Inter Sub-regional Doctoral Students Colloquim in Asia

Background: The Programme for Theology and Cultures in Asia (PTCA) was founded in 1983, having Professor Choan-seng Song from Taiwan as the first Dean. The PTCA is not an organization nor an institution but a theological movement, and committed to:
• Helping equip theologians and church leaders in a theological reorientation for their various ministries;
• Recovering our own cultural and spiritual resources in Asian countries and making these available for the doing of living theologies in Asia;
• Promoting creative, indigenous theological writing within the concrete experiences and heritages of the Asia arena;
• Facilitating active theological interactions within Asia and between Asia and other parts of the world.
Since its inception, the PTCA has been working for the constructions and re-construction of theologies that reflect Asian resources, contexts and experiences mainly by organizing Regional Theological Seminar-Workshop, National Workshop, Theological Consultation and by publishing JTCA. The primary focus of the movement is “Doing Theologies with Asian Resources in Asian context”.


The PTCA activities are facilitated by a team of theologians, known as Programme Committee, representing theological bodies from South Asia, South East and North East Asia. For the effective implementation of the programme and also to reduce cost but to ensure larger participation, the PTCA has reorganized its activities on sub-regional basis.

The PTCA celebrates its 25 years of theological journey this year. Since from its inception, the PTCA continues to play a key and significant role in promoting Asian theologies. We are proud to say that the movement has made a profound impact on Asian theology, giving it a distinct style. It has opened the eyes to the rich resources for theological reflection that are embedded in the stories, myths, folk-tales and poetry in our cultures and religions. Many Asian level and regional workshops have been conducted on doing theology with Asian resources and have more than 370 alumnae across Asia and with several publications. The movement gave birth to the formation of Form for Asian Theological Library (ForATL) to promote collection and sharing of Asian resources among theological colleges/seminaries in Asia.

Rationale:

When PTCA was formed, there was hardly higher theological institution in Asia that offer Masteral and Doctoral program. The theological curricula and theological learning reflected mostly Western academic system. The need was to orient Asian scholars to do theology with Asian resources. But today the scenario is changed. The formation of the South Asia Graduate School of Theology (SEAGST) as a wing of higher theological learning of ATESEA has intensified Masteral and Doctoral programme. The Serampore College (University) with its 7 doctoral centres enrolled more than 130 D.Th students, and now with the end of the Cultural Revolution, the Nanjing Theological Seminary and other theological seminaries are growing fast in China. There is a need of scholars’ exchange in the region.

CCA through the CATS tries to create a platform for Asian theologians, but this is more of a fellowship for matured or emerging theologians. There is no Asia wide theological network that gathers to the need of prospective future faculty who are in doctoral programme.

Therefore, Inter-Doctoral Students’ Colloquium on “Asian Theological Response to Ecological Crisis” is proposed to create a space for doctoral students to exchange their views and research findings. The theme assumes relevance due unprecedented climate change, water crisis, air pollution, deforestation, exploitation of indigenous communities that bring miseries to all living organism. We need serious theological reflection on growth centred paradigm. We also need to reevaluate our theologies that legitimized the plunder of eco-system. Moreover, the wealth of Asian resources have to be tapped to inspire diverse faith communities to live out a vocation of eco-justice life.

Objectives:
a) To develop Asian theological methodology on creation-care and sustainable development;
b) To strengthen doctoral centres in Asia under ATESEA & Senate of Serampore College
c) To provide inter-regional exposure to doctoral candidates
d) To publish a theological resource book on Asian theological response to eco-crisis.

Target group: The workshop will be limited to 5 facilitators and 20 doctoral students in the final year doctoral programme under North East Asia, SEAGST, China and the Senate of Serampore College (University).

Dates and Venue to be announced later.