Perspective U.S. theology meeting signals broader
vision
By THOMAS C. FOX
When the outgoing president of the
Catholic Theological Society of America, Franciscan Fr. Kenneth Himes, earlier
this month passed the gavel to Fr. Peter Phan, the action underscored the
nations quickly changing social and religious landscape. Phan, a
professor at the Catholic University of America, is the first Asian to head the
organization.
Were increasingly a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and
multi-religious society, Phan told me on the telephone. Its
important to understand this as we think about the churchs
mission.
As the theology societys president-elect, Phan had chosen
the theme of church mission to guide conference discussions.
Significant shifts in mission thinking have taken place within the
Catholic church since the Second Vatican Council (1962-65). With greater
sensitivities to local cultures and religious beliefs, the church changed
priorities, moving away from converting individuals and toward evangelizing
communities and cultures. Pope Paul VIs 1975 apostolic exhortation on
evangelization, Evangelii Nuntiandi, enhanced this approach.
Newer mission theologies generally focus on Jesus and his message
and call for witnessing Christianity to the world. They often look beyond the
church to the Reign of God, advocating labor on behalf of justice, peace and
integral human development. These ideas have flourished since the early 1970s
in Asia where the bishops have been especially sensitive to widespread poverty,
local cultures and interreligious dialogue. In Asia evangelization based on
witness and dialogue has received uncompromised episcopal support.
These post-conciliar initiatives flourished beneath Vatican radar
throughout the 1970s and 1980s until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Then
Rome was more focused on thwarting the influence of liberation theology in
Latin America. However, in the 1990s, Romes target of concern moved
eastward. The Vatican began to speak about the dangers of relativism and
religious pluralism.
In his 1990 encyclical, Redemptoris Missio, Pope John Paul
II questioned the new evangelism, worrying aloud that the church was losing its
missionary zeal.
However, the Asian bishops stayed the course. They shocked Roman
prelates at the 1998 Synod on Asia by their insistence on their mission-driven
church vision based on the triple dialogue with cultures, religions
and the poor.
The next year Pope John Paul, in Delhi, offered his response to
the synod in an apostolic exhortation called Ecclesia in
Asia. It came as a disappointment to most Asians. Laden with church
orthodoxy, the document fell far short of an emerging Asian vision of church --
a network of truly collaborative local churches working through dialogue for
total human liberation. When the Asian bishops met in Thailand only weeks later
for a once-in-five-years pan-Asian gathering, they simply ignored Vatican pleas
to discuss Ecclesia in Asia.
It was within this Catholic debate over mission that Phan invited
Indian Jesuit Fr. Michael Amaladoss, a former assistant to the superior general
of the Society of Jesus and one of Asias most respected theologians, to
be a keynote speaker at this years gathering of the Catholic Theological
Society of America. Phan calls Amaladoss a bridge builder.
Speaking before the society, Amaladoss echoed the thinking of the
Asian Catholic leadership. He embraced mission theology and the building of
inculturated churches in dialogue with other Asians. Our starting point
is that salvation is now understood not merely in terms of individuals being
saved but in cosmic terms made familiar to us by Paul, he said.
Amaladoss upheld the uniqueness of Jesus Christ, but rejected the
notion that other religions must be seen as simply leading up to the
fulfillment of Catholicism. This idea does not match the Asian experience, he
said. Rather, Amaladoss argued that the divine-human dialogue has led to the
emergence of many religions. It is the task of believers, he said, to work for
reconciliation finally leaving it to God to gather up all things.
Again echoing ideas widely held by the Catholic Asian bishops,
Amaladoss said the Spirit and Word have been present throughout history in all
religions. Asian evangelization begins, he said, with contemplating this
reality and then attempting to learn from other religions. This approach opens
the church to true dialogue, he said.
While other religions have the Word, the Christian gift is to know
the Incarnate Word. Sharing our knowledge of Jesus message becomes the
Christian task. We do not proclaim and prove Jesus is the Son of God. We
do not preach a creed. We announce the good news that the kingdom of God is
here, Amaladoss said.
Through dialogue Christians can finally live in harmony in Asia
with the other religions. Asian bishops continue to form a vision of life based
on harmony, a value deeply treasured in Asia, he said.
Noting that many Asians, including Ghandi, have been deeply
influenced by Jesus yet reject the church and its creeds, Amaladoss said
evangelization does not necessarily require teaching church dogma.
By several accounts, Amaladoss talk was well received.
Furthermore, his appearance represented another step in the call for a truly
universal Catholicism, with local churches networked together, learning from
and inspiring each other. Although under attack, the Asian theologians seem to
speak out with greater confidence, stressing their unique gifts.
Could it be that their experiences contain lessons for the West?
And perhaps for all local churches struggling to secure better footing in the
shifting, multi-ethnic soils of the 21st century?
Fox is NCR publisher. His email is
tfox@natcath.org. He is working on a book on Catholicism in
Asia.
National Catholic Reporter, June 29,
2001
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