Fen Pong to Encounter Jesus in Our Own

Shu – fen Pong To Encounter Jesus in our own Culture - An Introduction to the Principal Elements and the Methdologies of Asian Feminist Theology Series A: General & Theoretical Papers ISSN 1435-6473 Essen: LAUD 1999 (2nd ed. with divergent page numbering 2007) Paper No. 506 Universität Duisburg-Essen Shu – fen Pong Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belguim) To Encounter Jesus in our own Culture - An Introduction to the Principal Elements and the Methdologies of Asian Feminist Theology Copyright by the author Reproduced by LAUD 1999 (2nd ed. with divergent page numbering 2007) Linguistic Agency Series A University of Duisburg-Essen General and Theoretical FB Geisteswissenschaften Paper No. 506 Universitätsstr. 12 D- 45117 Essen Order LAUD-papers online: http://www.linse.uni-due.de/linse/laud/index.html Or contact: [email protected] Shu-fen Pong To Encounter Jesus m Our Own Culture - An Introduction to the Principal Elements and the Methodologies of Asian Feminist Theology1 Abstract This paper is an introduction of the principal elements and methodologies of Asian feminist theology. It is based on a presupposition that any theology must be contextual or culture oriented. There are at least three elements which together constitute Asian feminist theology) First, "Asia," as a non-Biblical world, is not simply a geographical term but a politics concept, aiming at countering the value of Western culture. It also implies that Asia traditions, cultures, and histories etc. are basic resources of Asian feminist theology) Second, "Asian women's experience and perspective," as the cornerstone of Asian feminist theology, encourages us, Asian women, to tell our own stories and challenges the legitimacy of patriarchal structures in our society. It also intends to balance the way of man's thinking and voices of male theologians. Third, "to encounter Jesus (Yeshua)," as the origin c Christianity, links up Asian feminist theology and traditional theologies. It retains Asia feminist theology as one Christian theology. And the issue of how we can encounter Jesus in our own culture becomes the main reflection and concern in this theology. With regard to its methodologies, the first generation of Asian feminist theologians felt compelled to prove their theological ability to white male theologians, white feminist theologians, and finally Asian male theologians, in order to justify the validity of their theology. Till this present generation their task has been turned to be the construction of their own theology. They use methodologies such as cross-cultural and multi-fait hermeneutics, reconstruction of Asian Christian women's history, looking for Goddess images in folk religions, and the theory of spirituality etc. Creative resources for doing theology include the nature, arts, historical artifacts, songs, dances, and folk stories etc. Asian feminist theology, however, cannot avoid some internal difficulties and contradictions. As a kind of rational thinking on faith and a Christian theology, it inevitably shares some of males' and the West's academic discourses, theories and methodologies This is a paradox as it must construct its own approaches by utilizing the oppressor' s instruments to deconstruct the oppressor's tradition. Moreover, most of its theologians are educated in West. They are, thus, probably more familiar with Western mind than wit Asia's. The very diverse Asian languages, religions and cultures also cause some problem; For instance, 1 I would like to give special thanks here to Christian Study Centre on Chinese Religion & Culture in Hong Kong (CSCCRC), Hong Kong Women Christian Council, Mr. Pong Kwan-Wah, and Dr. Wong Wai Ching for providing me some source materials, especially to CSCCRC for offering me a place to do this research, and finally to Polly Ho for proofreading this essay. 1 Asian theologians can only communicate with each other in English. Other issues like who define what Asian is, or who are Asians? Is it by Asian people themselves or still by Westerners? How can Asian feminist theologians face these though issues? This will challenge this present generation as they are building their own theology. Introduction Theology is always born in a certain context. No theologians construct their theology without relating to their own culture, tradition, and political, social or economic etc. circumstances. For doing theology should not be like "nailing a stick into empty space,"2 that is useless, groundless, insignificant and rather ridiculous. Asian feminist theology, as a contextual theology, is also rooted in the particular context of Asian Christian women. This paper aims to introduce and explicate what this context is and how Asian feminist theologians make their theology possible under this context. I will divide this paper into two parts: First, I will try to elucidate three principal elements of Asian feminist theology; and secondly, I will introduce some of its methodologies. Basically, Asian feminist theology contains three principal elements: First, "Asia" (or "Asian"). This is the context in which Asian feminist theology was born. But it should be regarded as a political concept rather than simply a geographical term, since it is aimed to counter the value of Western culture. Second, "Asian women's experience and perspective." This stands for Asian women's struggle to be the subject in theology, in church history and in Christian life on the one hand, and the attempt to balance or challenge the patriarchal thinking and culture on the other. Third, "to encounter Jesus (Yeshua)." Due to the fact that Asian feminist theologians employ lots of non-Christian materials from their own culture in doing theology, and even question the authority of the Bible and traditional theologies, how can they still claim their theology a Christian theology? Leonard Swidler's essay: "What Christianity can Offer AsiaóEspecially China in the Third Millennium"3 inspires me the concept of Yeshua, the origin of Christianity. This can be viewed as a basic criterion of a theology and helps to evaluate Christian qualities of Asian feminist theology. In other words, Asian feminist theologians must, at least, be able to guide people to meet Yeshua in their theology. And this element will also assist to distinguish Asian feminist theology from 2 This is originally said by a Chinese Zen Master, I-Hsuan, in a dialogue with a monk. Please see Wing-tsit Chan ed., A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1963), p. 445. 3 See Leonard Swidler's "What Christianity can Offer Asian Especially China in the Third Millennium" in Ching Feng, 37(1994)111-146. He says in pages 112 to 113 that "the source, the origin, of Christianity despite its namen is not 'the Christ,' not the church, not the New Testament, but Jesus the Jew, his thought, teaching and living example, that is, what Jesus 'thought, taught and wrought.' Millions of Christians have for centuries focussed their main attention on something other than the source of Christianity... And it is also precisely that source, Yeshua, that has much to offer Asia in the Third Millennium." This offers a new possibility for non-Western theologians to construct their own theologies by returning to the origin of Christianity. They might encounter Jesus face to face as they have been returning to it, and finally bring the new experience into their own culture and share it with their people. 2 other theologies of Asian religions. Having introduced these three elements, I will present the major methodologies applied by Asian feminist theologians. Some of these methodologies are inevitably borrowed from Western theologies, especially the Western feminist theology, and liberation theology in the Third World. I am convinced that it is more appropriate to figure out Asian feminist theology by placing it back into the development history of theology, because it is not subsisting alone but living inter-dependently with other theologies. As a new theology, it is the outcome of pluralism, and was born in order to respond to the change and the need of our age. It is essentially a political theology and aims to counterbalance voices of other theologies, particularly the mainstream theology. It, however, does not mean that it can be completely developed by itself without relating to other theologies. On the contrary, in order to keep talking about God, it must inherit or share some ways and discourses of other theologies. I agree with some scholars' point of view that an instrument itself is not originally political or oppressive, but the user or oppressor uses it politically or oppressively.4 Therefore, what kind of instrument is offered perhaps is not the first concern of Asian feminist theologians. Rather, it is the issue of how an instrument can help their sisters to reveal, explore and grow the strength in faith is more substantial. According to her experience, Chung Hyun Kyung, a Korean feminist theologian, says, My teachers' generation felt compelled to prove their theological ability to (in descending order) white male theologians, white feminist theologians, and finally Korean male theologians, in order to justify the validity of Korean women's theology. But in my generation we start our theology from owning our own feelings and experiences.5 Asian feminist theology, from the stage of asking for being accepted, has distinctly advanced to the level of developing its own style. In this process, the major methodologies applied include the cross-cultural and multi-faith hermeneutics, reconstruction of Asian Christian women's history, looking for Goddess images in folk religions, and the theory of spirituality etc. Creative resources consist of the nature, arts, historical artifacts, songs, dances, and folk stories and so on.6 4 For instance, Khiok-khng Yeo's Between the Female and the Male: Feminist Theology and Hermeneutics (Chinese) (Hong Kong: Alliance Bible Seminary, 1995), p. 45. 5 Chung Hyun Kyung, "'Han-pui-ri': Doing Theology from Korean Women's Perspective" in R.

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