Critical Introduction to The Compassionate God by C. S. SongInroduction
This essay will be a critical introduction to C.S. Song and his theology through his book, The Compassionate God and his other books and articles. We understand that there are many different theologies from Third World theologians, who speak with different voices from different point of view. C.S. Song, of Chinese ethnic background, has unique experience of life and work in Asia, Europe and America He has made good contributions to construct the new theological thinking from the perspective of the Third World, especially from the Asian perspective. He was educated at National Taiwan University and the University of Edinburgh and received his doctorate at Union Theological Seminary in New York. He served for long time on the Faith and Order staff of the World Council of Churches. Wi Jo Kang, "Review of The Compassionate God," Missiology, vol. 8, April 1980.
Transposition Theology
In the introduction of his book, The Compassionate God C.S. Song explains about the 'Theology of Transposition', which is his basic position in this book. He rejects the traditional "salvation history theology" which is based on the "a straight-line God and a straight-line theology". He explains about the "disruption/dispersion principle" in God's saving history with many example sof biblical texts. The transpositional theology is prerequisite to the communication of the Christian gospel to the Third World. He insist on the changeability of the gospel by taking an example of God's incarnation through Jesus Christ in us all. He writes; "The wonderful thing about the gospel is that it could come in any shape and in any color. Furthermore, if it feels comfortable in western suit, it is equally comfortable in Indian sari or a Japanese kimono." C.S. Song, The Compassionate God, (Maryknoll,NY: Orbis Books, 1982), 11
He reminds us of St. Paul saying, "I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some"( 1 Cor. 9:22).
Centrism
Song argues that the 'centrism' in the tradtional theology is the major problem which 'makes us blind to how God is at work in other persons of all sorts and conditions' C.S. Song, The Compassionate God, (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1982), 132
He illustrates how the 'centrism' of the traditional Christian theology devalued God's saving activity working outside the sacred history of Israel and the church. The traditional theology has reduced the value of women, blacks and those of other cultures and faiths. He points out the word 'non-Christian' as discriminatory by quoting T. K. Thomas' objection to the word of "non- Christian': " We are what we are, not what we-are-not. We are not non-apes, but human beings. Our Buddhist and Hindu friends are Buddhist and Hindu, not non-Christians. They do not find their identity in relation to Christians; they find it within their heritage and because of their faith, on their own." ibid., 64
He argues that God is the God of all nations. He also reiterates that the Christian theologians in Asia have to show "how God is involved in the life and history of the nations beyond the orbit of the Christian Church" ibid., 83
Mission of Heaven
In the third part, he deals mainly with China. He tries to apply to Chinese history the Old Testament concept of God as Lord of history. From the Chinese classical book, The Book of Historical Documents, C.S. Song finds a kind of philosophy of history, or even a political theology. He writes: " Politics and history are seen, evaluated, and judged in relation to Heaven, its will and mandate. But above all, human beings are the central concern of this ancient Chinese political theology" ibid., 146
He also argues that the Chinese sages like Confucious or Mencious, not prophets in Old Testament sense, should be 'regarded as instruments of God's redeeming love and power in ancient China'. 'They had a mission - God's mission to see righteousness and love prevail in their land.'(p.159) In the last chapter Song reflects the agonies of many Asians. Like a number of the Third World theologians C. S. Song sees God identifying himself with the poor and powerless in Asia. He insists that God is no monopoly of any nations.
Theological Critique
In addition to the book of The Compassionate God C. S. Song wrote many books and articles on the Third World Theology. His major works are as follows;
The Third-Eye Theology(1979), Tell Us Our Names: Story Theology from an Asian Perspective(1984), Theology from the WOMB of ASIA(1988), Jesus and the Reign of God (1993) and many essays and articles. Throughout the books Song is making us rethink some very basic concepts about God, Christ, creation, redemption, incarnation and liberation. Sometimes we have to follow his logical theory on the new theology as we can not find any special reason to refute it. In his review of The Compassionate God W. J. Kang, a Asian theologian, has great admiration for C. S. Song's contribution to the new theological thinking from an Asian perspective. Kang writes in his review:
"He succeeds well in demonstrating how Western theology was gradually "Aryanized" and the image of Christ changed as Christianity marched from Palestine to the Graeco-Roman world, Europe and America. In this process the true picture of Christ became distorted, as could be seen in the portrayals of a "pointed-nosed Christ" which ignored his Semitic Near Eastern background." Wi Jo Kang, "Review of The Compassionate God", Missiology, Vol. 12 No.3 Jl 1984
However, there are many strong criticism against his works. In the article, "A Critical Profile of Choan-Seng Song's Theology" Michael S. Moore comments: "How can a theology which claims to be Asian be so dependent on Western philisophical categories?" Michael S. Moore, "A Critical Profile of Choan-Seng Song's Theology", Missiology, Vol. X No. 4 Oct. 1982, 462
Richard F. Young also says that it is disappointing for Song to 'refer so sparingly to his own religious milieu and depend so heavily on Western theologians.' Richard F. Young, "Review of Christian Mission by Song", Christian Scholars' Review col. no.1 1979
Song is an Asian theologian but he is educated mainly in the western Universities (University of Edinburgh, Scotland and Union Theological Seminary, New York). So we understand that he feels at home in Western philosophical categories and can quote freely and critically from Asian sources as well as Western. But C. Lacy thinks that Song is trying to develop a theology in "in universal as well as Asian term" Creighton Lacy, "Review of Third-World Theology by Song," Missiology 9 April 1981
In his "review of The Compassionate God" C. G. Arevalo suggests that Song should provide more exact conceptual definition of his basic terms and his major positions. He argues: "the absence of ecclesiology in Song's theology needs more probing, beyond many of us do not quite know what to do with the Church." C.G. Arevalo, "Review of The Compassionare God by Song", Internatioal Bulletin of Missionart Research, vol 8 April 1984
Sociopolitical Critique
From Song's theology we can find sociopolitical approaches. Song discusses politics together with theology and theology together with politics. In his Third-Eye Theology, he comments on the celebration of Easter Sunday in Korea after the imposition of martial law, Song states:
" In the eyes of the rulers of this world the resurrection faith with the cross at its center can be a faith of insurrection. So be it! If this be an insurrection, it is one in the hearts and minds of Christians, staged not to take over political power and form a political party, but to urge and challenge those in power to humanize and democratize their political machinery and make it capable of serving the needs of the people. Thus an insurrection shaped by the faith of the resurrection differs from an insurrection that arises out of a struggle for political power and domination." Choan-Seng Song, Third-Eye Theology; Theology in Formation in asian Settings
(Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1979), 182
M.S. Moore comments that Song is saying "what the prophets said to a politically repressive context similar to the Israel of Jeremiah's day - and saying it in categories which are distinctly biblical, unlike some of his colleagues in the burgeoning field of liberation theology.
Minjung Theology
From Song's theology we can find sociopolitical approaches. He recognize "a political God" in the suffering of humanity, especially in the Third World. In his book, The Third-Eye Theology, he concludes : "Jesus did not identify the cause of the kingdom of God with the establishment of a new social and political order; ... the politics of God was not a politics of sword but the politics of the cross and suffering" C.S. Song, Third-eye Theology. Theology in Formation in Asian Settings,(Maryknoll,NY: Orbis, 1979), 228
In his article "Building a Theological Culture of People", he supports and comments on the Minjung(people) theology of Korea in the basis of his socilpolitical theology. 'Minjung' means the common people, who are oppressed politically or economically and alienated siciologicaaly in Korean history. Song comments on the Minjung(people) theology of Korea:
"Minjung theology has made its indelible mark on the social and political ethos of the people of Korea in the teeth of misunderstanding, calumny and pressures both inside and outside the church. ...Minjung theology is a theology of the cross....Theirs is not a "new" theology. It is as old as the Old Testament. Theirs is not a "fashionable" theology. It is in fact as "unfashionable" as that of Jesus two thousand years ago." C. S. Song, "Building a Theological Culture of People", Asia Journal of Theology,
vol.1 No.2, 1987
Here I am afraid that C.S. Song could be mistaken as the liberation theologian of Latin America. But minjung theology differs from Latin American theology as minjung can be understand only throughout Korean peculiar history. Minjung theology has been controversial among Korean and Third World theologians. Minjung theology has not been well supported by most of Korean churches as it was so radical as in the way of liberating the oppressed. Throughout the article he illustrates well the points with the suffering of Korea at that time.
Conclusion
Song's writing is generally so eloquent and insightful that we are charmed and moved by his logical argument. Christians are challenged to have a broader view of God's saving activities in Third World cultures, particularly Asian. We could accept his transpositional theology that God is working in the lives of all peoples and nations. But we will have to observe carefully the signs of how God is working among the majority of the world's populations.
In spite of the critiques against Song's work we will have to agree to his position that 'some historical and human experiences in Asia disclose to us the heart of God in agony and compassion'
