A seminar was carried out by CCC&TSPM to explore the relationship between Tsu Chen Chao’s theological thought and the sinicization of Christianity in Huzhou, Zhejiang.
More than 100 Christian leaders, scholars, seminary teachers, and officials attended the conference on May 7-9 in Xinshi ancient town, Deqing County, which was Tsu Chen Chao (a Protestant theologian, more known as T.C. Chao)'s hometown, said CCC&TSPM.
At the opening ceremony, Rev. Wu Wei, president of the China Christian Council (CCC), stated that Mr. Chao, recognized as a Christian theologian from China, was a pioneer in promoting the indigenization and contextualization of Christianity in China and also a Christian patriot. He highlighted that to develop Christianity in the Chinese context in a deep and detailed way, this seminar was an initiative to implement the task of "Outline of the Five-Year Work Plan for Further Advancing the Sinicization of Christianity (2023-2027)," which is collecting, collating, and studying the thoughts and practices of predecessors of the Chinese churches on the sinicization of Christianity.
As one of the leading Protestant theologians, Chao (1888–1979) served as the dean of the Faculty of Arts at Soochow University and dean of the School of Religion at Yanjing University.
After the opening ceremony, participants visited T.C. Chao Memorial Hall, featuring the sinicization of Christianity, for inspection and discussions.
The seminar consisted of three sessions, with 13 papers presented (14 written papers). They covered both macroscopic explanations of Chao’s sinicized theological thoughts and microscopic explorations of how Chao guided Christians’ lives and practices with his sinicized thoughts.
Rev. Xu Xiaohong, chairman of the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China (National TSPM), said in his concluding remarks that Chao’s theological thought provided profound inspiration for people as he was forward-looking with original and contemporary ideas. He emphasized that this seminar was the "first step in the theoretical exploration to promote Christianity in the Chinese context in a deep and detailed way in 2024" because the foundation of the sinicization of Christianity was to construct a theological system with Chinese church characteristics.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
基督教全国两会于5月7日至9日在浙江湖州召开赵紫宸神学思想和基督教中国化研讨会。
据中国基督教两会，各基督教领袖，学者，神学院教师，政府官员共计100余人在赵紫宸故里德清县新市古镇参会.
中国基督教协会会长吴巍牧师在开幕式上讲话，他表示，赵紫宸先生是举世公认的中国基督教神学家、推进基督教本色化和中国化的先驱、中国基督教杰出的爱国人士。本次研讨会是落实《规划纲要》中提出的“系统收集、整理和研究中国教会前辈关于基督教中国化的思想和实践”重要任务、推进基督教中国化做深做细做实的重要举措。
开幕式后，与会人员赴赵紫宸与基督教中国化展示馆参观考察并进行研讨座谈。
研讨共分3场，交流论文13篇（书面交流14篇），其中既对赵紫宸本色化和中国化神学思想的宏观阐述，也有琢磨对赵紫宸如何将本色化神学思想应用于教会生活实践的微观探索。
中国基督教三自爱国运动委员会主席徐晓鸿牧师在总结讲话中表示，赵紫宸神学思想所具有的前瞻性、原创性和时代性，在今天给予我们深刻启发。他强调，赵紫宸神学思想和基督教中国化研讨会是我们今年推进基督教中国化走深走实理论探索的第一步，因为神学思想的中国化才是最根本的中国化(建立中国化基督教神学思想体系是基督教中国化的核心)。
赵紫宸（1888—1979），浙江德清人，中国基督教新教神学家、教育家。历任苏州东吴大学文学院院长、燕京大学宗教学院院长。
赵紫宸神学思想和基督教中国化研讨会在湖州举行
A seminar was carried out by CCC&TSPM to explore the relationship between Tsu Chen Chao’s theological thought and the sinicization of Christianity in Huzhou, Zhejiang.
More than 100 Christian leaders, scholars, seminary teachers, and officials attended the conference on May 7-9 in Xinshi ancient town, Deqing County, which was Tsu Chen Chao (a Protestant theologian, more known as T.C. Chao)'s hometown, said CCC&TSPM.
At the opening ceremony, Rev. Wu Wei, president of the China Christian Council (CCC), stated that Mr. Chao, recognized as a Christian theologian from China, was a pioneer in promoting the indigenization and contextualization of Christianity in China and also a Christian patriot. He highlighted that to develop Christianity in the Chinese context in a deep and detailed way, this seminar was an initiative to implement the task of "Outline of the Five-Year Work Plan for Further Advancing the Sinicization of Christianity (2023-2027)," which is collecting, collating, and studying the thoughts and practices of predecessors of the Chinese churches on the sinicization of Christianity.
As one of the leading Protestant theologians, Chao (1888–1979) served as the dean of the Faculty of Arts at Soochow University and dean of the School of Religion at Yanjing University.
After the opening ceremony, participants visited T.C. Chao Memorial Hall, featuring the sinicization of Christianity, for inspection and discussions.
The seminar consisted of three sessions, with 13 papers presented (14 written papers). They covered both macroscopic explanations of Chao’s sinicized theological thoughts and microscopic explorations of how Chao guided Christians’ lives and practices with his sinicized thoughts.
Rev. Xu Xiaohong, chairman of the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China (National TSPM), said in his concluding remarks that Chao’s theological thought provided profound inspiration for people as he was forward-looking with original and contemporary ideas. He emphasized that this seminar was the "first step in the theoretical exploration to promote Christianity in the Chinese context in a deep and detailed way in 2024" because the foundation of the sinicization of Christianity was to construct a theological system with Chinese church characteristics.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Seminar on T.C. Chao’s Theological Thought, Sinicization of Christianity Conducted in Huzhou
