“Yin-Yang” (阴阳) Interplay: A Renewed Formation Program for the Catholic Seminary in China

156 Pages·2014·3.079 MB·English

by  Bit-shing Abraham Chiu

Chiu_312320_cpi_cb_AUS dd.qxd 9/19/2014 10:43 AM Page 1
C A M E R I C A N U N I V E R S I T Y S T U D I E S
h
i
u
“Yin-Yang” (阴阳) Interplay: A Renewed Formation Program for the Catholic
Seminary in Chinafocuses on the design of a renewed formation program
for the Catholic seminary in China. Without such renewed formation, trans-
formation becomes very difficult in the Chinese Catholic Church (CCC).
Although the road to spiritual transformation in China is long and wind-
ing, “Yin-Yang” (阴阳) Interplay offers those who are interested in labor-
“
ing in this special vineyard a dream, and, more profoundly, hope.
Y
Indeed, this hope is based on an analysis of the political and religious i
n
history of the CCC and the data collected from twenty-six interviewees, espe-
-
cially the seminarians whose sincere sharing substantiates the author’s aca- Y
a
demic research and simultaneously opens a window to the world for
n
understanding the CCC. Based on his own theory and experience, the
g
author suggests a program that accommodates the special political and reli- ”

gious situation in China. The program integrates traditional Confucianism, (
阴
modern educational theory, and contemporary Chinese culture in order to
foster a seedbed for the clerical formation of the CCC. 阳
)

I
n
t
e
r
p
Chiu, Bit-shing Abraham, OFM has been serving the
l
a
Chinese Catholic Church by teaching theology in
y
major seminaries and conducting retreats in vari-
ous dioceses since 1996. He earned his doctoral
degree from Episcopal Divinity School, Boston, where
he was awarded the best paper prize. He earned his
Ph.D. in religious education from the Graduate School
of Religion and Religious Education at Fordham Uni-
versity, New York. His enriched teaching experience
and academic formation are the basis for this book. “Yin-Yang”
v
i 阴阳
i ( ) Interplay
(cid:129)

3
3
3
A Renewed Formation Program
for the Catholic Seminary in China
P
E
T
E
R
L
A
A M E R I C A N N
G
U N I V E R S I T Y
CHIU, BIT-SHING ABRAHAM, OFM
S T U D I E S
www.peterlang.com
Chiu_312320_cpi_cb_AUS dd.qxd 9/19/2014 10:43 AM Page 1
C A M E R I C A N U N I V E R S I T Y S T U D I E S
h
i
u
“Yin-Yang” (阴阳) Interplay: A Renewed Formation Program for the Catholic
Seminary in Chinafocuses on the design of a renewed formation program
for the Catholic seminary in China. Without such renewed formation, trans-
formation becomes very difficult in the Chinese Catholic Church (CCC).
Although the road to spiritual transformation in China is long and wind-
ing, “Yin-Yang” (阴阳) Interplay offers those who are interested in labor-
“
ing in this special vineyard a dream, and, more profoundly, hope.
Y
Indeed, this hope is based on an analysis of the political and religious i
n
history of the CCC and the data collected from twenty-six interviewees, espe-
-
cially the seminarians whose sincere sharing substantiates the author’s aca- Y
a
demic research and simultaneously opens a window to the world for
n
understanding the CCC. Based on his own theory and experience, the
g
author suggests a program that accommodates the special political and reli- ”

gious situation in China. The program integrates traditional Confucianism, (
阴
modern educational theory, and contemporary Chinese culture in order to
foster a seedbed for the clerical formation of the CCC. 阳
)

I
n
t
e
r
p
Chiu, Bit-shing Abraham, OFM has been serving the
l
a
Chinese Catholic Church by teaching theology in
y
major seminaries and conducting retreats in vari-
ous dioceses since 1996. He earned his doctoral
degree from Episcopal Divinity School, Boston, where
he was awarded the best paper prize. He earned his
Ph.D. in religious education from the Graduate School
of Religion and Religious Education at Fordham Uni-
versity, New York. His enriched teaching experience
and academic formation are the basis for this book. “Yin-Yang”
v
i 阴阳
i ( ) Interplay
(cid:129)

3
3
3
A Renewed Formation Program
for the Catholic Seminary in China
P
E
T
E
R
L
A
A M E R I C A N N
G
U N I V E R S I T Y
CHIU, BIT-SHING ABRAHAM, OFM
S T U D I E S
www.peterlang.com
“Yin-Yang”
(阴阳) Interplay
SERIES VII
THEOLOGY AND RELIGION

VOL. 333

This book is a volume in a Peter Lang monograph series.
Every volume is peer reviewed and meets
the highest quality standards for content and production.

PETER LANG
New York  Bern  Frankfurt  Berlin
Brussels  Vienna  Oxford  Warsaw
Chiu, Bit-shing Abraham, OFM

“Yin-Yang”
(阴阳) Interplay

A Renewed Formation Program
for the Catholic Seminary in China

PETER LANG
New York  Bern  Frankfurt  Berlin
Brussels  Vienna  Oxford  Warsaw
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Chiu, Bit-shing Abraham.
880-01 “Yin-Yang” interplay: a renewed formation program
for the Catholic seminary in China = Yin yang / Chiu, Bit-shing Abraham, OFM.
pages cm. — (American University studies VII: theology and religion; v. 333)
Includes bibliographical references.
1. Catholic theological seminaries—China. 2. Catholic Church—China.
3. Catholic Church—Education—China. I. Title. II. Title: 880-02 Yin yang.
BX910.C6C45 230.07’3251—dc23 2013046482
ISBN 978-1-4331-2320-7 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4539-1246-1 (e-book)
ISSN 0740-0446

Bibliographic information published by Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek.
Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the “Deutsche
Nationalbibliografie”; detailed bibliographic data are available
on the Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de/.

Front cover: Photo by Han, Mu-hua Joseph. The first communication meeting of Catholic Seminary
of Jilin Province and Shenyang Catholic Seminary was held at Jilin in May, 2013.
This function establishes contacts of academics, formation, spirituality, and friendship.
As a result, the seminary formation at northeast China is strengthened.

Author photo by Richard Cheung

© 2014 Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., New York
29 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, NY 10006
www.peterlang.com

All rights reserved.
Reprint or reproduction, even partially, in all forms such as microfilm,
xerography, microfiche, microcard, and offset strictly prohibited.
Dedicated to
My dearest mother
Who was born and died on
The Feast of Confucius
1926-2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS
_________________________________________
Preface............................................................................................................................. 11
Acknowledgments........................................................................................................... 13
Chapter One: Introduction .............................................................................................. 15
Purpose and Significance of the Study ........................................................................... 15
Purpose of Study ...................................................................................................... 15
Significance of Dissertation ..................................................................................... 16
Christ and Culture–Political and Religious Confrontation ............................................. 18
The Separation–Political and Religious Factors..................................................... 18
Political Factors ...................................................................................................... 20
Religious Factors ..................................................................................................... 23
Household and the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association ............................................ 25
Household in General .............................................................................................. 25
Household in China ................................................................................................. 26
Religious Persecution and Seminary Formation: Consequence of the Conflicts
between China and the Institutional Vatican .................................................................. 28
Methodology ................................................................................................................... 32
Review of Literature ....................................................................................................... 33
Part One: Chinese Sources. ..................................................................................... 33
Part Two: Theological and Educational Sources. ................................................... 35
Part Three: Dissertations. ....................................................................................... 37
Part Four: Church Documents. ............................................................................... 38
Synopsis of the Dissertation............................................................................................ 39
Chapter Two: Educit Obstetrix–Rebirth of Seminaries after the Cultural Revolution ... 41
The Tension between Politics and Religion in Comparison with John 18:28-19:16 ...... 41
The First Scene: John 18:28-32 .............................................................................. 44
The Second Scene: John 18:33-38a ........................................................................ 44
The Third and Fourth Scenes: John 18:38b-40, 19:1-3 .......................................... 45
The Fifth Scene: John 19:4-(cid:23) .................................................................................. 45
The Sixth Scene: John 19:8(cid:13)(cid:17)(cid:18) ................................................................................ 46
The Seventh Scene: John 19:13(cid:13)(cid:17)(cid:22) ......................................................................... 46
Seminary Formation under Political Domination–the Process of Developing the
Hidden Curriculum ......................................................................................................... 48
Theological Rigidity ................................................................................................. 49
Spiritual Desensitization .......................................................................................... 50
Political Domination as the Hidden Curriculum ..................................................... 51
Rebirth in the Soil of Confucianism ............................................................................... 57
Summary ......................................................................................................................... 60
Chapter Three: Educat Nutrix–Nurturing Childlike Sagehood in the Chinese Catholic
Seminaries ....................................................................................................................... 63
Nurturing Sagehood–the Ideals of Education of Confucius and Moran ......................... 63
8

Confucian Concept of Heaven ((cid:10449), Tian) and Humanity ((cid:7785), Ren) ........................ 63
Heaven and Humanity in Confucian Philosophy of Education ............................... 65
Self-Cultivation to Heaven–the Way to Humanity by Education ............................. 67
Childlike Adulthood–Interplay: A Theory of Religion and Education .................... 69
Childlikeness vs Childishness: An Exegesis of Jesus’s and Paul’s Sayings ............ 70
Jesus’s Child (παιδ(cid:76)(cid:82)(cid:9)(cid:81)) in Mark 9:33-37, 10:15; Luke 9:46-48 ............................ 70
Paul’s Child (νη(cid:9)πιο(cid:77)(cid:15)(cid:3)παιδ(cid:76)(cid:9)α(cid:15)(cid:3)τε(cid:9)(cid:78)(cid:81)(cid:68)) in 1 Cor 13:11, 14:20; Eph 4-5 ................ 71
Childlike Adult or Adultish Child ............................................................................ 71
Nurturing Childlike Sagehood in the Chinese Catholic Seminaries ............................... 73
Sagehood in Confucianism ...................................................................................... 73
Sagehood in Christianity: Francis of Assisi as a Model–Humanity is Returning
to Ritual by Self-Cultivation ((cid:8435)(cid:11673)(cid:10421)(cid:18660)(cid:7650)(cid:7785)) ........................................................ 75
Childlike Adult Education for the Catholic Church in China ................................. 78
Childlike Sagehood–the Null Curriculum................................................................ 80
Summary ......................................................................................................................... 82

Chapter Four: Instituit Paedagogus–Seminary Formation under the Essential Tension
between Politics and Religion ......................................................................................... 85
Interview Report of Two Catholic Seminaries (Y and Z) in China (2009-2011) ........... 85
Theological Education ............................................................................................. 86
Spiritual Formation ................................................................................................. 87
Ministerial Training ................................................................................................. 89
Visions of Future ...................................................................................................... 90
Discussion of Interviews .......................................................................................... 91
Intellectual and Spiritual Formation ....................................................................... 92
Community Life ........................................................................................................ 93
Communication ........................................................................................................ 95
Vision of Missio Dei ................................................................................................. 95
A Response to the Discussion of the Interview Report .................................................. 97
The Incarnational Model as the Beginning and the End of Seminary Formation–
Truly Catholic and Truly Chinese ........................................................................... 98
The Incarnational Model ......................................................................................... 98
Truly Catholic and Truly Chinese ......................................................................... 101
A Spiritual Long March–Theological Education for Political and Religious
Dialogues ............................................................................................................... 102
Academics of Seminaries ....................................................................................... 103
Spirituality of Seminaries....................................................................................... 104
A School of Formation and Transformation .......................................................... 105
Summary ....................................................................................................................... 106

Chapter Five: Docet Magister–Showing How and What a Renewed Seminary
Formation Program Should Be ..................................................................................... 109
Yin-Yang Interplay–Balancing Political Domination and Religious Subordination .... 109
Interplay of the Null and the Hidden Curricula .................................................... 109
The Null Curriculum and the Online China Project.............................................. 111
The Null Curriculum .............................................................................................. 111