The Legacy of T. C. Chao

The Legacy of T. C. Chao Winfried Gluer ccording to the official pinyin romanization recently made a major contribution to the Tambaram, Madras meeting of A adopted in China, Chao's name is to be spelled Zhao Ze the IMC in 1938. At the first Assembly of the World Council of chen. However, as Chao himself used the older form for his name, Churches (WCC) at Amsterdam in 1948, he was elected as one of it is given here in the familiar spelling. Had he lived longer he the six presidents of the WCC, representing the East Asian would, no doubt, have accepted the new romanization. He was churches. Shortly afterward, in April 1951, at the height of the Ko never a traditionalist, but always remained flexible in responding rean conflict, Chao resigned from this office in a dramatic move, to new developments, and this flexibility is an outstanding mark because of the "Statement on the Korean Situation and World Or of his character.It must not be mistaken for a lack of stability. In der," which the Central Committee of the WCC had issued at its looking at the legacy of T. C. Chao it is obvious that there is con meeting in Toronto the preceding year. In his letter to Dr. Visser 't sistency amid the apparent changes of position. Although Chao's Hooft he stated clearly that his resignation was of his own free thinking, indeed, underwent far-reaching changes, his basic con will: "I have complete freedom to affirm my faith in, and my loy cern remained the same. alty to Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior." In 1956 Chao came un The various features of Chao's personality were well de der attack in China for his collaboration with the imperialism of scribed when he received an honorary doctorate at Princeton Uni the American mission boards. He lost his teaching position and versity in 1947 together with thirty-five other persons (among had to resign his office as dean of the renowned School of Religion them General Dwight Eisenhower and Cardinal Tisserant): "fore of Yenjing University at Beijing, the enlarged campus of which to most interpreter of Christian faith to Oriental minds, scholar, in day houses Beijing University. Consequently, Chao had to experi spiring teacher, distinguished poet, gentle mystic." To emphasize ence bitter years, although he later participated in the Three-Self that Chao was a prolific writer would seem redundant, since it is Movement. He suffered during the Cultural Revolution but expe implied in the eulogy. Yet, along with the diversity of his writing, rienced the joy of being rehabilitated officially shortly before his it is important to note its truly Chinese character. Chao was deeply death at the advanced age of ninety-two (in the Chinese reckoning influenced by Chinese thought and it was for the sake of China of years). and its revolution that he struggled for most of his life to make the Chao taught theology at Yenjing beginning in 1926. Before Christian church in China a Chinese church, and this not in a mere that, he had been a professor at the Methodist Dongwu University ly intellectual way but in the real life of the church in Chinese so in Suzhou, his own alma mater. (In fact, he had attended school in ciety. Suzhou from the age of fourteen.) He wrote two detailed bio Chao was known in China before liberation as one of the graphical accounts of his younger years, which reflect, among oth leading theologians of the Chinese church. As such he is still high er things, the motivation for some of the important decisions that ly honored today by the church in the New China, even though he set the course for his later life. These accounts were both pub was extremely critical of the institutional church and, at the end of lished in Chinese under the title "My Religious Experience." Styl his life, moved away from Christianity itself, disclaiming the theo ized as they are, with the objective of personal witness to young logical validity of all his former writings. Yet there is little doubt Chinese intellectuals, they reveal to some degree Chao's intimate about his contributions to theology in a Chinese context, even if feelings and character. they leave many questions open. In his struggle for contextualiza Chao came from a family that had suffered economically from tion of the gospel, both in Chinese traditional culture and in con the upheavals of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in the middle of temporary society, Chao clearly pointed to major problems the the nineteenth century, not very long before he was born. In his Chinese church will yet have to discuss in coming years. younger years, he had to struggle against financial difficulties. His Chao was well known in ecumenical circles beyond China. father wanted to train him for a business career, but Chao had al His theological reflection and experience are of importance even ready set his mind on studying at a foreign school, even though today in Asian, African, and Latin American countries where simi the Bodhisattva Guanyin whom he consulted during a special visit lar questions are being raised in the search for an ecumenical the to [uehai Monastery on Lingquanshan had advised him to attend a ology, with which he dealt in his own quest for true practice of the Chinese middle school in Hangzhou instead. At school he decided Christian faith in a revolutionary setting. to join the church, a decision that gave rise to stern resistance at home. Even at the age of twenty-one Chao was beaten several A Biographical Sketch times by his father for his betrayal of the old faith. Later, however, his parents also followed his example and became Christians. Chao Chao was born on February 14, 1888, in Deqing in the province of remained critical of the mission school throughout his life because [ejiang. He died in Beijing on November 21, 1979. As he participat of its compulsory Christian education and, even worse, compul ed in the work of the Chinese National Christian Council from its sory attendance at worship services. His decision to join the very beginning in 1922, and had published a great number of theo church was not influenced by the school as such but, rather, by logical articles and some monographs, he soon became widely personal encounters with Christian friends, and his conversion did known throughout China. He participated in the Jerusalem meet not mean for him the abandonment of Chinese culture. At one ing of the International Missionary Council (IMC) in 1928 and time-these were the years of high national feeling, shortly after the Boxer uprising succumbed to Western arms-Chao joined anti-Western and anti-Christian activities. But in the long run the Winfried Gli/er, East Asia Secretary of the Association of Churches and Missions in Christian influence was stronger. John Mott's visit to Suzhou left a South West Germany, served in HongKongas director of the Christian Study Center on deep impression on Chao. One year later, in 1908, he asked to be Chinese Religion and Culture, and as editor of Ching Feng. baptized. October 1982 165 For his theological education Chao went to the United States. logical school. Among the latter the prophets of the Social Gospel, From 1914 to 1917 he studied theology at Vanderbilt University in whose thought Chao had imbibed with his daily food during the Nashville, Tennessee. He was a brilliant student who acquainted years in Nashville, hold a foremost place. The question, however, himself extensively, beyond the theological field, with Western is whether Chao cites these Western thinkers merely to echo their philosophy. He also took some courses in sociology. In 1916 he ob views, or because their system ofthought reinforced an expression. tained his M.A. degree, and concluded his studies at Vanderbilt in of his own Chinese understanding of the world and of Christian 1917. As the best student, surpassing his American classmates, he theology. The latter is obviously the case. Chao confirms this with was honored with the Founder's Medal. his two monographs of the mid-1920s. Chao's reflections on his development reveal a great sensitiv His Christian Philosophy and Jesus' Philosophy ofLife-On theSermon ity in the years of his childhood. At times he experienced visions On the Mount, each written in a record time of about three weeks, and appearances. Also, at later times, he spoke of dreams that had expound Christian doctrine in Chinese vestments. The former some influence on him. But a strong rational trait superseded this work is written in the form of a dialogue, and its purpose is again mystic inclination, which expressed itself in his lyricism and es apologetic. Among the participants in the dialogue, Chao includes theticism. The rational element remained dominant in his theolo some students of science who represent the thought of the intel gy. But its extreme expression, in which Chao, sure of himself, lectuals of his day in the wake of the May 4th movement. Chao ostracized other modes of Christian thought after his return from takes up the whole range of theological themes already dealt with Vanderbilt University, was scorned by Chao himself a decade later in his earlier writings, this time in systematic order. The main em when he renounced this "youthful immaturity." phasis is to express Christian theology in the framework of Confu Chao returned to China in 1917, bent on contributing to its cian thought, a most fascinating undertaking. He boldly paints a national reconstruction as he had earlier decided to do at the age of portrait of Jesus, which, in the end, turns out to resemble Confu sixteen, when he was a middle-school student at Suzhou.

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