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A Study of Bishop Ting Kuanghsün's Theological Reconstruction in China

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A Study of Bishop Ting Kuanghsün's Theological Reconstruction in China A Study of Bishop Ting Kuanghsün’s Theological Reconstruction in China A thesis submitted to the University of Manchester for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities. 2012 An Chu Tee School of Arts, Histories and Cultures Contents List of Abbreviations 4 Abstract 6 Declaration 7 Copyright Statement 8 A Note on Romanization of Chinese Words and Places 9 Introduction 10 1 The last Anglican bishop in post-denominational China: K.H. Ting and the development of Three-Self theology 10 2 Promoting a theology with ‘Chinese characteristics’ 22 3 Ting’s theology in a Three-Self framework 30 4 Outline of the dissertation 37 Chapter One : Three-Self idea in Pre-1949 Chinese Theology 45 1 The original Three-Self idea 40 2 Early Three-Self efforts 49 3 Early independent churches 54 4 Towards an indigenous theology in pre-1949 China 64 Chapter Two: Three-Self idea in post-1949 Chinese theology 73 1 Three-Self as the slogan of patriotism 71 2 The establishment of Three-Self Patriotic Movement 77 3 Christians in the Cultural Revolution Era 94 Chapter Three: Retrospect and prospect of Three-Self Movement 101 1 The changing of the political climate 98 2 Defense of the necessity of Three-Self Movement in the 1950s 107_Toc166903682 Chapter Four: Towards a Chinese Theological Reconstructions 119 1 A synthetic model 115 2 An anthropological model 117 3 A praxis model 122 2 Chapter Five: Remarks of Ting’s Theological Reconstruction 145 1 Broaden the Three-Self theological range 140 2 Seeking the common ground 147 3 Hermeneutic tasks 153 Conclusion 169 Glossary of Chinese Terms 173 Glossary of Chinese Names Mentioned in the Text 17 6 Bibliography 179 Appendix 204 Inspirations from Liberation Theology, Process Theology and Teilhard de Chardin – K.H. Ting Final Word Count, inclusive of footnotes: 60,257 3 List of Abbreviations ABCFM American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions ANS Amity News Service BCC British Council of Churches CB Chinese Bulletin CCC The China Christian Council CCP The Chinese Communist Party CMS Church Missionary Society CPC Communist Party of China CPPCC Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference CTR Chinese Theological Review GMD Guomindang HKCC Hong Kong Christian Council IRS Institute for Religious Studies IWR Institute of World Religions JL Jinling shenxuezhi (also known as Nanjing Theological Review ) NCC National Christian Conference (in China); National Council of Churches NCCCUSA National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. NPC National People’s Congress NUTS Nanjing Union Theological Seminary PRC People’s Republic of China RAB Religious Affairs Bureau of the State Council (later known as SARA) SARA State Administration of Religious Affairs (formerly known as RAB) TJC True Jesus Church 4 TSPM The Chinese Christian Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches of China TSPM/CCC The Chinese Christian Three-Self Movement of the Protestant Churches of China and the China Christian Council, the two national organizations of Protestant Christians in China (in Chinese, the Lianghui ) UFWD United Front Work Department WCC World Council of Churches Wenji Ding Guanghsün Wenji (Collected Works of K.H. Ting) WMS Wesleyan Methodist Society 5 Abstract An Chu Tee, University of Manchester A thesis submitted to the University of Manchester for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, in the Faculty of Humanities, 2012. A Study of Bishop Ting Kuanghsün’s Theological Reconstruction in China More than half a century has passed since the Protestant Three-Self Patriotic Movement was established, and quickly rose to monopolize institutionalized Protestantism in China. The Three-Self theology remains poorly understood, however, both on mainland China, and abroad. This study intends to uncover why Ting’s work has been constructed in the way it has been, to delve beneath its totalizing discourses as they were shaped and reshaped in the transitional period, and on into the 1980s, when Three-Self theologians were active again. As Ting’s work is considered an official guide to Theological Reconstruction, this examination of Ting’s theology also aims to show how, and why, the CCP accommodated or endorsed Ting’s projects, discourses and evaluations, and what the impact of this was. Centring on the idea of the Three-Self, each of the chapters of this study will further elaborate upon the emergence and development of Three-Self principles in China, and how it helped to form the core of Ting’s theology, most particularly in the 1980s. Chapter One presents the Three-Self’s original meaning. Simultaneously, close attention is paid to how Chinese Christians practised the Three-Self principles, tackled various issues such as the interaction with traditional Chinese culture, religion and science, and Christianity and revolution in the 1920s and 1930s. The key theme of Chapter Two, consequently, is located in the question of how the Three-Self has mutated as a political instrument, and transformed itself into the Three-Self movement between 1950 and 1979. Chapter Three, from a political perspective, is devoted to presenting how we are to understand Ting’s Theological Reconstruction, in comparison with the Three-Self in the 1950s. The key consideration of Chapter Four is to engage with Ting’s idea of Theological Reconstruction in 1980s, which includes his particular way of appropriating Christianity in the contemporary Chinese context. In the light of Stephen Bevans’ classification of contextual theology, this chapter’s three thematic parts point to three patterns which were adapted to construct Chinese theology in the past and contemporary history of Christianity in China. Surveying the central concept of the ‘Cosmic Christ’, and why/how Ting has been so passionate about popularizing this idea in China, this chapter will provide a thorough review of the particular work in Ting Kuanghsün Wenji (Collected Essays of Bishop Ting), and this detailed account provides an opportunity to observe how Ting weaves Marxism, process theology and liberation theology into his theological construction, and how he links his theological proposal to mainstream theology. In the final chapter, this study will investigate the strength and weakness of Ting’s Theological Reconstruction. I will argue that Ting’s main purpose in transforming, as well as reconstructing, Christianity is not to try to make Christianity more easily accepted by the Chinese in their cultural and social situation, but it is instead intended to be used as a ‘post-transformational Christianity’, specifically as an instrument to provide help for the CCP to find a way out of its political situation. 6 Declaration I hereby swear that no portion of the work referred to in this thesis has been submitted in support of an application for another degree or qualification of this or any other university or other institute of learning. 7 Copyright Statement I. The author of this thesis (including any appendices and/or schedules to this thesis) owns any copyright in it (the “Copyright”) and s/he has given The University of Manchester the right to use such Copyright for any administrative, promotional, educational and/or teaching purposes. II. Copies of this thesis, either in full or in extracts, may be made only in accordance with the regulations of the John Rylands University Library of Manchester. Details of these regulations may be obtained from the Librarian. This page must form part of any such copies made. III. The ownership of any patents, designs, trade marks and any and all other intellectual property rights except for the Copyright (the “Intellectual Property Rights”) and any reproductions of copyright works, for example graphs and tables (“Reproductions”), which may be described in this thesis, may not be owned by the author and may be owned by third parties. Such Intellectual Property Rights and Reproductions cannot and must not be made available for use without the prior written permission of the owner(s) of the relevant Intellectual Property Rights and/or Reproductions. IV. Further information on the conditions under which disclosure, publication and exploitation of this thesis, the Copyright and any Intellectual Property Rights and/or Reproductions described in it may take place is available from the Head of School of Arts, Histories and Cultures (or the Vice- President) and the Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences, for Faculty of Life Sciences’ candidates. 8 A Note on Romanization of Chinese Words and Places I use the Hanyu pinyin system of Romanization throughout this study. Most letters bear a resemblance to their English pronunciations. I follow the Chinese practice of giving the surname first and the given name second. Therefore, Zhou Enlai’s surname was Zhou, and the given name Enlai. However, if the name appears in an original source in a different spelling, I give the pinyin form in square brackets: so ‘Lu Hsun’ (Lu Xun), or ‘Tu Chung-yuan’ (Du Zhongyuan)’. 9 Introduction 1.The last Anglican bishop in post-denominational China: Bishop Ting Kuanghsün and the development of Three-Self theology 1 Often called the last Anglican bishop in what is now post-denominational China, Bishop Ting is a well-known figure in international Christian circles. 2 He can be regarded as the main leader of Chinese Protestantism in the latter half of the twentieth century. 3He has lived through some of the most turbulent periods in Chinese history, and has played a role with significant impact in the Chinese official Churches. Although retired from his posts as head of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (hereafter, TSPM), and the China Christian Council (hereafter CCC), Ting constantly retains a significant influence. 4 His successor in the CCC also spoke highly of him. They indicated thatall the achievements of the TSPM and the CCC ‘cannot be separated from Ting’s crucial perspective and timely guidance’.
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