Chinese Theology

Abstract

Chinese Theology explores theological writings from mainland China in their historical, social, and textual contexts. From the dialogues of sixteenth-century scholars to the revolutionary writings of theological educators in the twentieth century or the micro-blogs of contemporary house-church pastors, the book concentrates on theologians (mostly from the liberal or intellectual wings of the churches) who question what a “Chinese” theology might mean, who engage with their environment, and who draw on Chinese culture to inform their understanding of God and the world. The book provides an overview of the evolution of Chinese theology from the Ming dynasty to the present while introducing detailed textual analysis of the writings of Xu Zongze, Zhao Zichen, Wu Leichuan, Ding Guangxun, and Yang Huilin. It argues that Chinese theologies need understanding of their textual context: Chinese theology cannot be understood without a sense of its literary form and of the social meaning of the text, as these shape the theology that emerges. In light of this argument, Chinese Theology obliquely critiques the tendency to regard Western systematic theology and its particular philosophical underpinnings and written forms as the standard for theological thinking.