From Ethnography to Theology ― Religious Communities in Contemporary Shanghai and the Tasks of East Asian Theology ―

Abstract

Theology must remain alert to the perpetual novelty of God, expressed throughout believers’ lived experiences and communal inventiveness. The ethnographer’s sensitivity to the way religious communities take shape and evolve can help the theologian to reflect anew on the way God’s revelation unfurls itself in the contexts and languages of our time. This article illustrates such approach by highlighting some aspects of an ongoing research on Shanghai’s religious communities. Not only does it reflect upon Christian churches’ growth and maturation but it also considers the religious diversity of Chinese megacities as a way to re-think Christian identity. It argues that China’s religious awakening is not to be considered as a special case or a mere opportunity for Christian mission but as a field for theological critical thinking.