Editor’s Note: This is the second of two related essays by Dr. Alexander Chow connected with his 2026 Timothy Lin Memorial Lectures at China Evangelical Seminary in Taiwan. While the first essay was written before the lectures and introduced one of the series’ central theological concerns, this follow-up reflection turns to an issue that emerged through the experience of teaching World Christianity in Taiwan: how translation, interpretation, and access to non-English sources shape the way theology is taught and understood.
On April 20–22, 2026, I delivered the Dr. Timothy Lin Memorial Lecture Series at China Evangelical Seminary in Taiwan, entitled “Theology: Worldwide Faith Seeking Understanding.” This was a shift from my earlier work, which has largely focused on Mainland Chinese theology. My lectures attempted to reimagine how classic theological topics (e.g. doctrine of God, doctrine of creation, Christology, pneumatology, etc.) would look like if we read the writings of not only mainstream Western theologians, but also theologians from the Majority World, like Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
The lectures themselves were quite tricky. I was lecturing in English, and this was simultaneously translated into Chinese. The translator was excellent and incredibly efficient, but every translation is an interpretation.
Much of the material I used for my lectures was also in English. Yes, some were originally written in Chinese, and I provided those original texts for the audience. And other works I used were in originally in languages like Korean, Japanese, Spanish, or French, and sometimes translated into English. Yet, English translations prioritize the interests of Western Christians.
For instance, as I lectured, I cited Taiwanese theologians such as Shoki Coe (黃彰輝) or C. S. Song (宋泉盛)—those associated with the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan and who spoke the Taiwanese language. But to better appreciate the variety of theology in Taiwan, I should have also discussed Mandarin-speaking Christians like Chow Lien-hwa (周聯華) or Nathaniel Chow (周神助). Their writings are entirely in Chinese and largely out of print. In fact, on this trip to Taiwan, I went to several bookstores and couldn’t even buy their works to correct this limitation!
Theology today is dominated by the English language. Once it was Latin and Greek, later it was French and German, and now it is English. Yet if we are to truly appreciate theology from a worldwide perspective, surely we need to engage theology in other languages. This can be partially solved through translated works. But every translation is an interpretation. It adds new meaning and nuance to the original. So, while I will read theology written in Chinese, Spanish, or French, I am constantly dependent on friends with much stronger language skills than me to check my translations and understandings.
Theological study is never a solitary act. The vision we are given in Revelation 7:9 includes every nation, every tribe, and every people—as well as every language, worshipping at the throne of the Lamb. We need one another—the World Church, in all its diverse cultures, experiences, and languages, in our pursuit to better know the God we worship.
