Around this time last year, I was preparing to attend the inaugural Chinese Public Theology Conference in Michigan.
For ChinaSource, it was a special and exciting opportunity to be invited to a Chinese-language event. The gathering brought together scholars and pastors from China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Europe, and North America to reflect on topics from the Reformation to artificial intelligence, war, media, and multicultural ministry.
As a newcomer, I was nervous. I didn’t know most attendees at that time and had to give a short response. In retrospect, the worry was pretty silly and unnecessary.
As one pastor joked, it felt like a long-awaited in-person reunion for those who had mostly known each other through online theological conversations. But for me, it became something deeper—a moment of spiritual reorientation that, in many ways, changed my life.
From Awe to Engagement: Faith in Dialogue with the World
The conference was far more than just “rich”—it was overwhelming in the best way. Both inside and outside the formal sessions, conversations abounded. Each lecture and panel recalibrated my understanding of theology, the church, the Chinese world, identity, the kingdom of God, and our place in the world.
In the days following the event, I found myself flooded with thoughts but at a loss for words. Thankfully, two recent publications—the inaugural issue of Candle-Holding: The International Journal of Chinese Public Theology and Introduction to Public Theology—have helped summarize the conference’s insights while offering theological grounding and vision for newcomers like me.
“Chinese” in Chinese Public Theology does not refer to nationality, ethnicity, or political allegiance, but rather to the linguistic and cultural context in which this theology is being articulated.
Given this context, the term may not fully resolve the complexities of what “Chinese” means. But I’ve come to see it not merely as a label, but as a theological posture rooted in language, memory, and lived experience. It is not a performance of identity politics—it is a gift, humbly offered to the global church.
One memorable session explored Chinese Christian evangelistic posters from the early twentieth century—a topic I had previously encountered when ChinaSource co-hosted a public lecture with USCCA and CAC in 2023. But this time, the dialogue was especially rich. The questions raised by pastors and scholars were so sharp and insightful that even Dr. Daryl Ireland remarked, “These are phenomenal questions!”
These posters are more than historical artifacts; they reflect how faith engages the public through image. They cross denominational lines, connect communities, and shape gospel imagination. I was reminded again: theology that doesn’t speak into real life—into culture and media—struggles to speak publicly at all.
Public Theology Is Not a Tower but a Terrain
I used to feel distant from current events, wondering what difference someone like me could make. But it was precisely this version of me—the cautious, disengaged me—that was unexpectedly confronted and changed after attending the Chinese Public Theology Conference.
I came to realize that the issues I once dismissed weren’t “someone else’s business.” They were woven into the very fabric of our spiritual life. Theology—especially public theology—is not a lofty academic exercise. It’s a response to the cries of our time. It’s the practice of walking into the world’s pain with eyes open, ears attentive, and faith embodied.
Public theology helps us discern God’s voice amid chaos. It calls us beyond private devotions and into the public square—into city streets, policy debates, and fractured relationships. It challenges the instinct to stay silent “just to be safe.” And when we sidestep public concerns in the name of caution, we may be missing our opportunity to bear witness.
Retreat or Presence?
We are all standing at a crossroads of our time. Several sessions at last year’s conference—such as “Public Theology and Media” and “Theology under the Shadow of War”—were not abstract theological musings, but direct responses to these intersecting tensions. They compelled me to ask: Is our theology drawing us into retreat, or calling us to live faithfully in the world?
Across East Asia, North America, Southeast Asia, Europe, and Australia, Chinese churches are facing their versions of these tensions—policy shifts, post-election divides, struggles over cultural identity… At such a global crossroads, I understand the desire to stay out of it all. To remain “above the fray.” But the question is: Can we really afford to?
These complex issues call for spaces where we can seek God together with honesty and care. This is what makes this gathering so vital for theological engagement today.
God does not wait for us to enter church buildings before he meets us. He invites us to encounter him in our brokenness—because he is the one who makes the shattered whole again, transforming pain into hope, and suffering into testimony.
The truth is, our understanding of God—our real, lived theology—often emerges not in sanctuaries, but in the streets.
And we must also admit: sometimes it is the church itself, not the world, that is the harder place to speak.
This is why public theology matters—not for the sake of academic prestige, but because our faith must be lived as witness in the reality of the world.
The Gathering Itself as Public Theology
Bringing together Chinese pastors, scholars, church workers, and mission leaders from around the globe—each with distinct perspectives and theological approaches—is already a form of public theology. In a space where consensus isn’t guaranteed but companionship is offered, I saw theological publicness at work: not as uniformity, but as a willingness to seek truth together through honest dialogue across difference.
One personal observation: women were few in number at the first conference. I recall only four of us. As one of them in the room, I felt deeply encouraged by how intentionally the organizers made space for our voices. I was especially moved when Sister Tian stood up and walked to the front to share. Her presence gave me courage.
We need more sisters in these conversations—more Chinese women from different generations and contexts bringing their stories, perspectives, and theological insights. This isn’t merely about gender balance; it’s essential to the richness and expansiveness of public theology.
I was deeply encouraged that the organizers welcomed someone like me—a young woman bringing a different kind of voice to the conversation. It reminded me that public theology begins with courage, not qualifications.
A Beginning, Not a Culmination
Three senior scholars in the field of public theology were present at this conference. Professor Nicholas Wolterstorff, emeritus at Yale University, delivered a keynote lecture. Professor He Guanghu (何光沪), one of the founding figures of Sino-Christian theology in China, gave the opening address, while Professor Ping-cheung PC Lo (羅秉祥), a veteran ethics scholar from Hong Kong now teaching at Fuller Theological Seminary, gave the closing remarks.
During a closed-door meeting following the conference, the Society for Chinese Public Theology was officially established to support the sustained and in-depth development of Chinese-language public theology. Professors He and Lo were appointed as the founding president and vice president, respectively.
This moment was made possible by many quiet laborers, including Pastor Jerry An and the ReFrame Ministries Chinese team. As he shared, “Public theology remains nascent in the Chinese church. It requires long-term commitment, patience, and careful cultivation. That’s where we begin.”
After the conference, I began to see theological study not as something removed or irrelevant, but as a vital way to engage the world through God’s truth. It awakened a longing in me—for a faith that embraces both Scripture and society.
Whether or not you are Chinese or speak Mandarin, this space welcomes you. The concerns raised—war, migration, AI—are shared burdens for the global body of Christ. For mission leaders, seminary educators, and Christians wondering how to integrate faith with public life, this conversation offers a front-row seat to how Chinese believers are engaging today’s most urgent questions. You may not agree with every perspective, but you will witness what it looks like to seek God together in complexity.
This conference isn’t just for Chinese speakers. It’s for all who care how faith meets the world amid chaos and noise, even silence. It is for those who believe that God speaks not only in seminaries and sanctuaries, but also in society.
While most sessions will be conducted in Mandarin Chinese, the lineup—featuring scholars such as Lin Hong-Hsin (林鴻信), Alex Tseng, Chloe Sun (謝挺), Alex Ip (葉漢浩), He Guanghu, PC Lo, Clement Chia (謝木水), Andrew Kwok (郭偉聯), Pang Sheng-Yu (彭盛有), Luke Li (李泉), Leonard Sidharta (戴永富), and Ian Sun (孙毅)—reflects the diversity and breadth of the global Chinese church. Several keynote lectures will also be delivered in English, including those by Ed Stetzer and Sebastian Kim.
It’s also heartening to see that more female scholars will be presenting this year—a hopeful sign for broader inclusion.
Even if you don’t catch every word, your listening and presence matter. In today’s fragmented society, simply showing up—across cultures and languages—is a courageous act of faithful presence.
About the Conference
The Second Chinese Public Theology Symposium
📍 Dates: September 4–6, 2025
📍 Location: Fuller Theological Seminary, Los Angeles, USA
📍 Theme: “Light Unto My Path—Scripture and Public Theology”
🕯️ More information and registration: The Society of Chinese Public Theology Website
Come, listen, share, and learn together, across languages and cultures, for all who care about Chinese Christianity.
Editor’s Note: A Chinese version of this article is available on the Society for Chinese Public Theology website. Click here to read the Chinese version.
