This chapter aims to construct a Chinese Pentecost theology for the third millennium in the context of a rapidly modernizing yet spiritually vibrant China beyond the Pentecostal sphere of churches. It argues that the embodied, sensory experiences of the Pentecost—manifested through phenomena such as the sound of wind, tongues of fire, and dynamic practices—resonate with traditional Chinese concepts like qi and ling. Despite historical challenges, including secularization and periods of repression, China’s enduring religious vitality presents a unique opportunity to rearticulate a Pentecost theology in culturally relevant terms. By retelling the history of Chinese Christianity—from early Church of the East encounters to Jesuit and Protestant engagements and indigenous and global Christianity—the work challenges Western dualistic paradigms and proposes a holistic anthropology. This constructive theology not only foregrounds the transformative work of the Holy Spirit as expressed in the Pentecost but also fosters inclusive interfaith dialogue and a global mission that reclaims the agency of indigenous spiritual experiences.

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Toward a Chinese Pentecost Theology for the Third Millennium

  • Jacob Chengwei Feng

摘要

This chapter aims to construct a Chinese Pentecost theology for the third millennium in the context of a rapidly modernizing yet spiritually vibrant China beyond the Pentecostal sphere of churches. It argues that the embodied, sensory experiences of the Pentecost—manifested through phenomena such as the sound of wind, tongues of fire, and dynamic practices—resonate with traditional Chinese concepts like qi and ling. Despite historical challenges, including secularization and periods of repression, China’s enduring religious vitality presents a unique opportunity to rearticulate a Pentecost theology in culturally relevant terms. By retelling the history of Chinese Christianity—from early Church of the East encounters to Jesuit and Protestant engagements and indigenous and global Christianity—the work challenges Western dualistic paradigms and proposes a holistic anthropology. This constructive theology not only foregrounds the transformative work of the Holy Spirit as expressed in the Pentecost but also fosters inclusive interfaith dialogue and a global mission that reclaims the agency of indigenous spiritual experiences.