The Foundation for Theological Education in South East Asia

 

FTESEA Board


Executive Director office:
101 SANJEEVANA
Balmatta, Mangalore 575 002
INDIA
Tel. No: +91 824 243 3838
Fax No: +91 824 243 3837
 
 


FTESEA News


Remembering Myanmar

As all of us are aware, the devastating cyclone Nargis has lashed immense damage in Myanmar causing death to thousands of people and destruction to countless homes and other structures.

Click here to learn how you can help, and to read messages from by Dr. Sientje Merentek-Abram, Executive Director of ATESEA, and Dr.Anna May Say Pa from Myanmar that provide some basic information about the nature of the tragedy.

 

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Sichuan Earthquake Appeal

Click here to learn how you can help the thousands of people affected by the devastation of the May 12th earthquake in Sichuan, China.

 

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New Leaders of CCC/TSPM
(extracts from the email message of Rev. Cao Shengjie dated Feb 2, 2008)
The 8th National Conference of CCC/TSPM held January 9-13, 2008 has elected new leaders to guide the ministry of CCC/TSPM for the next 5 years. "The new leadership is younger and active. Rev. Gao Feng, president of CCC is a graduate from Nanjing Union Theological Seminary and St. Paul Theological Seminary (M. Th. ) in USA. He has served as chair of Shandong provincial CC/TSPM for many years. Elder Fu Xianwei, the chairman of TSPM has served the Shanghai municipal TSPM and Mu-en church in the last 2 decades. The General Secretary of CCC is Rev. Kan Baoping (STM of McGill University in Canada), former vice president of Yanjing Theological Seminary, and the Secretary General of TSPM is Rev. Xu Xiaohong, former vice president of Shanxi Bible School".

FTESEA congratulates these new leaders and looks forward to cooperate with them in the task of theological education in China
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News item provided by the Amity Foundation, Hong Kong office

17th Communist Party Congress and Religion

The Chinese Communist Party convenes a Party Congress every five years. It is a major event during which the ruling party sets the direction for both the party and the country for the next five years. The 17th Party Congress took place 15-21 October 2007 in Beijing, attended by 2,235 delegates.

At the conclusion of the 17th Congress of the Communist Party in China recently, most analysts observed that Hu Jintao, the President, was unable to establish indisputable control of the Politburo in terms of the choice of its members. They surmise that it would mean he would be less inclined to introduce reforms, especially political ones, that would be seen as rocking the boat. On the other hand, the Party seems to be taking more measures to win over different sectors of the population. More than 150 non-party members, many of them representatives of the National Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), were invited to witness the proceedings of the Party Congress as observers.

In what was described as significant by the China Daily, religion was mentioned in the Communist Party Constitution for the first time in its 86-year history. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-10/22/content_6194537.htm
According to the article of Oct. 22,
" For the first time in its history, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has mentioned the word 'religion' in an amendment to its Constitution adopted on Sunday at the closing session of the 17th CPC National Congress. For the text of the Party's constitution go to http://www.chinaview.cn/17thcpc/) The Communist Party of China upholds and promotes socialist ethnic relations based on equality, solidarity, mutual assistance and harmony, actively trains and promotes cadres from among ethnic minorities, helps ethnic minorities and ethnic autonomous areas with their economic, cultural and social development, and ensures that all ethnic groups work together for common prosperity and development. The Party strives to fully implement its basic principle for its work related to religious affairs, and rallies religious believers in making contributions to economic and social development."

A resolution on the amendment to the Constitution said "To incorporate into its Constitution the principles and policies the Party has formulated for guiding efforts to strengthen the work related to ethnic and religious affairs, among others, is conducive to their full implementation and getting better results in the Party's work in this area." It said the insertion has been made in light of the new circumstances and tasks. Ye Xiaowen, Director of SARA (State Administration for Religious Affairs) was quoted as saying "With the new elaboration on religious work, the Party is determined to enhance the active role of the religious circle and faithful in boosting social and economic development."

Interviewed by China Scope magazine at the time of the Party Congress, Rev. Cao Shengjie, President of the China Christian Council, said that there is still room for Christianity to grow in China. She added that the growth of Christianity is hindered by constraints from within, and some interference from outside. There is a shortage of formally trained personnel, leading to misinterpretations of Christian teachings. This has resulted in some social problems. Cao said that the biggest challenge facing Christianity in China is good management and training so that talented people can get up-to-date with today's society.

Some observers say it is too early to tell what effects the 17th Party Congress will have on religious policy and practice. However, there is little doubt that the Chinese government is paying much more attention to religion than in the past. In recent months, numerous religious delegations have visited China, many at the invitation of the State Administration of Religious Affairs (SARA). Christian delegations that have visited Beijing and Shanghai have come from Europe, Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Africa. In September, Cardinal Pham Minh Man of Vietnam visited China at the invitation of the Chinese government. Observing that state officials were interested in Sino-Vatican relations, Cardinal Man told them that the Holy See is eager to establish diplomatic ties with China. In his interview with Sunday Examiner, Man said he told Chinese officials that Pope Benedict XVI had expressed a wish to establish diplomatic ties between the Holy See and both China and Vietnam during the early years of his papacy. He assured them that the Holy See will not hesitate to break its ties with Taiwan, as it is only an administrative post. (Sunday Examiner, front page, 4 November 2007.)

In October, at the invitation of the Director of SARA, nine members of the Primates of the Global South of the Anglican Communion representing Africa, Asia and the Middle East made a visit to Beijing, Xian, Nanjing and Shanghai. The delegation discussed national religious policies and state-church relations. As the group's visit coincided with the 17th Party Congress, it issued the following statement welcoming the mention of religion in the Party's constitution: "We wholeheartedly commend the Chinese government for its openness and desire to extend sustainable support to the work of the churches here (in China). This was expressed in concrete terms by a very significant amendment to the Constitution of the Communist Party of China during the recent 17th National Party Congress. The amendment mentioned the word 'religion' in (the) Constitution for the first time in the history of modern China, and resolves to strengthen the work for the full implementation of the policy of freedom of religion in China." (Source: Francis Wong, ENI writer, Hong Kong.)

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Book announcement:

Off the Menu: Asian and Asian North American Women's Religion and Theology, coedited by Rita Nakashima Brock, Jung Ha Kim, Kwok Pui-lan, and Seung Ai Yang, has been published by Westminster John Knox Press in 2007. The publication is based on more than twenty years of dialogue within the network Pacific, Asia, and North American Asian Women in Theology and Ministry (PANAAWTM). FTESEA has supported the work of PANAAWTM for many years and funded the book project. With 16 chapters, the book showcases current Asian and Asian North American women's theological work and indicate future theological directions for this growing theological movement. The book is divided into 4 parts: history and identity; reinventing spiritual traditions; reorienting we-self; and embodied agency. It discusses feminist biblical interpretation, interreligious environmental movements among Taiwanese women; sexual violence and trafficking of women in Thailand; women and sexuality in India; and possibilities for collaboration across Asia Pacific. Contributors include leading scholars in the field as well as emerging scholars from a variety of cultural, national, and geographical backgrounds. This groundbreaking volume will be useful for seminaries, clergy, as well as laypersons who are interested in the religious life and prophetic witness of Asian women.


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Honorary Trustee Letty Russell, Professor Emerita at Yale Divinity School, died on July 12th after a long illness.

Tributes to Letty

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We congratulate FTESEA Trustee Dr. Sze-kar Wan on his new teaching position as Professor of New Testament at Perkins School of Theology. We wish him all the best as he and his family make the move to Texas. Dr. Wan's new address is:

Professor of New Testament
Perkins School of Theology
Southern Methodist University
P. O. Box 750133
Dallas, TX 75275
Email: swan@smu.edu
Phone: (214) 768-3553

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The next FTESEA Executive Committee meeting will be held on Monday, December 10, 2007 and the Annual Board meeting will be on Tuesday, December 11, at the Brossman Learning Center of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. For more information about LTSP, please refer to their web site : www.ltsp.edu.

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The FTESEA Executive Committee met at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia from June 18-19, 2007. The following representatives of FTESEA partners attended the meeting:

Dr. Thu En Yu (Chair ATESEA and Principal, Sabah Theological Seminary, Malaysia)
Rev. Bao, Jiayuan (Associate General Secretary of China Christian Council)
Ms. Zhang, Jing (Cathy) (Nanjing Union Theological Seminary)
Dr. Wati Longchar (World Council of Churches)
Ms. Deborah DeWinter (World Council of Churches)

 
Living the Mission