Shaping the Role of the Church as Transformer of Society

Abstract

Abstract This article explores, from a theological standpoint, the growing concerns about the role of the church and how it may contribute to society without compromising Christian beliefs. It deconstructs some views favoring Western theology and reconstructs a Chinese theology in the Chinese context to argue how the church should be shaped and how transformative theological education could help the church achieve its goals. Given the Chinese context, this article proposes that theology could be described as a way of thinking about God and His relationship with the world and a way to witness to Jesus Christ, allowing the church to present itself from its very origin as a political body—a polis—a community that offers an alternative political methodology to influence society. To influence Chinese society, the church must apply both transformative theological education and theological praxis.