The conference, "Chinese Christian Scholarship and the Church in Global Perspective: Review and Prospect," organized by the Institute of Advanced Studies of Chinese Christianity (IASCC) was certainly a fruitful event.
The universalizing claims of the Gospel about an unchanging God are spoken of in tension with the subjectivizing conditions of our lives in an ever-changing world.
The Chinese church is gradually moving from numerical breadth to intellectual maturity—from movement-driven growth to the building of institutions and a knowledge tradition.
These sessions showcased the intensity and seriousness with which this generation is pursuing in-depth knowledge with academic integrity, intellectual purpose, and faith.
Through the indwelling Spirit of God, we can join with the saints of ancient times and pray with Chinese Christians for the empowerment and manifestation of the Spirit for the Kingdom of God.
My most important rebuttal is that Yeo’s review has misunderstood my main goal. Rather than offering a Pentecostal reading of Chinese Christianity, I employ what I call ‘Pentecost historiography.
Next time you are riding the subway, in a transfer station, or looking at a subway map, be reminded that the Bible has also been carefully written and designed as an interconnected whole.
How can theology once again become the heartbeat of the church?
Among these Christian scholars are those who have newly embraced denominational identities, begun to promote interdisciplinary dialogue beyond traditional theological–philosophical impasses, and reopened a robust debate about the role of faith in scholarship, Chinese church history, and contemporary life.
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.
God is not confined to church walls. He meets us in the world’s wounded places.
Over the past several decades, the theological journey of the Chinese church has unfolded in three identifiable waves—each shaped by historical moments and institutional movements.