How do religiously affiliated schools deal with cultural, socio-economic, gender and religious differences within the school population? Should the schools be advocates for the truth of their religious communities or should they be sites for learning to participate in interreligious dialogue?

These and other questions were behind the holding of the 4th Conference of the Education and Ethos Network held at Radboud University in Nijmegen, The Netherlands on January 20-22. CCA-FMU executive secretary Hope S. Antone was invited as one of the keynote speakers on "Religious Differences in Religiously Affiliated Schools"

Key points in Hope's paper, shared with a powerpoint presentation, are the following:
* There is definitely a place for education in the 'first language', i.e. Christian Education for church-related schools for even other religious adherents would expect and understand that. But schools need to guard against fostering an oppositional identity which can become the foundation for intolerance and demonization of the other.

* Knowing that there are different religious adherents in the religiously affiliated schools, educators need to teach in ways that stimulate among students a deep and learned commitment to their own traditions while urging them to participate in religiously pluralistic societies.

* The language of conversation and encounter begins with recognizing, appreciating and valuing differences, including the differences in our lenses for viewing the world.

* Learning from differences needs to be viewed not simply to foster tolerance but for mutually enriching each other, including learning from and correcting each other.

* Venturing into the second language of Religious Education would at its best require a different curriculum that involves the participation of religious educators from other faith communities.

There were four keynote addresses, each tackling a section of the theme of "Matters of Difference: Cultural, Socio-economic, Gender and Religious Differences within Religiously Affiliated Schools". Other speakers and paper presentors on other related themes came from religiously affiliated schools in Europe and some from USA and Canada.

The invitation for Hope came from the office of Dr. Chris Hermans upon the recommendation of Prof. Aad de Jong, both of Radboud University. The organizers felt the need to hear from a voice from another continent where religious differences were a common reality.

posted by hope at Saturday, February 05, 2005

"Sharing Hope for a New World" is the theme of the Fifth Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS V) which is set for July 2006. This was the consensus of the CATS V Continuation Committee which met in Tainan Theological College and Seminary in Tainan, Taiwan on Jan. 13-14, following the theological roundtable meeting.

The theme is a call to affirm and re-affirm "the hope that we have" in the midst of so much ruin, destruction and devastation experienced by peoples in Asia brought about by serious poverty and injustice, violence, the negative impact of globalization, war on terrorism, and most recently, the tsunami disaster that caused the loss of lives and property as well as much trauma for the surviving people.

The theme also affirms that hope for a new world or a new future is something that Asian communities of faith do share and that other communities that are not based on faith can also be communities of hope, thus, sharing hope with them can take the form of solidarity and joint action.

The committee also expressed gratitude for the offer of Rev. Dr. Lo Lung Kwong to host CATS V at the Divinity School of Chung in the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong. More details of the plan for CATS V will be shared later.

Present at the meeting were Kang Namsoon and Soosai Arokiasamy, co-moderators; Yangrae Son, treasurer; Hope Antone, secretary; Samuel Ngun Ling, Wati Longchar, Sientje Merentek-Abram, and Hannah Chen. Arche Ligo was co-opted to join the meeting for one day.

posted by hope at Saturday, February 05, 2005

On January 9-12, a group of representatives of theological movements and associations of theological education in Asia met in Shoki Coe House at Tainan Theological College and Seminary TTCS)in Tainan, Taiwan, to share their assessment of Asian contextual theologies and their dreams of working together.

The words of Huang Po Ho, president of the Tainan Theological Seminary that hosted the meeting, aptly summarized the sharing of stories by movements and associations. He said, "All contextual theologies are experiencing a setback weakened in the wake of the current situation. It seems that we cannot find any role of Asian theology in the life of the church, thereby, making the church more marginalized in Asia."

The group therefore tried to envision Asian theological education that would help bring about transformation. It is one that is rooted in and responsive to Asian contexts and realities. Informed by global theological movements, it is liberating and empowering. It critically draws from our Asian resources for spirituality and wisdom. It transforms church and society, seminaries and theological education, and Christian higher education. Holistic in methodology, it is engaged in the public arena and models right relationships between local and other cultures, disciplines and faiths.

The group consisted of representatives of the following movements and associations: Program for Theologies and Cultures in Asia (Kang Namsoon and Simon Kwan); Association of Theological Education in Southeast Asia (Sientje Merentek-Abram); CCA-WCC Ecumenical Theological Education (Wati Longchar); Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians-Asia (Arche Ligo); Northeast Asia Theological Schools (Huang Po Ho); Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences (Soosai Arokiasamy); Asian Women's Resource Centre for Culture and Theology (Yong Ting Jin); Congress of Asian Theologians (Kang Namsoon and Soosai Arokiasamy); Archie Lee and David Suh (Asian Christian Higher Education Institute); and Christian Conference of Asia (Hope S. Antone). CCA-FMU desk organized and facilitated this meeting.

posted by hope at Saturday, February 05, 2005