Introduction
If we talk about Asian realities, at least we should understand the situation and the condition of Asian people. We need to know some of the facts regarding its demographic reality, the people and the cultures, religion backgrounds, the social, politic and economic situation of the people, and the present wave of globalization in Asia . These are the fields of the ministry of the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ. This ministry requires a balance approach between the principles (our theology) and the praxis (practical application) because our theology will define our praxis. In Asian contexts, the proclamation need to be faithful to the substance of the Gospel message, but on the other side, it also should be relevant to the Asian context that touches the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of Asian people.
Asian Current Realities
Demographics Realities
The majority of Asian people have common life experiences of discrimination and exploitation, low caste or class groups, migrant workers, racial minorities, malnutrition, little power or negotiating ability of Asian women[v], children (street children, child-abuse, child trade, and child labor), pornography, prostitution[vi], abortion, the rapid spread of AIDS, which all relate to the aspects of physical, emotional and spiritual dimensions of human life.
Socio-Politico-Economic Realities
There are some negative effects of economic globalization beside its positive aspect of the economic growth of Asia . Globalization has brought exploitation of the poor by the rich, of the developing countries by the developed countries (economic superpowers) which caused damages in many aspects of the people, communities and environment. We cannot avoid the fact that the Asian people link up the negative effects of economic globalization with Western capitalism. And on the other side, Christianity is connected with Western capitalism as the agent of the modernization process. It says that ‘modernization has been a continuation of Westernization, leading to the current form of globalization.’[vii] In some countries in Asia , people still face a new form of colonization through their oppressive military governments and economic superpowers.
Economic globalization directly or indirectly relates to the raise of poverty in Asia due to an extremely socially imbalanced situation: the few monopolize the political as well as economic powers and subsequently enjoy tremendous privileges and wealth.[viii] The development of industrialization also has led to urbanization and city dwellers explosion in many large cities in Asia . This condition causes the growth of slums in many major cities in Asia , environmental degradation in the slum area, and the high level of unemployment.
In many places in Asia , vast numbers of people are deprived and need of peace and security. ‘Asian had to go through the painful realities of the India-Pakistan nuclear confrontation, rampancy of Hindu, Muslim and other fundamentalisms and other sectarian violence destroying communities, Gujarat massacre, military repression on separatist movements (‘such as GAM in Aceh and OPM in Papua’), constant human rights violations by the military, police, and private agencies, economic violence wielded on the large bulk of population in the name of neo-liberal globalization, refugees of all kinds, and notably patriarchy underlying all these cruelties.’[ix]
Religious Realities
We need to realize the reality of religious pluralism in Asia . There are four largest Asian deeply-rooted religions; ‘the worlds of Buddhism (from Sri Lanka Japan South East Asia ) and Islam (from West and Central Asia to Indonesia Asia , including Judaism and Christianity.
The negative effects of globalization and global market as stated above have caused reactions from religious groups in Asia . Some religious groups react strongly to the impact of globalization and capitalism, and there rises a tendency of fundamentalism, cause religious conflicts and terrorism.
We notice how the teachings of those major religions in Asia offer the solution to the problems in Asia which attract people to receive them. Buddhism rejects greed, Islam advocates justice, Hinduism cherishes life, and Confucianism condemns selfishness.[xi] These become the challenges of Christianity in Asia .
‘Asia has the four largest Muslim countries in the world: Indonesia India Pakistan Bangladesh
Buddhism in Asia permeates all levels of culture and national identity. Buddhism shares with Hinduism a belief in the law of Karma and reincarnation. In Buddhism, the ultimate liberation from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth is called Nirvana.[xiii] Other thing to note about Hinduism is the social structure of the Hindu faith which allows people of a higher caste to indifferently stand by as those of lower castes suffer and die of hunger and disease.’[xiv] People are suffering from this caste system.
There are many unreached tribal groups with the different and various characters of their religiosity in Indonesia Burma Thailand Asia . Another challenge as part of Asian realities is from communist world, but ‘contrary to popular belief, the people who inhabit the Communist world are not all doctrinaire/Marxists. They are just like the common people with the same hopes, fears, dreams, ambitions, feelings and needs, and one of those needs is spiritual.’[xv]
The Good News of Jesus Christ in Asia
Imago Dei as Human True Identity and Dignity
One important biblical foundation of Christian beliefs is the concept of imago dei; men and women are created in the ‘image of God’ (Gen 1:26 ). The substance of the imago dei concept basically is to return the true identity and dignity to every human being as divine image-bearers. It ‘gives people a sense of worth and the idea that they should not be treated as less than human.’[xvi] The creation of human being is the acts of God’s grace. Therefore, this good news of God’s grace gives Asian people ‘identity independently of their role, status and works.’[xvii]
Moreover, beside understanding people’s true identity and dignity as the image of God, on the other side, it also makes people realize their unity in the first Adam as rebels against God (personal, collective and structural sins), but by the grace of God in Jesus Christ who redeems people and brings people back to their true identity and dignity to the common calling as equal creatures of God in a new society.[xviii] The concept of imago dei ‘forms consciences by revealing to peoples the God whom they seek and do not yet know, the grandeur of man created in God's image and loved by him, the equality of all men and women as God's sons and daughters, the mastery of man over nature created by God and placed at man's service, and the obligation to work for the development of the whole person and of all mankind.’[xix]
This is ‘good news’ for the Asian people, who are outcastes and depressed classes and for the lower social economic strata/the poor in the society. It rises up the dignity and social position of women and children in Asia . This good news is the call of faith when it confronts Asian people with the message of salvation in Christ. ‘The outcasts, the poor and the orphans saw Christian faith as the source of a new humanizing influence and the foundation of a human community. Where conversion was genuine, whether of individuals or of groups, the converts saw salvation in Christ not only in terms of individual salvation, of heaven after death, but also as the spiritual source of a new community on earth in which their human dignity and status were recognized.’[xx]
Good News in Diakonia
Diakonia basically means the service of reconciliation in the world with the word of faith and the action of the spirituality of selfless love in Jesus Christ. It means that the good news of Jesus Christ through charitable works is directed to promote social condition of Asian people. Diakonia activities engage with the social justice issues and development and protection of human rights within different societies and contexts in Asia. Understanding poverty (why the poor poor and who are the poor in Asia?) should consider the aspects of the history of the people, international politics and trading policies in Asia.
Christian participation in alleviating poverty in Asia cannot be only in conceptual part, but should touch and ‘fulfill the immediate needs of those who are poor, the needy, the hungry, and the homeless in Asia by providing food, shelter or medical care’,[xxi] Through this charitable works, we can portray God’s love and solidarity, embracing all those on the margins of society. We should remember that this is only what we call partial liberation, but it can give way to proclaim total liberation where the messages of God’s redemption in Jesus Christ brings people’s true identity and dignity as “imago dei”.
The ‘good news’ of the total liberation and solidarity to the poor should be developed by ‘living and involving ourselves in their everyday life as fellow friends and fellow humans, stand up for them and become living martyrs for the truth we are called to witness to.[xxii] We proclaim Christ through the message of the Cross and Christ as Immanuel; God is with us, “God is there in the midst of man’s struggles of insecurity, anxiety, darkness, loneliness, estrangement and guilt”.[xxiii]
As part of the process of empowering, conscientizing and enlightening of Asian people, we need to promote formal and non formal education. The task of Christians in Asia is in line with Jesus’ parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast” (Mt 13:33 ). Like yeast, Christians can infuse and make inevitable effect and intensive transformation through education which contribute to the construction of upright society.
With the wave of globalization and its side effects in Asia , the Church must be seen as a ‘genuine and sharing community’ which emphasize mutual interest that transcends social and class lines. It will give contributions to the resolution of economic problems and conflicts in the society. On the other side it challenges the political economy of corporate capitalism and state capitalism of profit maximization and domination by power.[xxiv]
In the midst of the (potential) conflicts in some parts of Asia such as in Philippines, Lebanon, India and Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Indonesia, between China and Taiwan, and Myanmar, the Church should share Christ as Reconciler; reconcile God and human being (2 Cor 5:18-19).[xxv] Therefore, Christians should preach love and become the instrument of peace; be known as peace-loving and forgiving people. Christians are supposed to do the ministry of reconciliation (in personal, socio cultural and political levels) in these different societies. Christian witness must be the witness of the life of a Christian community in which the new life of reconciliation is being expressed.[xxvi]
Good News through Dialogue with Asian Cultures
In order to bring Good News of Jesus Christ to Asian cultures, we must involve in the process of inculturation and contextualization, which can only be actualized if there is a dynamic, on-going and creative encounter between Gospel and Asian cultures. This encounter must be a living encounter; between the Gospel and the people with their history, characteristics, culture and environment. Through this encounter, the people will understand the Gospel stories within their own cultural and historical context. But the orientation of the Gospel and culture encounter must be ‘imago dei-centered’ (divine-human relationship) and ‘redemption-centered’ (Christological salvific events/’Who Jesus Christ is’). The encounter must be guided by two principles: ‘compatibility with the gospel and communion with the universal Church’.[xxvii] In Asia context, since most of Asian people are deeply rooted in their culture, the Christian faith should exist and operate in meaningful and appropriate way in their cultural forms. Asian cultures are the instrument to understand the Good News of the Gospel (cf. Acts 17 “Paul in Athens
We can proclaim the gospel messages in creative ways by using local and indigenous resources as part of our appreciation and respect to Asian’s traditions and cultures. We can present Christ through songs, dances, puppets, shadow plays, stories, dramatize the Gospel stories to the non literate people groups, use vernacular languages, traditional musical instruments, indigenous images and symbols, festivals, which are familiar with Asian people. Asian people always live with many stories (personal story, communal and religious story) and they can interact and find their story in the meaningful and significant way with the Bible stories. With the awareness of the threat of syncretism, we can use people’s stories, customs, practices and values to support the gospel messages and bring people to Christ.
Christianity and Other Religions in Asia
In Asia context, we can proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ in terms of dialogue with other religions (‘dialogue/witness of life, of social action, theological exchange, and religious experience’[xxviii]). We do not have to argue or debate, but we must testify our faith. If direct proclamation is not possible, we can do dialogue of life and social actions. But we must hold the principle that “although the Church gladly acknowledges whatever is true and holy in the religious traditions of Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism or Islam as a reflection of that truth which enlightens all people, this does not lessen her duty and resolve to proclaim without fail Jesus Christ who is ‘the Way, and the Truth and the Life.’ The fact that the followers of other religions can receive God's grace and be saved by Christ apart from the ordinary means which he has established does not thereby cancel the call to faith and baptism which God wills for all people.”[xxix]
Jesus should be presented in ways understandable and meaningful to Asian people. For the Buddhists, Jesus can be presented as the great teacher of true wisdom, the way of the Spirit, the teacher of truth, the spiritual guide, the enlightened one, and the compassionate helper of the poor. These are the bridges for them to understand Jesus as the Savior of the world. We can identify the truths or wisdoms of other religions, e.g. the practice of the Nobel Eightfold Path of Buddhism which teaches physical, mental and moral discipline, but we should go back to the Bible. The identification of the Nobel Eightfold path should bring the Buddhist to know Jesus as the Dharma (pre-existent Truth/Logos/ the Way and the Truth). On the other side, we cannot compromise the Hindus/Buddhist teaching of the Law of Karma because it is incongruent with Christianity. Instead, we can explain the concept of ‘original sin’ to the Hindus and the redemption act of God in Jesus Christ to liberate people from the bondage of the Law of the Karma and receive their dignity as ‘imago dei’ and as the children of God in Christ.
Our position should be inclusive toward other religions where other religions in Asia are the preparation for the Gospel (preparatio evangelica). Dialogue can be part of the process of contextualization and inculturation without loosing the distinctiveness of our Christian identity. Dialogue in terms of building our understanding of other religions must be used as the strategy that allows us to proclaim Jesus Christ.
Spirituality
The message cannot be separated with the messenger. Asian people with their realities must see the unity between the message of Christ’s love and the character of sacrificial love of Asian Christians. We should follow Jesus’ footsteps of emptying himself (kenosis) for the sake of others (Phil 2:5-11). As Asian people are attractive to the characters/ the quality of the person Jesus, they will come to Christ if they can see these characters of Christ in the daily life of Asian Christians. “The Church has an immense spiritual patrimony to offer humankind, a heritage in Christ, who called himself "the Way, and the Truth, and the Life" (Jn 14:6): it is the Christian path to meeting God, to prayer, to asceticism, and to the search for life's meaning.”[xxx]
Asian Christians should be known as the people of prayer and holiness who have experienced God. We should follow Jesus’ example where He did not force the life and the lesson of prayer upon the people and the disciples, but rather He just kept praying until at last they asked Him to teach them what He was doing.[xxxi] In the same way, our simple and contemplative life style will impress and attract local people to know more about Jesus and Christian spirituality.
We also need to pay attention to the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ to Asian people through power encounters. It means that Asian Christians are necessary to rely upon the dynamic manifestations of the works and the power of the Holy Spirit in confronting the darkness of the evil spirits. This is not something new in Asia . ‘Many of the charismatic forms of Christianity in Asia have indigenous roots traceable to earlier Asian Christian leaders like Sadhu Sundar Singh and John Sung, which are at best loosely connected to the modern charismatic renewal from the West. It is time for Asian Christians to dare to begin to formulate their own biblically-informed understanding of the dynamics of the Holy Spirit’s work’[xxxii] that will touch the spiritual needs of Asian people.
Conclusion
Presenting the message of the gospel in Asia should consider the importance of understanding the contexts of Asian people (socio-economic, political, cultural and spiritual context). Therefore, it must be approached holistically.[xxxiii] All of these should be focused on the total transformation of their whole beings in Jesus Christ. It should touch the rational, emotional and spiritual dimensions of the people in order that the truth of the gospel message should go, not only to their head but also to their heart. Above all, our proclamation will be effective and fit into Asian environment if it is built through friendship, trust relationship and sensitivity to the different cultures and backgrounds of Asian people.
Ps Yusuf Silangit (BD.MA)
ENDNOTES
[i] Athyal, Saphir, “The Church in its Asian Context”, in Saphir Athyal (ed.), Church in Asia Today: Challenges and Opportunities, Asia Lausanne Committee for World Evangelism:Singapore
[i] Athyal, Saphir, “The Church in its Asian Context”, in Saphir Athyal (ed.), Church in Asia Today: Challenges and Opportunities, Asia Lausanne Committee for World Evangelism:
[ii] Ibid, p.7.
[iii] Perera, Rienzie, “Religions, Cultures and Peace: the Challenge of Religious Pluralism and the Common Life in Asia”, in Feliciano V. Carino and Marina True (eds.), Faith and Life in Contemporary Asian Realities, report of the Asia Conference on Church and Society of the Christian Conference of Asia, Darwin, Australia, September 23-30, 1999, Christian Conference of Asia: Hong Kong, 2000., p.95.
[iv] Athyal, p.14.
[v] This is major problem of the position of Asian women which relate to the culture, particularly in the lower end of the social-economic strata. http://www.asiasource.org/news/special_reports/beyrerinterview.cfm
[vi] Between 5,000 and 7,000 Nepali girls are trafficked every year across the border to India Bombay New Delhi Bangkok Thailand New York
[vii] Kim, Yong-Bock, Asians Meet Jesus the Asian: A Historical Reflection, Advanced Institute for the Integral Study of Life, http://www.oikozoe.or.kr/bbs/read.cgi?board=edata&y_number=12&nnew=2
[viii] Wang, Kwok Nai, “Democracy and the Church”, http://www.cca.org.hk/resources/resframe.htm
[ix] Paper presented at the Asia Society-The National Intelligence Council 2020 Project, “[ix] Identity and Ideology, “Is National Identity a Contested Concept in Asia ? How Plastic are These Identities Once Established; How Permeable are They to What has been Termed “Global Mass Culture?”, 5-7 May, 2004.
[x] Yung, Hwa, “Theological Issues Facing the Asian Church” in Partnership in the Gospel: The Lausanne Movement in 21st Century Asia, The Fifth Asia Church Leaders Conference on Evangelism, Seoul, Aug 26 – 29 2002, p.113.
[xi] Kim, Yong-Bock, Globalization: Challenge to the People’s Movement, Advanced Institute for the Study of Life, http://www.oikozoe.or.kr/bbs/read.cgi?board=edata&nnew=2&y_number=9
[xii] Condensed from Moala, Kalafi, “The World of Islam”, in Floyd McClung and Kalafi Moala, Nine Worlds to Win, Manila: YWAM and OMF Literature, 1988, pp.71-73.
[xiii] Moala, Kalafi, “The Buddhist World”, in Floyd McClung and Kalafi Moala, Nine Worlds to Win, Manila: YWAM and OMF Literature, 1988, p.75.
[xiv] Moala, Kalafi, “The Hindu World”, in Floyd McClung and Kalafi Moala, Nine Worlds to Win, Manila: YWAM and OMF Literature, 1988, p.79.
[xv] McClung, Floyd, “The Communist World”, in Floyd McClung and Kalafi Moala, Nine Worlds to Win, Manila: YWAM and OMF Literature, 1988, p.90.
[xvi] Sugden, Chris, “Identity as the Source of Dignity”, in Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden (eds.), Mission as Transformation: A Theology of the Whole Gospel’, Irvine, CA: Regnum, 1999, p.246.
[xvii] Ibid, p.247.
[xviii] Ibid, p.241.
[xix] Pope John Paul’s Encyclical Letter Redemptoris Missio No.58, CTS Publication, 7th Dec 1990 , p.40.
[xx] This is M.M. Thomas’ statement in Sugden, p.242.
[xxi] McClung, Floyd, “The Poor and the Needy”, in Floyd McClung and Kalafi Moala, Nine Worlds to Win, Manila
[xxii] Hiebert, Paul, “Anthropological and Missiological Reflections” in T. Yamamori, B L Myers and D Conner (eds.), Serving with the Poor in Asia, Monrovia , CA India
[xxiii] Adapted from Kung, Hans, “What is the Christian Message?” in Anderson and Stransky, Mission Trends No.1: Crucial Issues in Mission Today, Paulist Press and Eerdmans, 1974, p.107.
[xxiv] Kim, Yong-Bock, http://www.oikozoe.or.kr/bbs/read.cgi?board=edata&nnew=2&y_number=9
[xxv] 2 Cor 5:18-19: “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” (cf. Rm 5:11, Col
[xxvi] Sugden, p.251.
[xxvii] Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio No.54, p.38.
[xxviii]Bevans, Stephen B., “Unraveling a Complex Reality: Six Elements of Mission”, International Bulletin of Missionary Research, Vol 27, No.2, April 2003, p.52.
[xxix] Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio No.55, p.39.
[xxx] Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio No.38, p.28.
[xxxi] Coleman, Robert E., The Master Plan of Evangelism, Wilmore , Kentucky
[xxxii] Yung, Hwa, Mangoes or Bananas: The Quest for an Authentic Asian Christian Theology, Oxford: Regnum, 1997, pp.238-239.
[xxxiii] The story of Jesus’ meeting up with the Samaritan woman in John 14 can be used as the model of holistic ministry in Asia context.
