Introduction
Kosuke Koyama has been a key architect in the concept of contextualization of the Christian message for over thirty years. From his early days as a missionary in Thailand, it has been his passion to bring the best of meditation into everyday life. As a non-Western, Koyama's style stands out for his Japanese approach to a variety of subjects. Overall, Koyama's work is inspired by a short-term perspective—the religious faith of East Asian thought—that immediately reveals his Asian roots and devotion to the gospel of Jesus Christ.[1]
Choan
Seng Song is also one of the profound Asian theologians who brought many
changes in the view of God in Asian theology. Christianity, was introduced to
Asian from the West, and with was influenced with the Western philosophy and
culture. Therefore, Song wants to bring the changes to his people trying to let
the Asian people to understand theology in Asian context.
The
Task of C.S. Song Asia Theology
Song
Chunsheng did his best for his mission to elevate the Asian religion. Song
believes that the Asian religion has a responsibility to teach the Asian
Christian religion that God should be easily understood by Asian people in the
Asian context. Song believes that the gods in the west are far from the people
of Asia.
Christianity
was introduced to Asia from the West and was shaped and populated by Western
ideas and culture. Although Song was exposed to Western religion throughout his
theological studies, he struggled to escape from Western religion. Therefore,
Ngai Zuag Paj believes that those who believe in God should be the God of not
only westerners but also Asians, just like the "God of black
believers". This God, then, will be viewed by the people of Asia as a personal
and relational God. As can be seen, Dr. Song's faith, Dr. Song.
Shoki
Coe (Ng Chiong-Hui) reflects on "Theological Contextualization". Dr.
Ke has advocated "religion about religion" in Taiwan for decades.
However, Dr. Keep strategizing and being responsible.
Another
influence on Song's theology is liberation theology. Accepting Marx's critique
of religion and economics like other libertarians, Song's emphasis on human
freedom and social justice is clearly in line with his development. According
to Song, Asian people were oppressed by Western industrialization and
modernization. The technological and economic development brought about by
Western colonialism brought Western values to Asia. Needless to say, this
type of colonialism transferred the Western value system to Asian lands and
subsequently changed Asia's original value system.
Therefore,
the success of Western culture over Asian culture has created a crisis for
Asian Christians. However, Asian Christians may lose their culture because they
do not know how to assimilate into Western values. For Song, losing a culture
means losing a "foundation of life." "Identity crisis . . .
. It
is a problem with the probability of non-existence. , Song Job can be written
in two phases:
1.
To advocate the "contextualization" of the Christian theology;
2. To struggle for the liberation from the unjust circumstance in order to gain a new identity for the Asian people.[2]
The
Methodology of Song’s Theological Construction
The
theological structure of the song is based on a combination of liberal
theology, religious explanation, religious texts, and tradition. Although Song
struggled to remove control of Western theology, Western theological views and
values continued to form the basis of his construction. Song believes that
"Asian knowledge" should be the basis for the formation of Asian
religions. Song uses his "third eye" to penetrate and reinterpret
Asian legends and stories of modern Asian people to find the meaning of Asian
people's lives. The word "three eyes" comes from Japanese Buddhism
and refers to seeing the eyes of Christ from a traditional perspective.
Christians
in Asia must be educated to see Christ in their knowledge. Seeing Christ
through the experience of Asian culture evokes the spirituality of Asian
people. Therefore, to work with religious Asian spirituality is to examine
religion "with our eyes." In this process, Song juxtaposes Asian
stories with Biblical stories and interprets Asian stories in the light of
Christian biblical language. This connection itself is a method for carrying
out "theological contextualization."
For
Song,
"theological contextualization" provides a credible path from the
Asian experience. Creating Christianity from the Asian context is to
"translate" the Bible directly to the Asian world, just as St. The
transition of religion from Palestine to the Greco-Roman world and finally to
Europe and the West Song uses the word "transition" to describe the
work of "religion". According to Song, the religion of Asian people
now comes mostly from the West. Than faith in the Bible from Palestine.
By
transferring the religion of the Bible directly from Palestine to the Asian
world, Song argues, Christianity would become a religion from the
"heart" of Asia. For Song, this change brings his Christian faith to
life in Asian reality. That is, God incarnated among the people of Asia and
communicated with the Asian content of Asia. This vision, derived from Song’s
theology, leads people to "the reign of God," to the "Messianic
banquet," and to the "God of compassion". God is so vivid to the
Asian people from this theological perspective.
For
the song, this faith can read life in Asia and see God's salvation in history
and Asian culture. However, the researcher must use reflection to determine Asian
life and reality, because thinking about religion itself can speak strongly
from the depths of the "Asian heart". This powerful voice will save
people from the environment of injustice. As Song said, "If we want to
deal with these numbers, signs, and symbols theologically...
.
True theological thinking is the power of theological thinking. For Song,
"God sees God Himself in man...".
. God encourages humans to think about God's identity, and to think about all creatures about God. God gives us the power of thought"" Therefore, Asian Christian theology must respond to the poor and give hope to these people. "Lady Meng's Tears: Allegory of Public Politics" expresses this vision very well. Most Religious Works "Theology" (1981).[3]
C.S.
Song (Chinese Theologian)
Stories
of suffering and persecution are central to Christology in the Asian context.
Asian knowledge is a translation tool.
Doing
theology in Third Eye.
This
idea comes from Zen Buddhism, which believes we must open our eyes to see our
truth. When ignorance disappears from us, our eyes are opened. Asians have to believe
with our eyes, because the Christological religion we accept is the product of
one or two eyes of Western thought and Western way of life. Chapter
The song "Three
Eyes" means seeing Christ through the Asian experience.
Who
is for him
It
is the highest heart that expresses the devotion to Allah, the love born out of
the love of Allah. Passionate love is the essence of God's heart. God manifests
himself in his passionate love for human relationships, relationships, and
history. for CS
The
song of salvation is that God's anger causes people to turn to him. Salvation
is the return of one or more people to God's house of love.
The
nature of Jesus Christ
Divine
love and human love meet in Jesus Christ to create a new man, and this new man
is God-man. This is the love of God in action, the love embodied in Jesus
Christ. God's love in Jesus Christ has the power to accept, support and change
all actions in human history. He is the teacher of the relationship between
God. This communication is the love of God between God and man.
Suffering
God
According
to C.S. Song, God is the power that transforms suffering into hope. God shows
the power of hope in pain. In the midst of pain, the power of hope holds us
back. Only the power of hope can save us because it is the source of love. The
God of salvation is the God of suffering. Incarnation is God giving himself to
the sufferings of the world.
Understanding
of incarnation
According
to C.S. The song, Incarnation shows us how humans (captives of sin) can follow
God and move towards God. It also talks about how God can change and change for
the salvation of mankind. The god of love is the god of change.
Jesus
as crucified people
On
the cross, God separated people from pain and death. The poor are the heart of
Jesus because Jesus taught about human suffering. On the cross, people can
touch the best of God, while suffering people can only touch the heart. Jesus
represented the crucified people as he embraced their suffering and touched the
heart of God through them.
Understanding
of cross
Cross
is the symbol of pain - love. The merciful body was torn apart on the cross.
Today, the poor are where the cross is. The cross does not explain why we must
suffer, but shows human cruelty. On the cross, God suffered with us, not for
us. On the cross we see a God enduring our suffering.
Jesus
missions
Song
for CS, sin makes us homeless and God alone. Jesus' mission is the role of a
lonely God always looking for the homeless. Jesus' mission is the
responsibility of God's great love for all.
Kosuke
Koyama
Japanese
Protestant theologians developed their own theology based on their own
experiences and backgrounds and called it "Buffalo Theology." Getting
to know Jesus in the context of preaching the Gospel. Its meaning is evangelism
in the context of people. Three intentions-
1. Articulate Christ in their
Buddhist context
2. In
culturally and linguistically appropriate way.
3. So
that we can reform, the culture of that culture is against the words of Christ.
Salvation through the Dharma is better than salvation by Jesus
Christ.
The concept of collecting blood is not known to believers.
According to them, salvation is achieved by practicing the arts or following
Buddha's teachings. Kosuke said that we should share the solution of Jesus'
death.
Jesus suffered and died, teaching us how to escape reincarnation.
Jesus
as Arahant
Arahant
is a religious term meaning one who has completed the path of enlightenment.
Jesus is the embodiment of enlightenment. The life of Jesus shows that he
values the Nirvana Mentality (Nirvana Living).
Jesus
as symbol of perfect self denial
Self
denial is the highest virtue in Buddhism. Jesus shows life with simplest
perfect self denial. The cross is a symbol of Jesus' self-denial. It is also a
sign of Jesus' rejection. In Buddhism, dedication is part of duty and obedience
to elders. Jesus' self-denial abandons his life and freedom. Jesus' self-denial
is the place between God and man, and Buddhism's self-denial is man-made.
Jesus
as crucified God
God's
involvement in human history is manifested in the incarnation of Jesus. God's
passing into history through Jesus is to change the world. How do we know this?
Try to change the world with the ideas or words of Jesus.
The Crucified God is a
critic of history, religion, and politics.
The life of Christ is often
the paradox of God crucified. It is the paradox of loss and discovery, death
and living. This paradox was transcended on the cross Neighbourology (1Jn.4:29;
Jn. 17:18).
Jesus
is the neighbour for all Asia
If
we look at the reality of God from the perspective of our neighbors, our
understanding of God's existence is different. If we do not understand the
truth of our neighbor in the truth of Allah, our sense of neighborliness will
fall. Chapter
a.
Face your neighbors and don't run away from them.
Japan
b. Accepting Neighbors' Requests
c. We must communicate in the language of our neighbors.
Particular
Orbit Theology (phi. 4:8ff)
Every
culture, every date, every place can be blessed with something noble, pure and
lovely. Thus Christology can develop according to history, culture, and
geography. Jesus cannot be circle-centered, but Asian culture can be centre-centered.
Cross,
Resurrection and Ascension
Jesus
became a curse for human sake. 2 Corinthians 8:9 Jesus became impoverished to
save us. The painful death of Jesus is embodied on the cross. The cross is the
moment of God's revelation. The resurrection is proof of the justification of
human sin.
For
him, Ascension means not a chapter in human history, but Christ's participation
in the reign of human history.
Chickenelogy
v/s Theology
Unlike
chickens, God cannot be put on watch. The logic of faith, that is, knowledge of
faith, which is a special kind of faith, develops in our minds, souls, and
hearts. Matthew 22:37 When you hope, repent, love, and be worthy of God.
Theology
can only stammer about Christ because the lord of agape is the subject of
theology. The theology should lead to the missiology.
Conclusion
Song
opens the eyes of the Asians asserting that Christ should not be viewed in
Western perspective; He has to be viewed according to the context of the Asian.
Although he spent all his theological studies in the Western his view to
Christology according to Asian was very much influenced, he definitely accept
that Christianity was introduced by the Western, but the matter is that the
need to change the view of Christology according to the Asian.
Koyama,
a Thailand missionary, one of his profound books ‘Waterbuffalo Theology’ was
written according to his experience and the context of the people of Asian. His
understanding of Jesus in mission perspective was the core focus. His
perspective is to preach the gospel in the context of the people, articulating
Christ in Buddhist context. Salvation through Dharma over the salvation through
Jesus Christ. According to the people salvation is to achieved through Dharma
or following the teaching of Buddha, Buddhist society is not familiar with the
idea of salvation through blood. That's why Kosuke said we should share the
solution of Jesus' death. Jesus suffered and died to teach us how to escape
reincarnation.
Bibliography
Gaylan, Mathie. K. Kosuke Koyama: Waterbuffalo Theologian, an
investigation into the theology of Kosuke Koyama, a report by Dr. Paul varo
Martinson, Professor, 1998.
Net Source
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