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Intercultural Theology in the Multicultural Context of World Christianity

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Intercultural Theology in the Multicultural Context of World Christianity Moe. Intercultural Theology in the Multicultural Context of World Christianity Intercultural Theology in the Multicultural Context of World Christianity: Issues, Insights, and Interactions1 David Thang Moe PhD Candidate in Intercultural Theology Asbury Theological Seminary [Editor of Asian American Theological Forum in ministry section Associate Editor of MISSIOLOGY: An International Review, published for American Society of Missiology by SAGE] ndrew Walls,1Philips Jenkins, and other scholars of World Christianity acutely observe that the center of Christianity s a country of immigration, has shifted from the Global North to the Global South.2 AAlthough this shift is seen to have happened, America remains the AAmerica is the world’s most center for world Christian theological education and migration. multicultural nation in terms of religio- Therefore, students, refugees, and other people from the Global South come to America as pilgrims with their distinctive forms cultural and ethnic-linguistic diversity. of political repression, ethnic marginalities, communal identities, and religio-cultural insights. Walls therefore calls Christianity a Diverse people from the Global North pilgrimage religion, which is wandering around the world without and the Global South live in the same ceasing to indigenize at each homing culture.3 The aim of this article is to examine how the twin forces of 1) the shift of Chris- towns as the citizens, go to the same tianity to the Global South as a world religion beyond the West and different churches as the pilgrims, and 2) the coming of Southern Christians to the North as pilgrims is generating the intercultural renaissance of World Christianity. and study at the same institutions as For many years, Southern Christians have been on the receiv- ing side with Northern Christians on the giving side of theological learners. insights. But as we are in the dawn of World Christianity, I argue that theology is to be understood as the intercultural “team game is the only referee. Both the Global South and North theologians with the global players, and the referees are no longer the Global are to play theology under God’s direction by sharing their mutual North theologians,”4 nor Global South Christians. Rather God issues and insights in the very process of interactions. 1. An earlier version of this article was presented at the “World Multiculturality as the source Without End” conference at Georgetown College, Georgetown, for intercultural theology Kentucky, on January 27, 2017. 2. Andrew F. Walls, The Cross-Cultural Process in Christian The world is religiously pluralistic, culturally diverse and economi- History: Studies in the Transmission and Appropriation of Faith (Mary- cally globalized. North America is a good example of a multicul- knoll, N.Y.: Orbis, 2002), 84. Philip Jenkins, The Next Christendom: tural world. In her book A New Religious America, Diana Eck The Coming of Global Christianity, 3rd edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013), xi–xiii. observes that America has become “the world’s most religiously 3. Andrew F. Walls, The Missionary Movement In Christian diverse nation” (her book’s subtitle).5 As a country of immigra- History: Studies in Transmission of Faith (Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis, tion, America is the world’s most multicultural nation in terms 1996), 53–54. 4. I draw upon insights from Christopher J.H. Wright’s endorse- of religio-cultural and ethnic-linguistic diversity. Diverse people ment in Timothy C. Tennent, Theology in the Context of World Chris- tianity: How the Global Church is Influencing the Way We Think About 5. Diana L. Eck, A New Religious America: How a Christian and Discuss Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007). Wright argues Country Has Become the World’s Most Religiously Diverse Nation (New that “western academy is no longer a referee.” York: HarperSanFrancisco, 2001). Currents in Theology and Mission 46:3 (July 2019) 18 Moe. Intercultural Theology in the Multicultural Context of World Christianity from the Global North and the Global South live in the same towns as the citizens, go to the same and different churches as ecoming one body of Christ does the pilgrims, and study at the same institutions as learners. As Alvin Padilla writes: Bnot mean becoming the same in all Learning to live well in the diverse culture of North ways or uniformity. As Paul reminds us, America is no longer an option, but a necessity. The U.S. census estimates that in 2050 that proportion of we are one body of Christ with different the whites in the population will be only 53%. Our gifts and ministries. children will live and serve in a society in which their classmates, neighbors, fellow disciples of Christ will be equally divided whites and people of color. As new as the global body of Christ, intercultural theology must recognize people move into our neighborhoods, the communities the importance of diverse expressions of God. Being baptized into undoubtedly will change. The change could be haphazard one Christ and one faith (Eph 4:5), we become one body of Christ. and filled with misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and But becoming one body of Christ does not mean becoming the even violence, or the change could permit all to reinvent same in all ways or uniformity. As Paul reminds us, we are one and reinvigorate themselves for the better.6 body of Christ with different gifts and ministries (1 Cor 12:5–31). This poses a theological question of how multiculturalism and Paul encourages the multicultural Christians to be united with one interculturalism are different from and related to each other.7 I another by celebrating the different tongues for Christ. John also would argue that multiculturalism recognizes the description of talks about the importance of glorying one Christ with different diverse cultures as God’s greatest gifts to the world, whereas inter- tongues, gifts, and languages (Rev 5:9; 7:9).14 culturalism emphasizes the prescriptive and methodological nature The second form of intercultural community is society. Un- of how to interact with one another.8 In looking at multicultural- like the church, society is a larger community in which not only ism as the source for intercultural theologies, Mark Cartledge and Christians, but also other faiths live. While the first form of com- David Cheetham rightly argue that the word “inter,” does not just munity is Christ-body-based (1 Cor 12:27), the latter form of refer to the exchanges of insights between two groups. It refers to community is God’s-image-based (Gen 1:27). No one comes into an engagement with different expressions of theology both between this world without cultural gifts. God created us to be equal with and betwixt different groups.9 If they are right, we can think of different gifts. Thus, Asian religions, such as Buddhism, Hindu- intercultural theology as two-ways and multiple ways of interac- ism, and Confucianism, play a role in cultivating Christian faith tions and between and betwixt people from different cultures.10 and developing intercultural theologies. I am not promoting a Intercultural theology is a result of how we see multiculturalism pluralistic theology of religions, which denies the unique role of as “God’s circumstantial will.”11 This reminds us to combine God’s Christ in the Trinity as both divine and human and in the economy creation narrative with a Pentecost narrative. If creation narrative of salvation. Rather, I am proposing an “embracive theology of recognizes God as the creator of diverse cultures, Pentecost narra- religions,” which overcomes the “pluralistic, exclusive and inclu- tive (Acts 2:1-21) helps us understand how God affirms diversity sive theologies of religions.”15 An embracive theology of religions as his greatest gift to the world.12 embodies the Christ who reaches out to us by embracing, not by Based on this theological ground, I next address three forms of destroying our human identity (Matt 5:17, John 1:14) and the interculturalism in the multicultural context of three communi- Spirit who embraces people by speaking to them in their native ties—church, society and academy.13 First, looking at the church languages (Acts 2:8). An embracive theology of religions allows us to engage the cultural “other” and to embrace their cultural otherness as God’s 6. Arvin Padilla, “A New Kind of Theological School: Contextualized Theological Education Models,” in African Journal. 2.2. gift to the world. Asian religions should not be seen as the mere (November 2012): 5–6. occasion for conversion, but as neighbors to whom the moral 7. Geoffrey Brahm Levey, “Interculturalism vs. Multiculturalism: insights and cultural gifts must be both given and received for a A Distinction Without Difference?” in Journal of Intercultural Studies, mutual transformation in a deeper knowledge of God (1 Cor 13:9) vol. 33.2. (April 2012): 217–224. 16 8. Ibid., 217. and in a thicker identity of ourselves. Intercultural hermeneutics 9. Mark J. Cartledge and David Cheetham, Intercultural Theology: Approaches and Themes (London: SCM Press, 2011), 2. Publicness in Public Theology,” inInternational Journal of Public 10. Ibid. Theology, 8/3. (2014): 330–334. 11. Leslie D. Weatherhead, The Will of God (Nashville: Abingdon, 14. Ibid., 299. 1976), 27–47. 15. For a “threefold typology of exclusivism, inclusivism, and 12. Amos Yong, “Toward A Trinitarian Theology of Religions: A pluralism,” see Alan Race, Christians and Religious Pluralism (London: Pentecostal-Evangelical and Missiological Elaboration,” in International SCM, 1983), 10–105. Bulletin of Mission Research, 40.4. (October 2016): 294–306. 16. Peter C. Phan, Christianity with an Asian Face: Asian American 13. I drew upon insights from David Tracy, “Three Kinds of Theology in the Making (Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis, 2003), especially Currents in Theology and Mission 46:3 (July 2019) 19 Moe.
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