Theological education has always been the lifeline of the churches in different contexts. Without a robust theological education ranging from lay leadership training to graduate studies, it is impossible to sustain and grow churches for a long time. This is true in China just as in other countries.
Assessing China’s Theological Education of the Past 40 Years
From the 1980s to the early decades of the twenty-first century, theological education was always one of the engines driving church revival and expansion in China. As the country opened up and the so-called “Christian fever” swept across the society, theological education and Christian scholarship blossomed. If the registered church was largely the leading force in theological education by late twentieth century, the unregistered church has overtaken it, especially in urban areas, by the early twenty-first century. In the meantime, a large number of young believers went to theological schools especially in North America, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia. The results are indeed very impressive: two or three generations of church leaders and workers have been trained either within or outside the country, and a significant group of influential Chinese theological elites have been produced.
However, the flaws and inadequacies of theological education of those decades are also undeniable. An obvious fact is that the Chinese church’s theological education has heavily depended upon the support of theological educational establishments abroad. The dependence is not limited to financial resources, and the majority of registered and unregistered theological schools, especially in urban areas, are profoundly shaped and dominated by the classical model of theological education in the West in their educational philosophy, pedagogy, curricular design, and accreditation. The large number of Chinese graduates from overseas seminaries have re-enforced this pattern. One can even argue that most of the programs and institutions of Chinese theological education in the early twenty-first century more or less replicate mainstream theological education in the West.
Without minimizing the huge contributions of global churches to the Chinese church’s leadership training, it is also necessary for us to face its negative consequences. Let me just point out a couple of them. First, a highly Westernized theological education has served to Westernize the theological outlook of Chinese church’s leadership and their theologizing a significant extent, which is fairly detached from China’s cultural and societal contexts. This reality consequentially impacts the church’s internal life and external image. Second, many Chinese theological graduates and returnees have had hard time adapting to grassroots church life and functioning well in local communities in their own country. Of course, “brain drain” has always been a challenge for the church in China.
Is the Time Ripe for a Genuinely Chinese Model of Theological Education?
As the Chinese church begins to cope with its minority and diaspora status under the new social normal within and outside China, its theological education may soon enter a new era, too. In my opinion, the time is becoming ripe for the Chinese church to critically re-think the current model of theological training and to explore a genuinely Chinese way of theological education.
It is a well-known fact that the classical model of theological education is deeply in crisis even in the West due to such ecclesial and socio-cultural changes as the rise of digital education and post-Christian society. Its symptoms are everywhere: many theological schools across the West and other parts of the world are struggling in meeting their financial needs and finding their relevance in the twenty-first century. In addition, given the unprecedented magnitude and complexity of the challenges the Chinese church is facing, the existing theological educational establishment in the West is ill equipped to provide answers, and its capacity to help the Chinese theological education has very much reached the ceiling. In other words, the church in China can no longer depend on its supporters in the West as much as before. The time has come for Chinese Christians to take the responsibility of leadership in trail-blazing their own path of theological training for the future.
Is the Chinese church ready for this? In terms of human and financial resources, I do think so. First, over the past several decades, God has prepared a couple of generations of Chinese theological educators who are well trained and richly experienced with theological teaching domestically and internationally. Second, a significant number of younger Chinese theologians who just earned or will soon earn their PhDs abroad constitute a strategic pool of the talent for future theological education in the Chinese context. Thirdly, the Christian community from mainland China has indeed become very resourceful. As a result of the recent waves of emigration, a great deal of the Chinese church’s ministries and their resources have relocated outside the country and thus become more available. It is not an overstatement to say that a supporting infrastructure for Chinese theological education is already in place. What is needed is a shifting in mindset and re-casting of vision.
What Can We Anticipate Next?
In fact, there are signs that this is beginning to happen. New vision and consensus are being formed, ideas are being shared, and projects are being initiated among a group of theological educators, pastors, and Christian intellectuals primarily associated with the church in mainland China. Based on their discussions, this new Chinese model of theological education seems to bear following features:
- This model is firmly grounded in the Scriptures, historical orthodoxy, and evangelical tradition from Chinese as well as global church contexts.
- The Chinese theological education in the future should primarily be led and supported by Chinese Christians, while the collaboration with the global churches continues.
- This model will be fully contextual and innovative in its pedagogy and curriculum. To humbly learn from global churches and their own rich heritage of theological training before 1949, Chinese theological educators should think out of box and re-imagine theological education in light of their ecclesial and social realities of the twenty-first century.
- This model has no interest in building more academic ivory towers but always aims at working intimately with the church and raising pastor-theologians for the church in a wholistic way.
As this exploration is starting to gain momentum, these four aspects can at least give us a glimpse into what an emerging Chinese model of theological education might look like. As the missionaries and theological educators from the Western world are searching for new ways to collaborate with our Chinese brothers and sisters, it would be a mistake to downplay or even ignore the strategic necessity of theological education for a sustainable future of the Chinese church. Furthermore, it would be equally counter-productive to simply resume the old approach to theological education in a changed China. The evidence suggests our brothers and sisters from China have plenty of passion and new inspiration for theological training, and their passion and energy are about to burst. When a new, Chinese way of doing theological training is coming on the horizon, are you there to cheer Chinese Christians on and walk with them shoulder to shoulder?
Originally from "ChinaSource"
CCD edited and reprinted with permission
神学教育一直是处于不同处境中教会的生命线。如果没有坚实的神学教育可以涵盖从平信徒领袖培训到研究生课程的全部需要，教会就不可能长久地维持和发展。在中国如此，在其他国家亦然。
评估中国近四十年的神学教育
从1980年代到21世纪初的几十年间，神学教育始终是推动中国教会复兴和发展的引擎之一。随着改革开放，所谓的“基督教热”席卷全社会，神学教育和基督教学术也蓬勃发展。如果说登记的教会在很大程度上是20世纪末神学教育方面的主导力量，那么到了21世纪初，尤其是城市地区的未登记教会已经超越了它。与此同时，大量年轻信徒进入特别是北美、南韩、台湾、香港和东南亚的神学院学习。结果确实令人印象深刻：两三代教会领袖和同工在国内或国外接受过培训，并产生了一大批有影响力的中国神学精英。
然而，几十年来神学教育的缺陷和不足也不可否认。一个显而易见的事实就是中国教会的神学教育严重依赖国外神学教育机构的支持。这种依赖不仅限于财务资源，大多数注册和未注册的、尤其是在城市地区的神学学校，在教育理念、教学方法、课程设计和认证等方面都深受传统的西方神学教育模式的影响和支配。大量从海外神学院毕业的中国学生再次强化了这一模式。甚至可以说，21世纪初中国神学教育的大多数项目和机构或多或少地复制了西方的主流神学教育。
在不贬低全球教会对中国教会领袖培训的巨大贡献的同时，我们也有必要正视其负面影响。我只想指出其中几点。首先，高度西化的神学教育使中国教会领袖的神学观和神学思想在很大程度上西化了，与中国的文化和社会处境严重脱节。这一现实对教会的内部生活和外部形象造成了影响。其次，许多中国神学毕业生和归国人员很难适应基层教会的生活，也很难在自己国家的地方社区中很好地发挥作用。当然，“人才流失”一直是中国教会面临的挑战。
是时候推出一种真正中国化的神学教育模式了吗？
随着中国教会开始在国内外新的社会常态下应对其少数群体和散居者的身份，其神学教育也可能很快会进入一个新时代。我认为，中国教会对现有的神学培训模式进行批判性的重新思考，和探索真正中国化的神学教育方式的时机已经成熟。
众所周知，由于教会和社会文化的变化，如数字化教育和后基督教社会的崛起，即使在西方，传统的神学教育模式也深陷危机。其症状随处可见：西方和世界其他地区的许多神学学校都苦苦挣扎于满足其财务需求和找到自己在21世纪的价值所在。此外，鉴于中国教会正面临着前所未有的巨大而复杂的挑战，西方现有的神学教育机构无力提供答案，其帮助中国神学教育的能力也已达到上限。换句话说，中国教会不能再像以前那样依赖西方的支持者了。是时候让中国基督徒担负起领导的责任，开辟属于自己的未来神学培训之路了。
中国教会准备好了吗？就人力和财力而言，我认为答案是肯定的。首先，在过去的几十年里，上帝已经预备了几代中国神学教育工作者，他们在国内外神学教学方面训练有素、经验丰富。其次，一大批年轻的中国神学家刚刚或即将在国外获得博士学位，他们是中国未来神学教育的战略人才库。第三，来自中国大陆的基督徒群体确实变得非常富有资源。随着近期的移民浪潮，中国教会的大量事工及资源已经迁移到国外，因而更容易获得。可以毫不夸张地说，支持中国神学教育的基础设施已经就位。现在需要的是转变观念、重铸异象。
我们对下一步的预期是什么？
事实上，有迹象表明这种情况已然开启。一群主要与中国大陆教会有关的神学教育者、牧师和基督教知识分子正在形成新的异象和共识，分享想法，并启动该项目。根据他们的讨论，这种新的中国化神学教育模式似乎具有以下特点：
1.这一模式深深植根于圣经、历史正统、中国及全球教会的福音传统。
2.未来的中国神学教育应该主要由中国的基督徒领导和支持，同时继续与全球教会合作。
3.这种模式在教学方法和课程设置上将充分考虑本土文化处境，并具有创新性。为了谦卑地向全球教会和1949年以前丰富的神学培训遗产学习，中国神学教育工作者应跳出固有思维的条条框框，根据21世纪的教会和社会现实重新构想神学教育。
4.这种模式无意于建立更多的学术象牙塔，而是始终致力于与教会紧密合作，以整全的方式为教会培养牧者神学家。
在这一探索初见成效之前，这四个方面至少可以让我们一窥这种新的中国化神学教育模式的样貌。当来自西方世界的宣教士和神学教育者在寻找与中国弟兄姐妹合作的新途径时，轻视甚至忽视神学教育对中国教会未来可持续发展的战略必要性将是一个错误。此外，简单重复老旧的神学教育方法，在变革的中国也会适得其反。事实表明，我们来自中国的弟兄姐妹对神学培训充满热情和新的灵感，他们的热情和能量即将迸发。当一种新的、中国化的神学培训方式即将浮现时，你会不会在那里为中国基督徒加油打气，与他们并肩同行？
转载自《华源协作》
中文翻译：伊恩
中国化的神学教育模式？
Theological education has always been the lifeline of the churches in different contexts. Without a robust theological education ranging from lay leadership training to graduate studies, it is impossible to sustain and grow churches for a long time. This is true in China just as in other countries.
Assessing China’s Theological Education of the Past 40 Years
From the 1980s to the early decades of the twenty-first century, theological education was always one of the engines driving church revival and expansion in China. As the country opened up and the so-called “Christian fever” swept across the society, theological education and Christian scholarship blossomed. If the registered church was largely the leading force in theological education by late twentieth century, the unregistered church has overtaken it, especially in urban areas, by the early twenty-first century. In the meantime, a large number of young believers went to theological schools especially in North America, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia. The results are indeed very impressive: two or three generations of church leaders and workers have been trained either within or outside the country, and a significant group of influential Chinese theological elites have been produced.
However, the flaws and inadequacies of theological education of those decades are also undeniable. An obvious fact is that the Chinese church’s theological education has heavily depended upon the support of theological educational establishments abroad. The dependence is not limited to financial resources, and the majority of registered and unregistered theological schools, especially in urban areas, are profoundly shaped and dominated by the classical model of theological education in the West in their educational philosophy, pedagogy, curricular design, and accreditation. The large number of Chinese graduates from overseas seminaries have re-enforced this pattern. One can even argue that most of the programs and institutions of Chinese theological education in the early twenty-first century more or less replicate mainstream theological education in the West.
Without minimizing the huge contributions of global churches to the Chinese church’s leadership training, it is also necessary for us to face its negative consequences. Let me just point out a couple of them. First, a highly Westernized theological education has served to Westernize the theological outlook of Chinese church’s leadership and their theologizing a significant extent, which is fairly detached from China’s cultural and societal contexts. This reality consequentially impacts the church’s internal life and external image. Second, many Chinese theological graduates and returnees have had hard time adapting to grassroots church life and functioning well in local communities in their own country. Of course, “brain drain” has always been a challenge for the church in China.
Is the Time Ripe for a Genuinely Chinese Model of Theological Education?
As the Chinese church begins to cope with its minority and diaspora status under the new social normal within and outside China, its theological education may soon enter a new era, too. In my opinion, the time is becoming ripe for the Chinese church to critically re-think the current model of theological training and to explore a genuinely Chinese way of theological education.
It is a well-known fact that the classical model of theological education is deeply in crisis even in the West due to such ecclesial and socio-cultural changes as the rise of digital education and post-Christian society. Its symptoms are everywhere: many theological schools across the West and other parts of the world are struggling in meeting their financial needs and finding their relevance in the twenty-first century. In addition, given the unprecedented magnitude and complexity of the challenges the Chinese church is facing, the existing theological educational establishment in the West is ill equipped to provide answers, and its capacity to help the Chinese theological education has very much reached the ceiling. In other words, the church in China can no longer depend on its supporters in the West as much as before. The time has come for Chinese Christians to take the responsibility of leadership in trail-blazing their own path of theological training for the future.
Is the Chinese church ready for this? In terms of human and financial resources, I do think so. First, over the past several decades, God has prepared a couple of generations of Chinese theological educators who are well trained and richly experienced with theological teaching domestically and internationally. Second, a significant number of younger Chinese theologians who just earned or will soon earn their PhDs abroad constitute a strategic pool of the talent for future theological education in the Chinese context. Thirdly, the Christian community from mainland China has indeed become very resourceful. As a result of the recent waves of emigration, a great deal of the Chinese church’s ministries and their resources have relocated outside the country and thus become more available. It is not an overstatement to say that a supporting infrastructure for Chinese theological education is already in place. What is needed is a shifting in mindset and re-casting of vision.
What Can We Anticipate Next?
In fact, there are signs that this is beginning to happen. New vision and consensus are being formed, ideas are being shared, and projects are being initiated among a group of theological educators, pastors, and Christian intellectuals primarily associated with the church in mainland China. Based on their discussions, this new Chinese model of theological education seems to bear following features:
- This model is firmly grounded in the Scriptures, historical orthodoxy, and evangelical tradition from Chinese as well as global church contexts.
- The Chinese theological education in the future should primarily be led and supported by Chinese Christians, while the collaboration with the global churches continues.
- This model will be fully contextual and innovative in its pedagogy and curriculum. To humbly learn from global churches and their own rich heritage of theological training before 1949, Chinese theological educators should think out of box and re-imagine theological education in light of their ecclesial and social realities of the twenty-first century.
- This model has no interest in building more academic ivory towers but always aims at working intimately with the church and raising pastor-theologians for the church in a wholistic way.
As this exploration is starting to gain momentum, these four aspects can at least give us a glimpse into what an emerging Chinese model of theological education might look like. As the missionaries and theological educators from the Western world are searching for new ways to collaborate with our Chinese brothers and sisters, it would be a mistake to downplay or even ignore the strategic necessity of theological education for a sustainable future of the Chinese church. Furthermore, it would be equally counter-productive to simply resume the old approach to theological education in a changed China. The evidence suggests our brothers and sisters from China have plenty of passion and new inspiration for theological training, and their passion and energy are about to burst. When a new, Chinese way of doing theological training is coming on the horizon, are you there to cheer Chinese Christians on and walk with them shoulder to shoulder?
Originally from "ChinaSource"
CCD edited and reprinted with permission
A Chinese Model of Theological Education?
