Lay People in the Asian Church: A Critical Study of the Role of the Laity in the Contextual Theology of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (1970-2001) with Special Reference to John Paul II’s Apostolic Exhortations Christifideles Laici (1989) and Ecclesia in Asia (1999), and the Pastoral Letters of the Vietnamese Episcopal Conference Submitted by Peter Nguyen Van Hai Undergraduate Studies in Scholastic Philosophy and Theology (St. Pius X Pontifical College, Ðà Lạt, Việt Nam) Graduate Diplomas in Computing Studies, Librarianship, and Management Sciences Master of Public Administration (University of Canberra, Australia) A Thesis Submitted in Total Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Theology Faculty of Arts and Sciences Australian Catholic University Research Services Locked Bag 4115 Fitzroy, Victoria 3065 Date of Submission 20 February 2009 Statement of Sources Except where otherwise indicated, this thesis is my own original work, and has not been submitted, either in whole or in part, for any academic award at this or any other tertiary educational institution. Some of the material in this thesis has been published in the Australian E-Journal of Theology, the details of which are: Hai, Peter N.V. “Fides Quaerens Dialogum: Theological Methodologies of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences.” http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/research/theology/ejournal/aejt_8/hai.htm (accessed 1 November 2006). Hai, Peter N.V. “Lay People in the Asian Church: A Study of John Paul II’s Theology of the Laity in Ecclesia in Asia with Reference to the Documents of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences.” http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/research/theology/ejournal/aejt_10/hai.htm (accessed 30 May 2007). Name: Signature: Date: ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Thesis Abstract vii Acknowledgements ix Abbreviations x Chapter 1 Introduction: Rediscovering the Importance of Lay People in the Asian Church 1 1.1 Significance of this Study 7 1.2 The State of the Question 8 1.3 Scope and Methodology 14 1.4 Contributions of this Study 16 Chapter 2 The Laity in Historical Context 18 2.1 Introduction 18 2.2 The Laity Before Vatican Council II (1962-1965) 19 2.3 The Laity and Lay Ministries in the Documents of Vatican II 21 2.4 Yves Congar’s Theology of the Laity 27 2.4.1 Identity and Role of Lay People 29 2.4.2 Church as Context for Lay Ministries 31 2.4.3 Ministries as Modes of Service 34 2.4.4 Concluding Remarks 39 2.5 Leonard Doohan’s Theology of the Laity 41 2.6 The Changing Meaning of Ministry and Lay Ministry 43 2.7 Conclusion 51 Chapter 3 Theological Methodologies of the FABC 52 3.1 Introduction 52 3.2 From Traditum to Tradendum: the Imperative of Theological Contextualisation 55 3.3 Models of Contextual Theology according to Stephen Bevans 58 3.4 The Asian Context: Realities, Issues, and Challenges 63 3.5 Theological Methodologies of the FABC 67 3.5.1 “See, Judge, Act” Process 68 3.5.2 The Pastoral Cycle (1986) 71 3.5.3 The “Mission Process” (1990) 73 3.5.4 The “Communion Process”: Asian Integral Pastoral Approach 75 3.5.5 Theology as Service to Life (1994 & 2000) 76 3.6 Characteristics of the FABC’s Theology 77 3.6.1 Synthetic Contextual Theology 78 3.6.2 Liberation Theology 79 iii 3.6.3 Faith Seeking Triple Dialogue 81 3.6.4 Theological Pluralism 84 3.6.5 Paradigm Change in Theology 86 3.7 Conclusion 90 Chapter 4 Features of the FABC’s Theology of the Laity (1970-2001) 92 4.1 Introduction 92 4.2 Elements of the FABC’s Theology of the Laity 93 4.2.1 Identity of the Laity 93 4.2.2 Vocation and Mission of the Laity 97 4.2.3 Challenges of Asia and Ministries of the Laity 104 4.2.4 Lay Spirituality 109 4.3 Ecosystem of the FABC’s Theology of the Laity 111 4.4 Development of the FABC’s Theology of the Laity 114 4.5 Conclusion 122 Chapter 5 Evaluation of the FABC’s Theology of the Laity (1970-2001) 124 5.1 Introduction 124 5.2 Vatican II and the FABC’s Theology of the Laity 126 5.3 Contents of the FABC’s Theology of the laity 128 5.3.1 On the Identity of Lay People 128 5.3.2 On the Vocation and Mission of Lay People 132 5.3.3 On Lay Spirituality 135 5.3.4 On the Development of the FABC’s Theology of the Laity 136 5.4 Structures of the FABC’s Theology of the Laity 137 5.4.1 The Statement of the Fourth Plenary Assembly of the FABC 137 5.4.2 Epistemological Perspective 138 5.4.3 Hermeneutical Approach 140 5.5 The FABC’s Theology of the Laity and Other Postconciliar Theologies of the Laity 142 5.5.1 The FABC and Yves Congar’s Theology of the Laity 142 5.5.2 The FABC and Latin American Liberation Theologies 143 5.5.3 The FABC and Leonard Doohan’s Theology of the Laity 145 5.6 Strengths and Limitations of the FABC’s Theology of the Laity 146 5.7 Conclusion 149 Chapter 6 Church as Context for Lay Mission: Features of the FABC’s Ecclesiology (1970-2001) 151 6.1 Introduction 151 6.2 Vocation of the Church as a Community of Faith in Asia 158 6.2.1 Nature of the Church 159 6.2.2 Structures of the Church 163 6.2.3 Local Church 165 6.2.4 Basic Christian/Ecclesial Communities 167 iv 6.3 Mission of the Church in the World of Asia 171 6.3.1 Status of the Church in Asia 171 6.3.2 Characteristics of Mission 174 6.4 Continuity and Development in the FABC’s Ecclesiology 182 6.4.1 Church as Communion-in-Mission 182 6.4.2 Church as Dialogue and Solidarity 183 6.4.3 Church as Disciple-Community 189 6.4.4 Basic Ecclesial Communities as a New Way of Being Church in Asia 192 6.4.5 Architectural Summary of the FABC’s Ecclesiology 196 6.5 Conclusion 199 Chapter 7 Evaluation of the FABC’s Ecclesiology (1970-2001) 201 7.1 Introduction 201 7.2 Theological Foundation of the FABC’s Ecclesiology 202 7.3 Theological Approach of the FABC’s Ecclesiology 213 7.4 Strengths and Limitations of the FABC’s Ecclesiology 226 7.5 Ecclesiological Foundations of the FABC’s Theology of the Laity: a Comparative View 235 7.6 Conclusion 239 Chapter 8 John Paul II’s Theology of the Laity and the Teachings of the Asian Bishops 241 8.1 Introduction 241 8.2 The Laity in Christifideles Laici (1989) 244 8.2.1 Overview of the Contents, Structure, and Context of Christifideles Laici 245 8.2.2 Critical Analysis of the Theology of the Laity in Christifideles Laici 251 8.3 The Laity in Ecclesia in Asia (1999) 276 8.3.1 Overview of the Contents, Structure, and Context of Ecclesia in Asia 276 8.3.2 Critical Analysis of the Theology of the Laity in Ecclesia in Asia 296 8.4 From Divergence to Convergence: John Paul II’s Theology of the Laity and the Theology of the Asian Bishops 314 8.5 Conclusion 328 Chapter 9 The Mission of Lay People in the Pastoral Letters of the VEC with Reference to the Teachings of John Paul II and the FABC 331 9.1 Introduction 331 9.2 Historical Overview 338 9.2.1 The Beginnings of the Church (1533-1659) 340 9.2.2 Early Organisation of the Church (1659-1802) 344 v 9.2.3 Trials and Tribulations (1802-1885) 347 9.2.4 The Development of the Church (1885-1960) 348 9.2.5 The Maturing of the Church (1960-present) 350 9.3 The 1980 Watershed 355 9.3.1 Overview of the Content and Structure of the 1980 Pastoral Letter 357 9.3.2 Critical Analysis of the VEC’s Theology of the Laity in the 1980 Pastoral Letter 359 9.4 Thereafter 393 9.4.1 Overview of the VEC’s Pastoral Letters from 1983 to 2007 394 9.4.2 Sentire cum ecclesia: The VEC’s Theology of the Laity and the Thinking of the FABC and John Paul II 402 9.5 Conclusion 410 Chapter 10 Conclusion: The Future of the FABC’s Theology of the Laity 414 10.1 Summary of the Findings 417 10.2 The Future of the FABC’s Theology of the Laity 421 10.2.1 Possible Directions for the FABC’s Theology of the Laity 424 10.2.2 Towards a Paradigm Shift in the FABC’s Theology of the Laity 436 Bibliography 443 vi Thesis Abstract This thesis investigates the theology of the laity as proposed by the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) from 1970 to 2001, and situates it in the context of post-Vatican II magisterial documents, in particular Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Exhortations Christifideles Laici (1989) and Ecclesia in Asia (1999), and the pastoral letters of the Vietnamese Episcopal Conference (VEC). The thesis suggests that the FABC’s theology of the laity follows a “see, judge, act” methodology, and is basically a faith seeking triple dialogue with the cultures, the religions, and the poor of Asia. It notes that there was both a fundamental continuity and a gradual development in this theology, which privileges the concepts of “priesthood of life” and contextualised communion, a common matrix that is linked to the notions of integral liberation and tria munera, to explicate the vocation and mission of lay people, defined first and foremost as Asian Christians.