By Brian LePort with Simon Chan, Ph.D.
Simon Chan is a Cambridge educated theologian who is firmly grounded in the pentecostal tradition, yet ecumenically engaged. He currently serves as the Earnest Lau Professor of Systematic Theology at Trinity Theological College in Singapore. He is the author of several fine theological works and has agreed to let our readership sample of his wisdom when he agreed to an interview with Brian LePort. Here are ten questions for Simon Chan:
(1) If you could summarize in a paragraph what the current state of pentecostalism is in Asia, how would you describe the movement?
Asian Pentecostalism is undergoing a major transition. Many classical Pentecostal churches have become quite indistinguishable from the newer independent charismatic churches. The greatest impact of this shift is on classical Pentecostal theology and practice. There will be increasing tension between their traditional confessional stance (on doctrines like initial evidence) and the more loosely defined theologies of charismatic churches; the practical ramifications of Spirit-baptism as a second work of grace will become less and less pronounced. The resulting Pentecostal-charismatic movements are identified largely by a set of common practices than by any doctrinal standards. How this state of affairs will pan out over the next few years is anybody's guess. As a theologian I am not very optimistic about this highly fluid situation.
(2) Would you explain why you say that you are not very optimistic about the fluidity of Asian pentecostalism? What concerns you most as a theologian?
Pentecostalism, contra Hollenweger, is not just an experience. But an experience grounded in a set of beliefs. Those beliefs need not be static but should develop through time as the movement encounters new challenges. This is what Orthodoxy means by the "living tradition." The problem with many Pentecostals and charismatics is that they do not have a sense of the living tradition. So, when their static doctrines are challenged and they could not address these challenges, they practically abandon their traditional teachings. They simply become too embarrassed to talk about them. When that happens, the movement is in danger of losing its basic identity. It transmutes itself into something quite different. This is the present state of Pentecostalism. It is not a happy state.
(3) What is the greatest strength of Asian pentecostalism and what can other pentecostals learn from this expression?
Pentecostalism broadly conceived proves to be highly adaptable despite the wide diversity in Asia. It penetrates all strata of society. It appeals as much to the rural folks steeped in primal religious beliefs as well as educated people in urban contexts. Both young and old could find something in Pentecostalism which they could resonate with. This cannot be said of most traditional denominations.
(4) Would you say that in the average pentecostal worship gathering people from all strata of society come together in worship because of their shared experience, or do they simply remain in their social strata practicing their own forms of pentecostalism separate from each other?
Pentecostalism at its best has been quite successful in crossing social and cultural boundaries. We still see some such among the more conservative Pentecostal churches in Asia, such as the Pentecostal Church of India (formerly the Ceylong Pentecostal Church) and the True Jesus Church which originated in China. These churches are very culture-resistant. Pentecostal churches that are more culture-sensitive tend to imbibe the characteristics of their surrounding culture with its class consciousness and social stratifications. The latter would be "practicing their own forms of pentecostalism separate from each other" in their worship.
(5) What would be the greatest challenge for pentecostalism in Asia?
Its adaptability may also be its chief weakness. It accommodates itself too easily to popular culture. It flits from one fad to another. It often lacks discernment. It could be highly suspicious of false spirits in other religions and at the same time be completely sold to the demon of consumerism. Part of the explanation for this phenomenon is that many Pentecostals were converted from the primal religious worldview that pervades folk Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, etc. So they tend instinctively to distance themselves from their former religions. Furthermore, many have experienced rapid upward mobility after becoming Christians.
(6) As Christians gain upward mobility in Asian society what may be the next challenge that they face? Or better put, with greater acceptance of Christians is there a danger of stagnation?
Tragically upward mobility also means that class distinctions are resurfacing. Social acceptance does not always mean stagnation in the way that we see in, say, Western Europe, with falling church attendance. On the contrary, it is often translated into dramatic "church growth." It's almost like the replay of the age of Constantine. People come to church for all sorts of worthy or unworthy reasons. A different kind of stagnation sets in. Unfortunately, this kind of stagnation is usually not captured in popular sociological studies of Pentecostalism. They tend to portray a rosy picture of the lowly Pentecostal churches, which, against the odds, have triumphed and become "successful." We all love success stories, don't we? I think Pentecostal leaders need to face up to the reality and resist the temptation to play to the gallery. They may lose some members, but they will attract another type of members who will make the church count in the long term.
(7) I noticed that Trinity Theological College in Singapore, where you are the Earnest Lau Professor of Systematic Theology, is an inter-denominational setting. On that basis, do you believe that the success of pentecostalism in Asia is partially reliant on its ability to work with Christians across denomination lines?
Traditional Pentecostals had a strong sense of "mission" to share their distinctive message (the "full gospel") with other Christians. Needless to say, the other Christians tended to treat this Pentecostal gesture with deep suspicion. In the late 1960s, Pentecostal ministers from the AG (Assembly of God), Finnish Free Mission, Ceylon Pentecostal Church, and several independent Pentecostal churches in Singapore formed a fellowship to pray specifically for the denominational churches to be "filled with the Spirit." The Pentecostals would say that the Lord had answered their prayer, but perhaps not in the way they had expected. Some mainline churches like the Methodist were influenced by Pentecostals working among their young people. Others became charismatic as a result of the charismatic movement their parent denomination, e.g., the Anglican church. The charismatic renewal has penetrated almost all denominations in Singapore and this has resulted in a general openness to Pentecostal ministers and theologians. It is in this milieu that I was accepted into an ecumenical seminary--the first Pentecostal to be on the faculty of Trinity. So, I would say that the current irenic situation is not so much due to the ability of Pentecostals to work with other Christians as the openness of the latter to the Pentecostal message.
(8) Would you see pentecostalism becoming a form of eccumenicism? Could pentecostalism become a very vague term that incorporates the doctrinal structures of other denominations while more or less describing shared experiences (like how the word "charismatic" functions in the United States)?
I personally don't think that the term pentecostal and its cognates will suffer the same fate as the term charismatic, at least not in the near future. It has a history that is still fresh in the collective memory of the movement. One only needs recall that there was a time when those who experienced their "personal Pentecost" in mainline and Catholic churches called themselves neo-Pentecostals. But they soon shed the term in favor of charismatic to distinguish themselves from classical Pentecostals. Pentecostal is still too much of a loaded term. What is more likely to happen is that as traditional Pentecostals continue to lose their own identity, the term will lose currency. There are signs that some Pentecostal churches are trying to shed their old identities. Many AG churches no longer call themselves X Assembly of God, but X Charismatic Center or Christian Center, etc.
(9) People in the United States are always hearing rumors about "revival" in China. Since Chinese Christianity is the great unknown to their American counterparts, can you give our readers a glimpse of the reports that are coming out of China? What should we know about our faith there and in what way in pentecostalism contributing?
That's a big question. We know very little about Christianity in China. Even the number of Christians there is still an open question. Estimates vary widely. The size and spread of Christianity means that most outsiders have only a limited exposure to Christianity in China. There are, however, a few things that we do know with a measure of certainty: 1. The Christian churches, both the "house churches" and "official churches" are experiencing very rapid growth. 2. Christians can be found in the highest echelons of society, even though some (for obvious reasons) do not openly declare themselves as Christians. 3. In recent times, Christianity (and religion in general) is no longer looked upon as the opiate of the people. There is tacit acknowledgement that Marxist ideology has created a moral and spiritual vacuum which is quite inimical to the creation of a modern, capitalist economy, and that religion is needed for the common good. 4. The majority of the Christians, especially in the house churches, practice a charismatic form of Christianity, even if they do not identify themselves as such. I think what we see in China illustrates my point about the adaptability of the Pentecostal-charismatic movement. Its message addresses the day-to-day concerns of many ordinary people.
(10) Do you see Christianity morphing China over the next twenty-five years into the type of country that would barely reflect China as it is today?
Christianity is certainly exerting influence, sometimes in very high places in China and probably way beyond its size. But we must not forget that there are also traditional Asian religions that are experiencing resurgence in Asia, including China. Confucianism is one such ethico-religious movement. Who is to say what might be twenty-five years from now? What could be said with a certain degree of plausibility is that religion (not just Christianity) will play an increasing role in China over the next twenty-five years. We might even see the emergence of a "theistic communism." Who knows?
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