After Imperialism: Christian Identity in China and the Global Evangelical Movement

by Richard R. Cook (Editor), David W. Pao (Editor)

Overview

This collection of essays is committed to the belief that evangelicalism continues to have the historical assets and intellectual (hermeneutical and theological) tools able to contribute to the global church. Evangelicalism possesses assets with explanatory power to address significant theological and cultural issues arising out of the churches in the Global South. Evangelical approaches to contextualization and biblical studies can produce valuable fruit. Therefore in May 2008 over a dozen evangelical scholars (Chinese and Western) from the United States, Hong Kong and Taiwan, came together to address issues of Christian and evangelical identity. The "Inter-Cultural Theological Conversation" was titled "Beyond Our Past: Bible, Cultural Identity, and the Global Evangelical Movement." This collection of papers from the conference demonstrates the value of the careful balancing of judicious appropriation of the social sciences and thorough biblical inquiry. Questions of evangelical identity in China and around the world are addressed from the disciplines of history, biblical studies, and systematic theology/contextualization.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781621890195
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	05/01/2011
Series:	Studies in Chinese Christianity , #3
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Richard R. Cook is Associate Professor of Mission History and Global Christianity at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois.

David W. Pao is Professor of New Testament and Chair of the New Testament Department at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois.
Richard R. Cook is Associate Professor of Church History and Missions at Logos Evangelical Seminary, a Mandarin-language seminary in the Los Angeles area. He has a PhD in modern Chinese history from the University of Iowa.

Table of Contents

Contributors vii

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction Richard R. Cook David W. Pao xi

Abbreviations xvi

1 Modern Evangelicalism and Global Christian Identity: Promise and Peril as Seen through the Eyes of a North American Church Historian Douglas A. Sweeney 1

2 Missions, Cultural Imperialism, and the Development of the Chinese Church Ka Lun Leung 23

3 Overcoming Missions Guilt: Robert Morrison, Liang Fa, and the Opium Wars Richard R. Cook 35

4 Chinese Evangelicals and Social Concerns: A Historical and Comparative Review Kevin Xiyi Yao 46

5 The Old Testament in Its Cultural Context: Implications of "Contextual Criticism" for Chinese and North American Christian Identity K. Lawson Younger Jr. 73

6 "Holy War" and the Universal God: Reading the Old Testament Holy War Texts in a Biblical-Theological and Postcolonial Setting Tremper Longman III 96

7 "Holy War" and the Universal God: Reading the New Testament Conquest Accounts in a Postcolonial Setting David W. Pao 112

8 The Group and the Individual in Salvation: The Witness of Paul Frank Thielman 136

9 Boundaries in "In-Christ Identity": Paul's View on Table Fellowship and Its Implications for Ethnic Identities Maureen W. Yeung 154

10 "Who Am I?" Theology and Identity for Children of the Dragon Robert J. Priest 175

11 Chinese Contextual Theology: A Possible Reconstruction? David Y.T. Lee 193

12 Forging Evangelical Identity: Integration of Models of Theological Education in the Global Context Carver T. Yu 220

Editorial Reviews

After Imperialism is thus best appreciated for what it represents: an early attempt to bring together two different conversations. Hopefully the participants behind After Imperialism will reconvene again soon, providing readers with an opportunity to appreciate more recent Chinese appropriations of global evangelicalism as well as the ways in which Chinese Christian identity can and will shape the nature of global evangelicalism on into the future

The Expository Times, Vol.125, No.5, February 2014 - Andrew Kaiser

[After Imperialism] is good in pointing out the pietistic and dispensational views of many of the unregistered churches and the false Western expectation that the growing church in China has political democracy as part of its vision.

Evangelicals Now - Ray Porter

‘[David Pao’s work] opens a way to overcome missionary paralysis for fear of propagating or capitulating to neo-colonialism.’

Theological Book Review, Volume 24, No 2, 2012 - Beau Pihlaja

‘This volume helpfully outlines some ways in which imperial readings of the Bible and Christian history have led to the inexcusable importation of Western divisions into Chinese church life.’

Church Times - Lawrence Braschi