A new way of being church

Catholic New Times, Feb 9, 2003 by Wayne A. Holst

Pentecost in Asia: A New Way of Being Church by Tom Fox. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 2002. 192 pages.

"The uniquely Asian contribution to Catholic Christology in the late 20th century," writes Tom Fox, author of Pentecost in Asia, "has been the linkage of the Christian social-justice mission with Asian spirituality, a linkage of ... dialogue with the poor and ... with other religions."

Triple, dialogue-engaging local cultures, the marginalized and the great world faiths, is the central message of this book.

Fox, here, offers the results of many years of experiencing a part of the universal church with which few in Europe and North America are familiar. The author says that for three decades, the Asian church in particular, has been providing the Catholic Church with a road map for living into the future. The Asians, however, are not yet convinced that they are being heard and respected.

Far from Rome, yet much influenced by the West and struggling to rid itself stereotypically as a vestige of colonialism, Asian church leaders have slowly but deliberately been engaged in developing a special identity that prefers a decentralized authority structure. After a series of Asian bishops' conferences, synods and ad limina meetings with the popes over the past 30 years, the newly envisioned Asian church remains decidedly Roman Catholic but different from that inherited through the West. The church in Asia has borrowed Latin American liberation themes and added its distinct spirituality.

"If the Catholic Church can help bridge the intellectual, spiritual and material gaps between East and West, rich and poor," Fox declares, "the (21st) century could be the most fruitful and glorious in history.... The Catholic Church is one of the very few global institutions with the structural ability and the moral authority to serve in this global capacity."

Fox acknowledges that Asian Catholics are genuinely modest and have thus far not broadcast their vision beyond their shores. "I hope this book will help them do just that," he said in an e-mail message. "It is a vision from which we can all learn."

There are significant differences between eastern and western spirituality and philosophy. While western spirituality has traditionally emphasized holiness and salvation, its eastern counterpart has sought enlightenment and transcendence. Reason dominates the church of the West. Reason, accompanied by intuition, is reflective of the East. Asian moral authority is not based on universals but on principles derived from respective cultures. The West tends to determine reality in terms of either/or; the East views it as both/and (yin/yang, or cosmic harmony). Evangelization in the West centres on words of salvation and right belied In the East, it centres on deeds of witness and service. Westerners tend to seek theological certainty, while easterners function effectively with theological ambiguity. In short, Eastern Catholicism is more humble.

The Asian vision has grown out of decades of pastoral response to local needs. Now, it prompts the attention of the whole church. Fox muses: "Could it be that our church, molded over centuries in the West, is now encountering its complementary half? Could it be that these two halves now must find ways to integrate together? Could it be that they need each other to prosper, even to survive? Is this the meaning of being Catholic, belonging to a universal church in the third millennium after Christ?" The answers to these questions will take years to sort out.

There is no doubt that realities of the global church make inevitable a growing convergence of East and West. The vision that Fox describes is engaging while, at the same time, more optimistic than past experience would validate. However, alternate precedents have already been set.

After reflecting on the challenges that Asian bishops have experienced when attempting to present their case to Rome, Fox recalls a Gandhian anecdote. It concerns his dealings with his colonial masters in Britain, almost three-quarters of a century ago. On one occasion, Gandhi returned to India after some heavy negotiating that did not realize its goals. "You have failed," he was told by a despondent nationalist. "We have won," Gandhi replied. "We have engaged them in a discussion of our freedom."

Wayne A. Hoist is a writer who has taught religion and culture at the University of Calgary.