Over at Intentional Disciples, Sherry Weddell looks at recent discussions of Asian Christianity at the recent CTSA meeting.

The Kingdom Without the King, notice.

Like Phan, Chia said that the FABC’s emphasis is on mission in an overwhelmingly non-Christian context. He cited the example of the theme of the 1998 Synod for Asia, which was chosen by the Vatican: “Jesus Christ the Savior and His Mission of Love and Service in Asia.” When the FABC organized its plenary meeting in 2000, the bishops decided they wanted to continue the discussions from the synod. They did so with the theme, “A Mission of Love and Service.” In other words, they deleted the specific reference to Jesus.

Chia described the choice as an “instinctive sense” of what would communicate best in Asia, rather than the result of any “grand vision.”

Simply stupifying. Where do I begin?

How about that the fact that the number of Christians in Asia is nearly three times larger than Phan states? (Catholics makes up 3% of Asia according both to FIDES and the World Christian Database. All Christians together make up nearly 9%.)

How about the fact that Christians were already 2.3% of the Asian population in 1900 and their share of the continent’s population is 400% larger as of 2005.

To substitute "Catholic" numbers alone for "Christian" stats as a whole and then use that as a justification for a theological position is just about the sloppiest, most unprofessional, disengenious position possible for an academic. And what’s amazing is that Catholic academics and bishops are sitting still for it when a huge volume of information to the contrary is available in a 60 second Google search.

How about that Asian Christianity has seen large scale growth in the last half of the 20th century because of passionate lay proclamation of Christ from nearly 22 million (2.3% of the population) to 345 million (8.8%). In places like Nepal where Christianity was brought on foot by lay evangelists from India and where the "church fathers and mothers" of the underground church of the 70’s were teenagers. And in places like China and South Korea. No one told them that "our concern is not to increase the number of Christians in Asia." Phan and company clearly have massive catechetical work ahead of them.

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