A Dictionary of Asian Christianity

Trinity Journal, Spring 2004 by Pao, David W

Scott W. Sunquist, David Wu Chu Sing, and John Chew Hiang Chea, eds. A Dictionary of Asian Christianity. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001. 1017 pp. $75.00.

This groundbreaking dictionary represents the first one-volume English reference tool for the study of Christianity in Asia. The term "Asian" is used in a historical and cultural sense, and therefore western Asia (Turkey and the Middle East) is covered only up to the seventh century A.D. Compiled by five hundred contributors, among them indigenous scholars from eighteen countries, this dictionary provides an impressive survey of Asian Christianity in both historical and contemporary perspectives.

This project was conceived in 1987 and active work began in 1991 when the three editors, at that point all members of the faculty at the Singapore Trinity Theological College, drafted the basic vision of this project. This work was to be written from an Asian perspective, and it would focus on the development of Christianity within its local contexts. Ecumenical meetings of church historians were organized in Singapore, Myanmar, Pakistan, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan, Philippines, and Korea. As a result of such extensive consultation work, topics that are important in the different contexts and scholars who have done substantial work in such areas were identified. This painstaking stage of preparation proved to be critical in the production of a dictionary that is useful to students and scholars researching in these related areas.

The final product contains 1260 articles that cover a wide range of topics. To provide the proper socio-political contexts for the development of Christianity in these regions, one finds entries on individual countries. The historical breadth is represented by the discussion of important early Christian figures such as Tatian and Marcion. Notably absent is an entry on the apostle Thomas (although an article on the Acts of Thomas is included). The focus on contextualization is evident in the inclusion of articles on Minjun Theology and Homeland Theology (Taiwan) as well as articles on non-Western religious traditions such as Buddhism, Confucianism, and Hinduism. The excellent article on ancestor worship also provides an introduction to one significant aspect of Asian religious practices and expressions.

Beyond the articles that one naturally expects to find in a dictionary of this nature, there are also articles that provide a general understanding of the historical development of Christianity in Asia. Here one can point to the entries on poverty, racism, nationalism, colonialism, church-state relationship, and secularization. Particularly helpful are several of the lengthy articles that provide information not easily accessible elsewhere: Chinese translations and writings, Bible translation, colleges and universities, Asian Christian music. Equally helpful are articles on various denominations and Christian movements.

As many of the articles are written by indigenous scholars, this dictionary provides a unique introduction to Asian Christianity from a nonWestern perspective. Included are also articles written by those who do not enjoy the freedom to publicize the fruits of their scholarship; these frequently appear anonymously (e.g., the "China Group"). Their inclusion in this work testifies to the integrity of this project.

The selection of topics reflects a consistent effort to explore the interaction of Christianity with the indigenous political, cultural, social, and religious forces. These concerns alone provide a model for the further study of Asian Christianity. Also worth noting is the presence of the editorial hand; this can be felt in those articles that are expected to evoke strong emotions. Although not always successful, objectivity is clearly the concern of the editors when various contributors write from their respective social and theological locations. Not to be missed are the helpful bibliographies included in most of the entries.

A work of this nature and size naturally invites criticisms from many who are approaching this work with different agendas. A few general concerns should nevertheless be voiced-the first being the issue of consistency and evenhandedness. While several Catholic organizations are included (e.g., Augustinians, Dominicans, Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, Society of Jesus), entries on Protestant missionary associations such as the influential China Inland Mission (now Overseas Missionary Fellowship) are strikingly missing. One is also surprised by the mention of only Catholic Presses in discussing literature and publishing (Hong Kong). Related to this issue of balance is the presence of an entry on the Three-Self Patriotic Movement while a discussion of the equally important House Church Movement in China is missing. On a different level, one finds an entry on music but none on iconography or architecture. Equally puzzling are entries such as disabled and Christianity where one only finds a brief discussion of such concerns in the church in Japan.