Practical Theologies in Chinese Speaking Societies—A Cross-Cultural Consideration

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Abstract While having a history of several decades, the practical theology movement still finds itself rather rootless in Chinese speaking societies. This paper addresses three tasks: 1. It attempts a general sketch of the history and the state of the art of practical theology in Chinese societies; 2. It seeks to explain the ostensibly late development of Chinese practical theology by referring to the unique conception of practice embedded in the Chinese cultural traditions. By doing so, it argues that the development should not be understood as “late.” Rather, it should be understood cross-culturally. 3. With this cross-cultural sensitivity, it shows that there is a lot for both the Chinese and the international practical theology movements to learn from each other.