(in Chinese)
FORM
(INTERNET EDITION)
Abstracts
of CGST JOURNAL (Issue No.34 Jan 2003)
Christology and Chinese Culture
The Supreme Christ:
A Glimpse of New Testament Christology through the Book of Hebrews (An abstract)
Wai-yee Ng
One Christ, Many Discourses (An abstract)
Kang Phee Seng @ Jiang Pisheng
Salvation and Life:
A Reflection on Chia Yu Ming's Christocentric Theology (An abstract)
Wai-luen Kwok
The Flesh Becoming Dao:
A Comparison of the Soteriologies of Confucianism, Daojiao and Christianity
(An abstract)
Jason H. Yeung
A Tien-tai Buddhistic Interpretation of Karl Barth's Christology
(An abstract)
Andres S. K. Tang
"We do": A Theological Reflection on Marriage
(An abstract)
Shun-kai Kevin Cheng
The Pneumatology of Jonathan Edwards (An abstract)
Man-chung Cheung
The Careers of Chinese Christian Doctors in the Early History
of Hong Kong: The Cases
of Kwan King Leung, Lee Shu Fan, and Wang Chung Yick (An abstract)
Kwok-leung Ng
| TOP | CGST
JOURNAL No. 34 (in Chinese) |
|
SUBSCRIPTION FORM |
SUBSCRIPTION
FORM (INTERNET EDITION) |
The Supreme
Christ:
A Glimpse of New Testament Christology through the Book of Hebrews
(An abstract)
Wai-yee Ng
Associate Professor
China Graduate School of Theology
This article argues that there are three strands of Christological themes in the Book of Hebrews.
In chapters one through ten, the supremacy of Christ is explained in terms of two main titles, "The Son of God" and "the Great High Priest." It is noted that these titles stress the effectiveness of Christ's work as the revealer of salvation and the savior, rather than the loftiness of His divinity. Then, the "highest" Christological notes in Hebrews should be found in the first four verses of chapter one, where the author, without any further explanations, presents several simple sentences in relation to the Sonship of Christ. These sentences, which point out that He is the heir, the creator . . . and the upholder of all things, are declarations about Christ's loftiness and power, and they could have been ecclesiastical confessions existed prior to the writing of Hebrews. Among them, the expression "(Christ) sitting down at the right hand of the Majesty in Heaven," which appears to have originated from Psalm 110, is referred to by many other NT writers and can be shown to have been circulated at a very early time in the formation of the NT.
The third strand of Christology is seen in chapters eleven to twelve, where Christ is described as the author and perfecter of faith, supreme among many other who bore witness to that faith. This theme ties in with the idea of perfection in Christ's sacrifice, and it conveys a supremacy that makes Christ not only a model but the ground of salvation as well.
These three strands, the first and third in particular, are written with a pastoral concern in mind. The detailed Christology in the Book of Hebrews serves to expand the readers's knowledge of the savior Christ so that they can, at a time of turmoil or persecution, hold on to the first confessions of faith.
One Christ, Many
Discourses
(An abstract)
Kang Phee Seng @ Jiang Pisheng
Associate Professor
Department of Religion and Philosophy
Hong Kong Baptist University
From the earliest time of the New Testament till the present day, there have always been different Christological discourses. This paper examines three of the most influential Christologies in the twentieth centuries, namely, the moral exemplar of Harnack's historical Jesus, the religious symbol of Bultmann's Christ of faith, and the incarnate Christ of Barth's Nicene Christology. The paper argues that these Christologies, strictly speaking, are not different Christological discourses of the one same Christ. They are so radically different that they cannot be taken properly as pluralistic approaches in Christology. It is argued that Harnack in fact needs no Christology in his "simple and sublime" Christian religion. His at best is a Jesusology constructed out of the science of historical method. Bultmann, on the other hand, having shown no interest in the biography of Jesus, resorts to simply dismissing the life and person of Jesus as cristo.j kata. sa,rka. The Christ in his Christology soon becomes a function of religious experiences. Ultimately, this Christology has to let go of any insistence of "one Christ." The paper argues that Nicene Christology best fits the expression of "one Christ, many discourses." By holding on to the one incarnate Christ, Nicence Christology has been and remains the anchor of historical Christianity. Far from being conservative and static, it has proven to be fertile in the history of Christian thought and has produced different Christological discourses.
Salvation and Life:
A Reflection on Chia Yu Ming's Christocentric Theology
(An abstract)
Wai-luen Kwok
Assistant Research Officer
Chinese Culture Research Centre
China Graduate School of Theology
This paper studies the Christocentric theology of one of the most important Chinese conservative theologians in the early twentieth century, Chia Yu Ming. Chia was one of the earliest Chinese theologians having formal Calvinist theological training. He was a Presbyterian professor in Nanking Union Theological Seminary. Moreover, he often employed Calvinistic terms such as "union with Christ" and "mortification" in his theology. Thus, it is interesting to study whether there are differences between traditional Calvinistic Christocentric theology and Chia's theology.
Chia claims that theology should be Christocentric, as the centre of the Christian faith should be Jesus Christ and His redemptive works. He states that all his theological discourses are centered on and developed around this centre. The first step of this theological program is to use soteriology (i.e, Christ's redemptive works) to interpret all other theological components of the Christian faith.
As Chia wants to interpret all Christian theological themes under soteriology, he employs dispensationalism to control the whole structure of his theology. The writer demonstrates that this tendency eventually makes Chia's theology Christocentric only in a functional sense. In dispensationalism, Christ is presented as an important "factor" in completing and fulfilling God's plan for all dispensations. The role of Christ will cease when He "hands over the Kingdom to the Father." Thus, Christ becomes a "tool" instead of the "centre," as claimed by Chia, in Chia's theology .
Besides, this writer uses Chia's discussions on Christian sanctification to further explain the characteristics of Chia's Christocentric theological discourse. Chia claims that Christian sanctification should be Christ-centred. He advocates that every Christian should strive to be a "Christ-man." He asserts that only by attaining this spiritual stage does one possess "full-salvation." The person that has "full-salvation" is "completely united with Christ" and lives without sins and wrongdoings. Chia also calls this kind of Christian life the "higher life." This writer contends that we may find variations between traditional Calvinism and Chia's theology on this point. Calvinism always emphasizes that we cannot attain a "perfect" Christian life, and mortification should be a spiritual exercise for our whole life. However, Chia boldly contends that one can have a "full-salvation" and thoroughly live without sins.
Dispensationalism, as well as the teaching of "higher life" and "full-salvation," indicate that the Holiness Revival Movement has a strong influence on Chia's theology. Chia the Presbyterian theologian adopts many theological ideas that are alien to Calvinist theology. Chia allies with this theological approach for the following reason: He believes that poor spirituality and the gloomy Christian life of the Chinese Christians are the most vital problems for the Chinese Church at that time. A revival theology is an effective tool to solve these problems directly.
The Flesh
Becoming Dao:
A Comparison of the Soteriologies of Confucianism, Daojiao and Christianity
(An abstract)
Jason H. Yeung
Associate Professor
China Graduate School of Theology
This paper attempts to compare the ideas of salvation in two Chinese philosophies, namely, Confucianism and Daoism, with that of the Christian theology. In Confucianism, salvation means self-sanctification, which is to be distinguished from self-centredness as an expression of egoism. Confucius simply opened up his mind to the nature or a transcendental god.
Daoism as a religion can be traced back to the ancient China, especially to the philosophies of Lao-tzu (c.604-490 B.C.E.) and Chuang-tzu (c.369-286 B.C.E.). Daoist teachings were later radically reinterpreted. Later Daoism is called Daojiao (Daoist religion). Daojiao seeks to lead its adepts into a perfectly harmonious relationship with the universe so that they can escape from the horror of diseases and the tragedy of death. What the adepts pursue is not life after death, but immortality in this world. Daoist adepts believe that they can achieve this goal through the practices of internal and external alchemy, meditation, exercise, appropriate sexual activity, and the purity of life. In short, salvation in Daojiao is to be realized in this world and expressed in the metamorphosis of one's physical body into a celestial immortal.
Christianity recognizes the transcendental God and His creation. The achievement of salvation is consummated in the transformation of our physical body (creature) by the resurrection power of the risen Christ. It seems that the ideals of salvation in both Confucianism and Daojiao can be found in Christian theology.
A Tien-tai Buddhistic Interpretation of Karl Barth's Christology
(An abstract)
Andres S. K. Tang
Associate Professor of Christian Thought
Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary
Karl Barth employs the concept of anhypostasis-enhypostasis to construct his Christology. This tendency is especially obvious when he comes to deal with the relationship between the human nature and the divine nature in the incarnate Word. On the other hand, Barth also understands Christ's human nature in terms of the sinful human nature. How can these two natures be joined together without confusion, without change into one another, without division, without separation, as is delineated in Chalcedonian Christology? This paper attempts to interpret Barth's Christology by introducing Tien-tai Buddhism's doctrine of momentary mind of ignorance and Dharmata. In Tien-tai Buddhism, the momentary mind is paradoxically structured on the basis of ignorance and Dharmata. Barth's idea of the incarnate Word shares such a paradoxical structure. Both the divine nature and the human nature are grounded on the dialectical unio hypostatica which is Ab-grund (non-ground). It is only on this Ab-grund that the anti-thesis between the divine nature and the sinful human nature can be simultaneously preserved and overcome. It is human sin, not human nature, which is to be overcome. The soteriological significance of this kind of Christology is obvious. Without the assumption of the sinful human nature, it is impossible to work out the reconciliation between God and human being.
"We do": A Theological Reflection on Marriage
(An abstract)
Shun-kai Kevin Cheng
Associate Professor
China Graduate School of Theology
Marriage is based on the existential condition that people are sexual beings. Marriage cannot be understood as holy love, for love does not necessitate otherness. Neither can marriage be understood as sacrament, otherwise creatures would illegitimately transcend their creaturely existence. Nor can marriage be understood ethically, as the relationality between "male and female, male or female" is a more basic relationship than that of "I and Thou." The nature of marriage can be summed up as follows: Marriage is the intimate, permanent, and exclusive covenantal life between a male and a female under the divine call. It means firstly that marriage is covenantal. It is a dynamic relationship of mutual commitment. Secondly, marriage is a divine calling. It is not a response to nature. Thirdly, marriage is a relationship of intimacy. It is a parallel journey of self-intimacy and mutual intimacy with the opposite sex. Fourthly, marriage is a permanent and exclusive relationship between male and female. It is a monogamous partnership of husband and wife.
The purposes of marriage are threefold: a relational purpose of mutual love and fellowship, a generative purpose of birth and nurturing, and a healing purpose of restraining sin and evil.
The Pneumatology
of Jonathan Edwards
(An abstract)
Man-chung Cheung
MDiv Student
China Graduate School of Theology
Jonathan Edwards is one of the most prominent Christian thinkers in American history. Researches on Edwards in the past have focused on his philosophy. Conrad Cherry, however, initiates a paradigmatic shift in the study of Edwards?thought by his work The Theology of Jonathan Edwards: A Reappraisal in 1990. According to Cherry, theology is the foundation on which Edwards built his other academic interests. This paper develops Cherry's idea by pointing out that Edwards?pneumatology is fundamental to his theological framework. Edwards?theology on the Spirit is explored through several themes, including the perception of natural men, the implementation of divine redemption, the transformation of the saints, the Word of God, and the triune God. Through these themes we get a richer understanding of the work and the person of the Spirit.
Edwards describes the work of the Holy Spirit as "arbitrary." No one can ever explain how and why the will of God operates on a particular person. The regeneration of the human heart does not provide a person with new faculties. One still possesses the natural faculties of reason, mind and will. However, as a regenerated person, one is illumined by the Spirit so that the faculties can carry new exercises based on a new spiritual foundation. The illumination of the Spirit calls forth creative power within the person and also acts of faith. Such divine influences, Edwards stresses, do not diminish human dignity. People remain the subject of their own beings despite their being filled by the Holy Spirit.
Instead of the gifts of the Spirit, Edwards proposes that the virtues of the Spirit are vital evidences for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The spiritual person is able to discern true religious affections through the divine principle within them.
For Edwards, the holiness of the Spirit encapsulates the excellency of the divine essence. Love is the sign of the works of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit himself is the divine love that flows outward as an ad extra expression of the ad intra love among the divine Trinity. By filling the saints with this love, the Spirit cleanses the church from all worldliness. The spiritual community grows ever deeper in her theological understanding and spiritual experiences.
The Careers of Chinese Christian Doctors in
the Early History of Hong Kong: The Cases
of Kwan King Leung, Lee Shu Fan, and Wang Chung Yick
(An abstract)
Kwok-leung Ng
Executive Officer
Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences Society
In the early history of Hong Kong, many of those who were involved in the medical profession were Christians. Sir Kai Ho Kai and Dr. Sun Yat-sen were two most prominent examples. Chinese Christian doctors had played an important role in shaping the modern Chinese community in Hong Kong. However, when compared with studies on other local elite like merchants and compradors in the past two decades, researches on the lives and contributions of these early Chinese Christian doctors have been relatively few and unnoticed. This paper attempts to reconstruct the biographies of three such Christian medical figures, namely, Dr. Kwan King Leung (1869-1945), Dr. Lee Shu Fan (1887-1966), and Prof. Wang Chung Yick (1888-1930). They were among those earliest graduates of the Hong Kong College of Medicine.
Dr. Kwan was a private practitioner who had spared no efforts in serving the
community by his active involvement in various public affairs. Although he took
no part in overthrowing the Ch'ing government, he was very supportive of revolutionary
activities and strongly advocated the need of national revival.
Likewise, Dr. Lee also contributed a lot both to the medical field and public
welfare of Hong Kong's early Chinese community. His participation in the political
field and charities was even more direct and enthusiastic than that of Dr. Kwan.
As the Superintendent of the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital for over a period
of 40 years, Dr. Lee had demonstrated his concern for public health care and
had shown a persistent effort in fighting against particularly the disease of
pulmonary tuberculosis.
Prof. Wang, a famous scholar in pathology, was the first Chinese professor ever recruited in the University of Hong Kong. When compared with Drs. Kwan and Lee, his contribution was more on the academic side and medical education. His death was described as "a severe loss to the cause of medical science." While the careers of these three figures were proved successful each in their own way, they shared a common religious faith. It was their Christian background that had allowed them an early exposure to western thoughts, culture and education, and led them eventually to the practice of medicine and an awareness of social participation. Their lives and achievements reflected that Christianity, to a certain extent, had contributed to form a tightly interwoven social web among Christians, medical professionals and the local elites in the early history of Hong Kong.
Send email to Webmaster@cgst.edu
with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright 2003 China Graduate School of Theology.
Last Modified:
2004-01-28
.