Jesus is the God of identification. God identifies himself/herself with the sufferings of human beings, and brings liberation and hope to them. 

If the Christian communities would like to follow the model given by their Lord, they have to embrace the ecumenical affirmation to do mission in Christ's way. It means that Christian communities have to identify themselves with the sufferings and the hopes of the Taiwanese people. In the 1970s, the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) issued three public statements regarding the future of Taiwan, democratic politics, and the human rights of the people of Taiwan. The basic theological conviction was God is the God who identifies himself/herself with those who suffer. The Confession of Faith of the PCT. approved by the General Assembly in 1985, made this theology much clearer. It states that "we believe that the Church is......both universal and rooted in the land, identifying all its inhabitants and through love and suffering, becoming the sign of hope."

It is a pity that not all Christian communities agreed with this theology. When the PCT made public statements in the 1970's, it was criticized by many other Christian communities. Although what the PCT stated twenty years ago has become the policy of the government, there are still Christian communities that do not identify themselves with Taiwan. An article carried in the Christian Tribune, a semi-weekly news magazine published by several Protestant churches said that in the so-called "Mandarin speaking congregations" many Christians "sang suffering songs and the atmosphere of the congregations was sad, as if they were facing the end of the world," on the Sunday following the Presidential election ( "Christian Trubune", No.1783, March 21, 2000, pp. 1f). This demonstrates the reality of the tensions between the different Christian communities. In order to identify with the sufferings and the hopes of the Taiwanese people, there are at least two theological aspects which have to be considered.

a. We need to shift our theology and praxis from the concern for personal salvation to a concern of the life of the whole person, whole society, and whole creation. It means that we have to proclaim a Gospel related to the individuals, the society, and the whole creation. In Taiwan, there are churches who think that to "save souls" is the center and goal of the ministry of the churches. Individual salvation is seen as the only work of our Lord. Social concern or participation in social action for social transformation is a "secular" matter which is not the Christian community's business. 

When Christian communities confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, what does it really mean? Life is holistic. Is the life to which Christian communities refer the life of the whole person, even the life of all human beings? The Gospel of the Reign of God, revealed through the action of our Lord Jesus Christ is concerned with the life of the whole person, whole society, and whole creation. It relates to individuals, society, and the whole creation. Our lives, individually, socially, and in our entire living environment are facets of the realm of God's transformation. In a pluralistic society filled with the sufferings and the hopes of the people, if Christian communities do not care for the whole of people's lives, can Christian communities claim that they are a part of society? What sort of gospel can be proclaimed if Christian communities do not identify themselves with the people who are struggling for building a new Taiwan? Christian communities are taught to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. If Christian communities do not participate in social transformation, renewing the social structure, how can the salt be tasted and the light be seen? How can the view of a life of Christian faith be accepted as the value of the community life of the people of Taiwan? Christian communities must critically reflect on their role in our pluralistic society. Are we to keep away from social involvement and become assistants to the power of destruction? Or will we identify with and participate in the struggle of the Taiwan's people, share their sufferings, and be a force for social construction? The challenge to and mission of Christian communities is to identify with the people of Taiwan, share their sufferings, and join the struggles for autonomy, for the dignity of the our identity, and for a society full of justice and peace.

b. We need to replace "Christian centered" programs with the "people centered" programs, or emphasize both programs. Generally speaking, most church programs are Christian oriented. Most resources of the congregations are spent on serving Christians only. Christian communities are also spending their time and energy in so-called "church business." The result of this practice is that "serving the church is equated with serving God." This orientation isolates Christian communities from the human community-society. Christian communities living in the "church ghetto" do not experience what people experience, and cannot identify themselves with the sufferings and the hopes of the people. Sometimes the situation is even worse. Christian communities who keep silent become accomplices of the oppressive regime. Are Christian communities called to serve God only through serving the Church? Are Christian communities not also called to serve God by serving people through participating in their struggle for liberation-political, social, economical, and cultural liberation? Christians are a minority in Taiwan. "Christian centered" programs will never have a greater influence than "people centered" programs. Humility, love, and inclusiveness are needed in a pluralistic society. Taiwanese Christian communities would have more to contribute in these perspectives by changing their focus from Christians to people.

2. To identify with the history and cultures of the people of Taiwan.

If Christian communities believe that God is the God of creation, they must also believe that history is a record of God's activities. Cultures are from God, and cultures manifest God's will. Cultures, including religions, are not completely against the Gospel of Jesus Christ. One challenge and mission of Christian communities is to identify with the history and cultures of the people of Taiwan. Through identification Christian communities reinterpret the history of the Taiwan's people and discern the theological meaning of their history and culture. Reinterpreting the history of Taiwan from the perspective of the Taiwanese, not from the point of view of those who have oppressed the Taiwanese, so that Taiwan's people become the subject of the history. Discerning the theological meaning of the cultures of Taiwan so najes all cultures and religions mutually respectable. It becomes a positive impetus for social and ethnic harmony, and for building a community with common goals in a pluralistic society. In order to identify with the historyand the cultures of the people, there are at least two aspects of ministry that Christian communities have to consider.

a. Seek dialogue and cooperation with other religions. A peaceful society is one of the expectations of the Taiwanese people today. Christian communities have no other alternatives but to be peacemakers. For the sake of a peaceful society, we have to seek peace among different religions. Though there are no serious religious conflicts, mutual understanding among different religions is very poor. Roman Catholic and Protestant Christians here tend to have negative reactions towards other religions. The messages of Christian proclamation are often exclusive. There may not be open confrontation but there is almost always tension. How are today's Christians to discern the actions of God in Taiwan's history before the missionaries came? Christian communities have to promote inter-religious dialogue so that misunderstandings can be eliminated and mutual appreciation and acceptance built up. Christian communities have to reflect theologically on their mission. Is there a way that Christian communities can continue to confess and to witness to the truth that Jesus Christ is the Lord while respecting other religions? Can we work together with people of other faiths for social justice and peace? Social harmony should not be broken because of different religions. Different religions, reconciled to each other, could serve as a moderating influence in a pluralistic society.

b. Mission in unity, unity in mission. When people are longing for justice and peace in a pluralistic society, Christian communities without unity will weaken their power of social transformation. Christian communities are called to witness that human beings are one in the Reign of God. However, the split among Christian communities is a countersign of the Reign of God. The confrontations between Christian communities betray the essence of the Gospel they proclaim. In a pluralistic society, in order to be a constructive power, Christian communities have to repent and to do mission in unity, and express unity in mission.

The Mission of Reconciliation: A Concrete Task that Embodies All Christian Missions.

Since Taiwan is a pluralistic society, and the people of Taiwan are hoping for a just and peaceful society, a sovereign Taiwan in the midst of sufferings, the Taiwanese Christian communities may take the mission of reconciliation seriously as a concrete task that embodies all Christian missions today mentioned above. 

Christian communities confess that God reconciled us to Himself/Herself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. Proclaiming the message of reconciliation is the responsibility of all Christian communities. Reconciliation is needed between different ethnic groups, cultural traditions, religions, and political ideologies. It is also urgent for the two nations of Taiwan and China. Taking reconciliation as a concrete and integrated task will constitute a true identificaiton of Christian communities with the people and the history of Taiwan. It will turn Christian ministry from an exclusive concern for "personal salvation" to "the realization of the Reign of God", from "Christian centered" to "people centered." The task of reconciliation will ask people to engage in dialogue between different ethnic groups, cultural traditions, religions, and political ideologies. Reconciliation will also enable the Taiwanese people to work together for a society of justice and peace. The mission of reconciliation is a mission which integrates all Christian missions in the concrete social context of Taiwan Today. 

Conclusion

In the process of social change as Taiwan becomes a pluralistic society, are Christian communities a positive factor or a negative one to the social development? What is the mission given to Christian communities by God in today's historical context? What should we do to become co-workers of God's mission so that the society to which we belong will be a new and blessed society? This is a challenge to the Christian communities today.

Christian communities, individuals and groups have to understand the called by the Lord of history and the world to proclaim the Gospel of the Reign of God and be peacemakers in societies full of confrontations. Expending church organizations or denominations is not the ultimate goal of Christian mission. The center of Jesus' life and ministry is the Reign of God. Christian communities are called to participate in God's mission and pray, "your kingdom come, your will be done." This is our challenge and our mission!.