In Search of Authentic Humanity

　　How marvelous is the guidance of our gracious God! Throughout my ministry at the seminary and in the churches, God has faithfully led me, allowing me to experience God’s abundant grace time and again.

The Dark and Bright Sides of Human Nature

　　As I reflect on God’s grace, I also recall the difficulties I have faced. For example, 2022 was a challenging year for me. My mother fell gravely ill and passed away, and in the same year, I witnessed how dark and vicious people can become when they are driven by selfish desires. I saw how unchecked ambition led to betrayal—even rebellion against God. In their narcissism, some abused “freedom,” becoming arrogant, feeling superior, and even imposing their views upon others. They pursued their goals through oppression, envied what others possessed, and even sought to destroy others. They stood above all others, heedless of anyone else. Having glimpsed the darkness within human nature, I also came to appreciate the preciousness of friendship. Some bonds faded like the wind, while others, forged over just a few years, grew ever stronger and more resilient—free of pretense or artifice, sustained by trust, mutual reminding, and encouragement. These experiences moved me to write a sequel to my books HUMANITY AND VIRTUE and FRIENDSHIP OF THE HEART AND SPIRIT.

　　One afternoon in 2022, I had lunch with a member of a seminary’s advisory board. During our conversation, he remarked that the events unfolding in Hong Kong over recent years essentially revolved around “anthropology,” and suggested that there was a growing need for churches to delve deeper into this subject. I thanked him for his insight and shared that back in the early 1980s, when I first began exploring theology, anthropology had been the theological direction I was most passionate in pursuing. At that time, I had just begun pastoral ministry in the church. Every Saturday morning when I was free, I would pore over Systematic Theology written by Paul Tillich (1886-1965) page by page, desperately trying to make up for my lack of foundational knowledge in modern theology. During the subsequent decade of my studies in the United States, anthropology remained my primary research focus. Upon returning to Hong Kong, however, my attention shifted to seminary work and church ministry, temporarily setting aside those research projects. I told him, “It seems God is using you to remind me to revisit my reflections on anthropology.”

Starting with Truth-Seeking, Ending with Mission

　　As I spoke with him, the long-held ideal from my youth—the pursuit of authenticity—resurfaced in my mind. This quest, which was deeply rooted in my teens, remained a cherished conviction throughout my formative years.

　　In my youth, I spent countless hours with a group of kindred spirits. We strummed guitars and sang hymns in fellowship, engaged in spirited discussions during Bible studies, and illuminated each other in shared laughter and silence. It was a connection forged through passion: we yearned for truth and rejoiced in the moments when our souls were illuminated by its light. Even then, I could not turn a blind eye to what is not authentic in the church. I began immersing myself in prophetic literature and other biblical texts, and my heart burned with fervor as a vision took root: the hope that the church might walk more steadfastly on the path of truth and purity. Unexpectedly, God transformed that hope into a guiding light. Through my longing and pursuit, God miraculously led me onto an unforeseen path—later, I answered God’s call, entered the seminary, received training, and embarked on a journey that began with truth-seeking and culminated in mission.

The Truth and Theological Anthropology

　　In 2023, to meet the needs of the seminary, I co-taught the Systematic Theology course with a new colleague, helping him adapt to our teaching environment. My role involved delivering a small portion of the course content, but I saw an opportunity to enrich the curriculum by broadening its theological scope. To help students develop a balanced and expansive theological perspective—one that engages diverse traditions and avoids narrow bias—I proposed incorporating the systematic theology works of Wolfhart Pannenberg (1928-2014) into the curriculum. I believe his approach offers insights that are valuable for Chinese churches. In my view, the underlying divergence in the debate between Pannenberg and modern Christianity stems from differing understandings of the concept of “truth.” For Pannenberg, truth by nature cannot be merely subjective. Only when it can be claimed—at least in principle—to be true for everyone can it simultaneously be personal. Therefore, systematic theology seeks to be coherent with all other fields of knowledge. This endeavor is based on the conviction of God as the Creator of the world, and thus demands theological reflection that incorporates insights from humanity, the natural world, and history—all can be illuminated by the revelation of Christ. In this light, Pannenberg tried to develop “theological anthropology”—not as the foundation for constructing the entire systematic theology, but as a methodological starting point for theological reflection. He examined discoveries within the humanities concerning human existence, probing their theological significance and implications.

Reading Theological Classics Together

　　In 2024, I launched a new course, “Guided Reading Seminar,” at the Lay Theological Education Department (LTED) of the Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary. The aim was to lead students into the rich world of theological classics through close reading and deep reflection. I wanted their learning to extend beyond lectures—to include personal engagement, savoring, and contemplation of the original texts. I selected The Peaceable Kingdom by Stanley Hauerwas (1940-) as the course reading to explore with students the kingdom of peace promised by God. In this book, Hauerwas also reflects on how the stories of Jesus shape human identity and character. I guided the class through this classic page by page, encouraging them to carefully ponder the meaning of the text. I believe that to truly understand a theologian, one must read their original works. Relying solely on secondary interpretations risks grasping only a superficial understanding. I hope that the church will raise leaders with a solid theological foundation—leaders who embody wisdom, perseverance, justice, courage, and love in the midst of turbulent times. I am well aware that Hong Kong churches have passed through a “baby-talk” stage of theological development—a natural and necessary process. Like infants learning to speak, we still carry traces of imitation in our theological discourse. But we must move beyond the immature state of blindly echoing others’ opinions or accepting one-sided perspectives. For instance, it is not enough to say, “This is Bonhoeffer’s view, so we must follow it,” or “This is Hauerwas’s position, so we should apply it directly.” Theology requires discernment, reflection, and critical evaluation—followed by faithful application.

　　After the conclusion of the “Guided Reading Seminar,” Mr. Carter Pang, LTED Director, invited me to organize another seminar. I gladly accepted. This time, he proposed studying Paul Tillich’s The Courage to Be, a work seldom explored within Chinese churches. I also gladly agreed. Tillich’s writing is profoundly thought-provoking. He argues that the courage to be which is rooted in God unites and transcends both “the courage to be as a part” and “the courage to be as oneself.” It avoids both the loss of oneself by participation and the loss of one’s world by individualization. Therefore, our self is not lost in a larger whole. If the self participates in the power of the being-itself, it receives itself back. For the power of being does not swallow individual selves as collectivism does. This is why the Church claims to be “the mediator of the courage to be.” Though differing from Hauerwas’s perspective, Tillich’s insights help brothers and sisters broaden their horizons and cultivate rigorous theological discernment.

　　In April of this year, I appointed Ms. Michelle Chan as Director of the Pastoral Continuing Education Program, with the expectation that she would vigorously promote lifelong learning among pastors. One of her key responsibilities is to develop courses similar to the “Guided Reading Seminar” for pastors in Hong Kong and abroad. I hope that through reading together, we may deepen our thinking and renew our minds. I am currently considering leading pastors and ministers in reading traditional theological classics, including A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) and Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin (1509-1564).

Public Theology and Human Nature

　　Additionally, I am also considering offering a new course on reading public theology classics and invited Dr. Philip Chia to participate in teaching it. As early as the beginning of the 21st century, he was already pioneering within public theology in Chinese academic circles and remains a significant scholar in this field. In December 2004, I had the privilege of presenting a paper at a public theology conference he organized. Remarkably, when preaching in Taiwan this past June, I discovered that public theology had become a hot topic of discussion there. As I write this, I hear that public theology is also beginning to attract attention within the Chinese-American community in the United States.

　　During that same month, while conceptualizing these courses, I received an unexpected invitation from the Institute for Chinese Christian Culture to write the foreword for Professor Hak-joon Lee’s new book, COVENANT AND COMMUNICATION: A CHRISTIAN MORAL CONVERSATION WITH JÜRGEN HABERMAS. This invitation seemed to inject a new impetus, prompting me to delve deeper into the essence of public theology. I revisited Professor Lee’s work with renewed attention. Professor Lee was my classmate during my doctoral studies at Princeton Theological Seminary, where he studied under Peter Paris and Max Stackhouse. Together, we took such specialized seminars as “Studies in John Calvin,” “Studies in Jonathan Edwards,” and “Studies in Karl Barth,” as well as such courses as “History of Ethics” and “Theory and Practice.” We engaged in deep discussions in classes exploring the thought of Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768-1834), among others. Professor Lee’s scholarship centres on the work of Jürgen Habermas (1929-), engaging in creative dialogue with contemporary public philosophy through his unique Christian theological perspective. As a Korean-American scholar, he emphasizes both a faithful engagement with the Christian tradition and a courageous embrace of diversity in religion, politics, ethics, and worldviews. This tension, he argues, serves as the wellspring of creative theological reflection. Therefore, theology must be a public discipline. Faith is not a mode of cognition independent of reason; rather, it is grounded in universal, historical knowledge. This implies that if the concept of God corresponds to an actual existing reality, it should illuminate human existence and our experience of the world. Humans are created in God’s image, yet remain characterized by sinfulness until the day of eschatological fulfillment—these ideas shape not only individual lives but also profoundly our view of human society.

　　As I weave these threads together, I cannot help but marvel at God’s wondrous guidance—unwittingly, I find myself returning to the path of exploring anthropology. Responding to the needs and calls of our times, and under God’s leading, I have come full circle to the quest I began forty years ago: the search for truth about human nature. Now I dedicate myself more deeply to the study and writing of anthropology. May this journey of life’s learning leave behind the enduring traces of my heart and mind.

Nov 2025