Chinese Public Theology: Generational Shifts and Confucian Imagination in Chinese Christianity PDF
Preview Chinese Public Theology: Generational Shifts and Confucian Imagination in Chinese Christianity
CHINESE PUBLIC THEOLOGY Chinese Public Theology Generational Shifts and Confucian Imagination in Chinese Christianity ALEXANDER CHOW 1 3 GreatClarendonStreet,Oxford,OX26DP, UnitedKingdom OxfordUniversityPressisadepartmentoftheUniversityofOxford. ItfurtherstheUniversity’sobjectiveofexcellenceinresearch,scholarship, andeducationbypublishingworldwide.Oxfordisaregisteredtrademarkof OxfordUniversityPressintheUKandincertainothercountries ©AlexanderChow2018 ScripturequotationsarefromNewRevisedStandardVersionBible, copyright©1989NationalCounciloftheChurchesofChristintheUnitedStatesofAmerica. Usedbypermission.Allrightsreservedworldwide Themoralrightsoftheauthorhavebeenasserted FirstEditionpublishedin2018 Impression:1 Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedin aretrievalsystem,ortransmitted,inanyformorbyanymeans,withoutthe priorpermissioninwritingofOxfordUniversityPress,orasexpresslypermitted bylaw,bylicenceorundertermsagreedwiththeappropriatereprographics rightsorganization.Enquiriesconcerningreproductionoutsidethescopeofthe aboveshouldbesenttotheRightsDepartment,OxfordUniversityPress,atthe addressabove Youmustnotcirculatethisworkinanyotherform andyoumustimposethissameconditiononanyacquirer PublishedintheUnitedStatesofAmericabyOxfordUniversityPress 198MadisonAvenue,NewYork,NY10016,UnitedStatesofAmerica BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationData Dataavailable LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2017951796 ISBN 978–0–19–880869–5 Printedandboundby CPIGroup(UK)Ltd,Croydon,CR04YY LinkstothirdpartywebsitesareprovidedbyOxfordingoodfaithand forinformationonly.Oxforddisclaimsanyresponsibilityforthematerials containedinanythirdpartywebsitereferencedinthiswork. To Edmond and Maryvonne Tang Acknowledgements Everybookgoesthroughajourneytobeproduced.Thisonebeganas IwasnearingthecompletionofmyPhDandwasplanningto travel to China. My PhD supervisor at the time, Edmond Tang, recom- mendedImeetwithascholarwhomhesawasbeingpartofthenext generationofChinese‘culturalChristians’.Thatofferedmeaglimpse intoapartofChineseChristianityIhadnotreallyexploredthrough my PhD thesis. After completing my PhD studies, I moved my wife and nine-month-old son (our kaixinguo) to Beijing, where I began my postdoctoral fellowship at Renmin University. My colleagues helpedmeunderstandtheconditionswhichbroughtforththeunique ChinesephenomenonofculturalChristianity.Italsoleftanimpression that,formany,tobeanintellectualwasnotenough—thereismoreat stakethanthepursuitofknowledge.Itwasonlyattheendofmytime thereandasIwastransitingtotakeupalectureshipintheUniversity ofEdinburghthattheoverallshapeofthisbookbecameclear. Thisbookhasgonethroughajourneywithme—fromBirmingham toBeijing,andfinallytoEdinburgh.Ithaspushedmeinmanyways, forcing me to read into areas I previously knew little about. I am therefore so indebted to those friendships which have helped this projectcometothispoint.ManyfriendsandcolleaguesinChinahave offered immense help, just for being true to themselves and to be willing to bear with this laowai (‘foreigner’), such as Yang Huilin, DingDagang,GaoZhiqiang,HeGuanghu,LiTiangang,LiuPing,Shi Xiao,SunYi,WangHai,andZhangJing.Manyhavebeensogracious in reading significant portions of my drafts (Naomi Haynes, Jeremy Kidwell, Carl Kilcourse, Aristotle Papanikolaou, Joshua Ralston, Shi Xiao,ChloëF.Starr,JustinK.H.Tse,andGerdaWielander),includ- ing those who have read and commented on the manuscript as a whole (James Eglinton, Fredrik Fällman, Andrew T. Kaiser, Yen-yi Lee, Mark McLeister, and Edmond Tang). All of this has made the textclearerandtheargumentfarmorerobust.Iamalsothankfulfor theeditorialteamatOUPandthetwoanonymouspeerreviewers,as well as the continued encouragements I have received during coffee breaksandhallwayconversationswithothercolleaguesinEdinburgh, viii Acknowledgements suchasSeanAdams,NaomiAppleton,AnjaKlein,MatthewNoven- son,andBrianStanley. MywifeBettyandourchildrenhavebeenagreatinspiration.Iam a better scholar and a better person because of them. Through indirect ways, they challenge me to think more deeply about my work—but also to get things done in a timely manner! Betty, thank youforthemanytimesyouhaveaskedmehowyoucanmakethings easier for me to get work done. You have sacrificed much and, literally, travelled the world with me, living in three continents and fourcountries.Iamalsothankfultomyparentswhohaveraisedme toappreciatetheChinesecultureIhavecomefrom. I started my work in the University of Edinburgh the same week that my PhD supervisor, Edmond Tang, had his retirement party. Yet, I have pulled him out of retirement to ask for feedback—all for which I am very grateful. Professor Tang, I have learned much from you about Chinese Christianity and academic writing, and both you andMaryvonnehavetaughtmeaboutmanybeautiesoflife.Idedicate thisbooktothetwoofyou. AlexanderChow NewCollege,Edinburgh May2017 OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,12/12/2017,SPi Table of Contents NoteonRomanization xi Introduction 1 PART I. THE GROWING PUBLIC VOICE OF CHRISTIANITY IN CHINA 1. ATraditionofPublicTheology 27 2. State-SanctionedProtestantism 48 3. CulturalChristianity 70 4. UrbanIntellectualChristianity 92 PART II. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CHINESE PUBLIC THEOLOGY 5. ADividedPublicSpace? 117 6. ThePublicasTranscendent 131 7. TheChristianFamilyasaPublicBody 146 Conclusion 160 Appendix:BiographicalBriefs 169 Glossary:ChineseTermsandPhrases 175 Bibliography 179 Index 207
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