Date of Award
Spring 5-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.)
First Reader
Chloë Starr
Second Reader
Willie Jennings
Abstract
The historical context of twentieth-century East Asia led to divergent national identities among Taiwanese people, shaping the contextual and indigenous theologies developed by Taiwan-based theologians during the latter half of the century. These theologies were grounded in distinct historical narratives, inherited diverse theological visions, and employed varied motivations, goals, and methodologies. This thesis examines the theological contributions of Dr. Huang Po-ho (b. 1952) and Rev. Dr. Chow Lien-hwa (1920–2016), two key figures from Taiwan’s two major Protestant communities, to illuminate the theological landscape of late twentieth-century Taiwan. Huang’s Chhut-Thau-Thintheology reflects Shoki Coe’s emphasis on theological decolonization and C. S. Song’s methodology of theologizing Asian cultural materials for Asian people. In contrast, Chow’s theological project, rooted in his identity as a modern Chinese Christian intellectual, aimed to realize a vision of indigenous Chinese Christianity embraced by China’s Christian elites since the 1920s. Rather than constructing a singular theological discourse, Chow sought to cultivate a Chinese Christian culture analogous to how Confucianism historically permeated the Chinese populace. Future theological development in Taiwan must engage the historical, cultural, and theological resources utilized by Huang and Chow, while addressing the re-narration of Taiwan’s multifaceted historical narratives and re-negotiating the meaning of Taiwanese identity in the twenty-first century.
Recommended Citation
Huang Yu-huei, "Identity and Contextual Theology in Late Twentieth Century Taiwan: A Study of Huang Po-ho’s Chhut-Thau-Thin Theology and Chow Lien-hwa’s Chinese Indigenous Theology" (2024). Yale Divinity School Theses.