Meeting Notes (minutes)

PTCA PROGRAMME COMMITTEE MEEETING ON
Future Planning for PTCA
at Sabah Theological Seminary, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
Held on 15-16 January, 2012

Member Present:

Dr. Archie Lee (Hong Kong), Chairperson
Dr. Huang Poho (Taiwan), Dean
Dr.Wati Longchar (India), Secretary
Dr. Wong Wai Ching (Hong Kong), Member
Dr. Daniel Namebura (Indonesia), Member
Dr. Thu En YU (Malaysia), Member
Dr. Jeffrey KJ Kuan (USA), Consultant
Dr. Dietrich Werner (Geneva), ETE-WCC
Dr. HS Wilson (USA/India), FTE

Apology:
Dr. Hisako Kinukawa (Japan)
Dr. Yeong Mee Lee (Korea)

The meeting started at 2:30 with a prayer and word of welcome from Rev. Dr. Thu En Yu, the President of STS, Kota Kinabalu who hosted the meeting.

Dr. Huang Po ho welcomed the members to this important future planning committee meeting and thanked the members for shouldering the expenses of their own ticket and the Sabah Theological Seminary for the kind hospitality.

Doing Theologies in Asian Ways with Asian Resources

- Recollection and Reorientation of PTCA in the New Era for Asian Theological Education -
Program Committee Meeting and Consultation, PTCA
STS, Sabah, Malaysia
Jan. 15-17, 2012
by Huang Po Ho, Dean of PTCA

Introduction

The attempt to formulate theologies and to implement theological education in Asia can be dated back to the arrival and establishment of Christians of Oriental Orthodox tradition and multiplied with successive Christian sojourn to Asia of Roman Catholic and Protestant Christian missions from Europe and North America. Theological education as institutes of professional higher education has been operating in many of Asian countries for more than a century. Because of the Christian mission legacy, theological education systems implemented in Asia were/are mostly modeled after theological schools from western countries in all their structures, disciplines and curricula. Over the years, despite of many challenges and arguments for new form of theological education and many conferences which have been held to urge that transformation be made for traditional models of theological education, there is still ongoing search for appropriate theological education to meet the contemporary ministerial and societal challenges voiced both by theological faculties and students and church leadership.

Encouraged by the internal conditions of the church mission developments and the external challenges caused by the international power remapping, an identity awareness of being “Asian” Christian was begun to emerge in Asian Christian communities after Second World War. Theological educators in Asia came together to form associations for theological schools to encourage personnel exchanges, resources sharing, and shaping solidarity for theological development in Asia. Association for Theological Education in South East Asia (ATESEA) was formed in 1957 and increased its members from 16 in the beginning to 102 at its apex. Asian Theological Association (ATA) was formed in 1970 and has 128 accredited members and 64 associated members. Both associations are committed to the idea of “train Asian in Asia” while ATESEA has stressed on contextual orientation for theological construction.

It was in the midst of this background, that the Programme for Theologies and Cultures (PTCA) was given birth as a theological movement to the service of contextual theological formation and theological education in Asia.

The Creation of A Theological Movement in Asia

PTCA Inter-regional Doctoral Students Colloquium

TENTATIVE PROGRAMME SCHEDULE
Inter-regional Doctoral Students Colloquium on
“Redeeming God’s Creation: Asian Ecumenical Response to Ecological Crisis"
Organized by PTCA in collaboration with ATESEA, SATHRI, CCA & NCCI
at SCEPTRE Centre, Kolkata
Dates: 7-11 December, 2010

7th December : Arrival of Participants

First Day – 8th December – Wednesday
08:00-08:30 : Breakfast
09:00-10:00 : Devotion & Inaugural address by Rt. Rev. Dr. Julios Mar Gregorios
Leader: Dr. M.T. Cherian
10:00-10:30 : Welcome, Introduction and Orientation - Dr. Huang Poho
10:30-11:00 : Tea Break
11:00-12:30 : Theme address “Redeeming God’s Creation:
Asian Ecumenical Response to Ecological Crisis”
By Dr. Sungkook Park
Moderator: Dr. Wati Longchar
02:30-04:30 : Understanding Ecological Crisis Today
- Ecumenical Response to Climate Justice – Rev. Christopher Raj
- Water Resource Crisis & the Poor – Mr. Philip Peacock
Moderator: Lima Longkumer
04:30-05:00 : Tea Break
05:00-06:00 : Understanding Ecological Crisis Today
- Globalization, Development & Eco-justice – Dr. Sunil Caleb
Moderator: Senti Aier
06:00-07:00 : Indigenous Filipino Earth-Based Spirituality
By Lope Robin
Moderator: Murmu Esmael
08:30-9:30 : Doctoral Students’ Meeting

Second Day – 9th December – Thursday

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”.

Participants of Fundamentalism and Theological Education International Conference

PTCA South East Asia Consultation
Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan, Taiwan
April 1-4, 2010

Fundamentalism and Theological Education International Conference

name Organization/Position
1 Dr. Archie Lee
李熾昌 Prof., Chinese University, Hong Kong
2 Dr. Wati Longchar Director, SCEPTRE, India
3 Dr.Thu En Yu, principal, Sabah Theological Seminary, Malaysia
4 Dr. Waiching Wong Prof. CUHK, Hong Kong
5 Dr. Daniel Nuhamura Prof. Satya Wacana& EX. Director, Persetial Indonesia
6 Dr. Yeong Mee Lee Prof. of Hanshin U./Korea
7 Dr. C.S. Song
宋泉盛 Prof. CJCU, Taiwan
8 Dr. Thomas H.C Lee
李弘棋 Dean of college of Humanities and Social Sciences, NCTU Taiwan
9 Dr. Chou Chuan Chiang
周傳姜 Dean of Research and Development, CJCU, Taiwan
10 Dr. Liu Ya Hui
劉雅惠 Director of Nursing Department, CCH Lu-Tung Branch /Taiwan
11 Dr. Tsai yen zen
蔡彥仁 Prof. NCCU, Taiwan (宗研所所長)
12 Dr. Bengchu Lin
林明珠 Prof., Department of Phiosophy and Religion/CJCU, Taiwan
13 Dr. Yen ru Lin
林彥如 Prof., Department of Phiosophy and Religion/CJCU, Taiwan
14 Dr. Jane Wei jen Liang
梁唯真 Researcher, NCKU (06)2757575#52113
15 Dr. Huang, Po Ho
黃伯和 Prof. & Vice President, CJCU, Taiwan

PTCA Officials

Dean: Dr. Huang Po Ho (Taiwan)
mail: 396 Chang Jung Rd., sec. 1, Kway Jen, Tainan, 71101, Taiwan

email: cjcupekho@gmail.com

Program Committee Members:
Dr. Archie Lee (Chair)
Dr. Wati Longchar (secretary, India)
Dr. Thu En Yu (Malaysia)
Dr. Hisako Kinukawa (Japan)
Dr. Waiching Wong (Hong Kong)
Dr. Yeong Mee Lee (Korea)
Dr. Daniel Nuhamara (Indonesia)
JTCA Editor: (Journal for Theologies and Cultures in Asia)
Dr. Wati Longchar
Email: director@sathri-ssc.org

Consultants:
Dr. Jeffrey Kah-Jin Kuan (USA)

PTCA Sub-regional Consultation held in Taiwan

Dear Friends and Participants,

Welcome to this PTCA consultation on “Fundamentalism and Theological Education, host by Chang Jung Christian University and sponsored by ETE-WCC and National Science Council of Taiwan.

In order to brief you the nature of this consultation and the objectives we are looking for, I attach here the original project proposal of this meeting for your reference, I am looking forward to meeting you and to enjoy the intellectual sharing and exchanges, and as well fellowship and common commitment created from this gathering.

Huang Po Ho

A Project Proposal

Project: Consultation on (a) Religious Fundamentalism and Theological Education, and (b) Strengthening Theological Networks in Asia

Background: The Programme for Theology and Culture 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” and the target group is younger theologians especially those who are in the final stage of their doctoral programme or those who have just joined in teaching ministry.

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. Hence, this project proposal is presented for South East Asian region.

Rev. Dr. Huang Poho is co-coordinator of South East Asia region who is also the Dean of PTCA. He is requested to take the lead in organizing the consultation at School of Theology of Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan, Taiwan in January/February 2010 for the South East Asia region.

Rationale: Christians and ethnic minorities in South East Asian countries are facing many hardship and persecution. The continuing religious conflicts in Indonesia and Myanmar are a glaring example. Violence and senseless destructions are taking place in massive and organized manner in many countries because of the use and misuse of fundamentalists by politicians and those who enjoy power in society. Several churches, mosques, temples (including the orphanage) and religious institutions have become the targets and many precious lives have been lost. The growing religious fundamentalism (and also ethnic minority assertion) is threatening the very fabric of the society. It is a threat to social harmony, justice and human rights.

Fundamentalism regards diversity as a liability rather than as an asset. They assert a monolithic society over against pluri-form society. Tendency to suppress the minority by majority and minority resistance movement, and the aggressive efforts to increase the number by minority poses real threat to peace, democratic principle, social harmony and the very future of the people. This challenges us to re-examine the present practice of mission of the church, the theology of conversion and ecumenical and ministerial formation programme of the churches.

This demands new ways of doing theology, inter-religious theological education and institutional collaborations for ensuring quality theological education in Asia.

Objective:

• To appraise ecumenical and ministerial formation programme and explore inter-religious theological education programme;
• To explore inter-disciplinary theological learning within secular context for common good;
• To assess inter-faith relation and explore new ways of doing theology in secular context;
• To explore new ways of inter-faith engagement in secular context; and
• To strategize future collaboration of ecumenical and ministerial programme between ATESEA and BTESSC.