Public Theology—a Latin Captivity of the Church: Violence and Public Theology in the Asia-Pacific Context

Abstract

AbstractThis article looks at public theology from the perspective of the Asia-Pacific context. Thus, the focus is on theology from the standpoint of Christianity as a minority faith, seeking to do theology in a world outside that of the western church. The article considers the activity of public theology through the engagement of theology with a world of violence. It begins by looking at violence and the transformed communities of peace in the New Testament, through examining the milieu of violence, the transformed communities of peace and the dynamics which created those transformed communities. It then goes on to observe the dynamics of peace and violence in the intercultural history of Christianity, by looking historically at cyclic culture and word culture and the interaction between the two, particularly as they relate to peace and violence. From this, the article draws out conclusions on the Christian experience of peace and violence in relation to cultures, and looks at how Christians are called to engage in public theology in such a world.