On September 4, 2025, the Second Chinese Public Theology Conference commenced at Fuller Theological Seminary in Los Angeles, US. The conference featured 36 speakers who delivered seven keynote lectures, led seven thematic forums, and hosted two panels. The conference theme was “Light onto My Path: Scripture and Public Theology.”
This theme underscored that theology is neither detached from the world nor devoid of public relevance, nor is it abstract theorizing cut off from Scripture. Rather, it is rooted in Scripture and seeks to respond to the contemporary world through God’s word. Notably, the conference drew more than 40 scholars and pastors, highlighting a significant feature of Chinese public theology: it provides a platform where academics and church leaders can discuss theology while also reflecting on how the church and individual Christians might concretely engage public issues from a biblical and theological perspective.
Public Theology and the Common Good
The conference highlighted the unique nature and purpose of public theology. Unlike traditional theology, public theology emphasizes its public dimension: theology must be understandable to both Christians and non-Christians. Theology cannot be confined to internal church discussions but must be expressed in language accessible to the wider public.
In his lecture, Ping-cheung Lo proposed the concept of being “bilingual in public theology.” If theological language is Christians’ “mother tongue,” then the language of the broader society is their “foreign language.” He stressed: “Public theology requires interpretations of faith that are intelligible both within and outside the church.”1 The aim of this bilingual approach, Lo emphasized, is the common good: “Traditional theology aims to help the church fulfill its multifaceted mission (spiritual formation, ethical living, pastoral care, and evangelism). Public theology, however, is not done only for the church, but also for the wider public in which the church exists, to foster the common good of society.”2
In his lecture, Guanghu He drew on Confucius’s saying, “Now the man of perfect virtue, wishing to be established himself, seeks also to establish others; wishing to be enlarged himself, he seeks also to enlarge others,”3 illustrating the principle of the common good. Addressing whether theological research serves oneself or others, he emphasized that “Theologians are those who, by God’s grace, not only live but also have the capacity to engage in theology. Yet first of all, they are believers established in faith, hoping for the kingdom, and practicing love.”4 As Jesus summarized the foundation of the Law and Prophets: Love God and love your neighbor (Matthew 22:34–40).
Thus, theology should not be pursued solely for personal gain but for the benefit of neighbors, for “Seeking the Word for the Present.” He urged public theologians to dedicate themselves to the welfare of contemporary neighbors and the betterment of public life as their lifelong vocation continually responding to God’s call through prayer and exploration.
The Church’s Identity and Witness
At the same time, the conference cautioned that public theology does not mean uncritical participation in public life. Hong-hsin Lin emphasized the twin principles of identity and relevance within Christian theology, cautioning that the church must balance its outward mission with a steadfast awareness of its distinct identity. He remarked: “Public theology walks the tightrope of being in the world but not of the world.”
Alex Tseng, in his lecture, stressed the priority of Christian identity: the Christian’s primary identity is as a citizen of the Kingdom of God, not of any earthly nation. Barth acknowledged that national belonging is an important part of human nature and God’s providence, but the only medium of God’s electing freedom is the church of Christ, not any modern state or nation.5 Thus, the church’s mission is to bear witness within the erroneous and arrogant structures of nation and state to the forgiveness and hope of eternal life in Christ.6 The church is called not to despair or cynically criticize, but to trust God and boldly critique and serve society, in the spirit of Jesus’ words: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
To illustrate this, Guang-bao Tseng cited the example of Pastor Lien-hua Chou, who at the age of 86 participated in Taiwan’s 2006 political protests against then-President Bian,7 delivering an eight-day sermon series on “The Gospel of Peace” at Taipei’s Chi-nan Presbyterian Church. Behind Pastor Chou’s participation in public movements lay a deeper spiritual significance: serving as God’s ambassador of reconciliation. He reminded believers: “Pray for those you like, and also for those you do not like. Remember Jesus’s teaching, he calls us to love everyone, even our enemies.”8
Christians and Public Mission
During the discussion session, a participant raised the Chained Woman case9 as an example and asked how individual Christians should respond to social injustice. Pastor Sean Long made the point that everyone has a responsibility to attend to public issues and respond in their own way. He argued that scholars and theologians can use writing to defend truth and speak for the weak; churches can respond through prayer, care, and support, and so forth; and individual Christians can fulfill their public mission according to their faith and gifts.
Artist Jiushuang Chen also shared about the public mission of Christian art in contemporary society. He presented over nearly a century of Chinese Christian art, analyzing how these works have addressed social trauma and suffering. Chen also demonstrated how individual Christians can express and communicate theology through art, making it an important medium for theological reflection and cultural engagement.
Love Never Fails, Light Shines Everywhere
As a theology novice, this was my first time attending a Chinese Christian academic conference. What moved me was not only the scholars’ rigor in research, nor merely their careful stewardship of time; despite a packed schedule, most speakers finished their presentations punctually. What touched me even more deeply was that, within the seemingly cold and orderly framework of academic exchange, a warm and powerful theme echoed again and again–love.
Some called us to love our neighbors; some reminded us to hold on to compassion; one even laid aside half of her presentation time simply to share what it means to love authentically. Love became the common testimony of every speaker: Even if I master the biblical languages, without love my voice is only an empty gong. Even if I possess profound learning and wide theological knowledge, without love I am nothing. Even if I perform many good deeds, yet lack compassion and love, they count for nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) This conference is a good reminder to Christians that the ultimate purpose of even something seemingly cold and private like theology is ultimately to equip ourselves and our fellow believers to better love God and one another. I wait with anticipation for future Chinese public theological conferences, where such brilliant scholarship and hearts of love for God and neighbors continue to brighten our path.
- Ping-cheung Lo, Who Is Our Prophet: The Public Theology Praxis of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Billy Graham (Taipei: Campus Evangelical Fellowship Press, 2025), 521.
- Ibid., 525–26.
- James Legge, The Chinese Classics, vol. 1: Confucian Analects, The Great Learning, and The Doctrine of the Mean (Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 1960).
- 何光滬（He Guanghu），「公共神學家的志業：為今人求真道，為來者祈太平！」，發表於「第二屆漢語公共神學學術會議」（Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA），2025，2。
- 曾邵愷。《巴特論揀選、民族、國家：羅馬書9–11章新釋》。論文發表於「第二屆漢語公共神學學術會議」，富勒神學院，2025年。
- Karl Barth, “First Letter to the French Protestants,” in Letters to Great Britain from Switzerland, ed. Alec Vidler (London: Sheldon Press, 1941), 36, cited in Moseley, 40.
- “Million Voices Against Corruption, President Chen Must Go,” Wikipedia, last modified September 15, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Million_Voices_Against_Corruption,_President_Chen_Must_Go
- 周聯華。《時代的呼聲》[M]。台北：台灣基督教文藝出版社，2006年，160頁。
- “Xuzhou Chained Woman Incident,” Wikipedia, last modified September 26, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xuzhou_chained_woman_incident
