| Born in November 4, 1903, and dying as a martyr in a communist work camp at the Anhui Province, China, on June 1, 1972, Watchman Nee has written an indelible page in Chinese Church history. He exerts tremendous influence both among the Chinese Churches and the Western Churches alike.; Watchman Nee's theology demonstrates great influence from the Keswick theology, and the Brethren movement, especially the thought of J. N. Darby. The dissertation undertakes to investigate four of his major theological themes namely, anthropology, applied soteriology, Christology, and doctrine of Christian spirituality, which are woven together by an internal dynamic to form an integral whole.; Anthropological teaching is the pivot of Watchman Nee's theology. Individuals such as Mrs. Jessie Penn-Lewis, Andrew Murray, F. B. Meyer, and Madame Guyon are his source of influence, giving him his trichotomous view of human nature. The present study demonstrates that Nee's theology is a system, with dualism and his Chinese ethico-pragmatism together forming its underlying principium. This principium manifests itself by means of his allegorical method of biblical interpretation and his trichotomy, which not only is his view of human nature, but also serves as his theological perspective. There exists a hermeneutical circle so that the texts and the trichotomous perspective Nee brings to them always seem to legitimate each other.; Watchman Nee's theology when judged as a whole falls within the evangelical tradition. Much of his theological aberration, however, is a result of his trichotomous perspective coupled with a strong tendency of spiritualization in his overall allegorical method of interpretation. Thus his anthropology is tainted with a flavor of quietism and mysticism. His emphasis on the centrality of Christ is marred by his teaching on Christo-monism. His doctrine of the Word of God is weakened by his concept of revelation which subordinates the objective truth of the Scripture by elevating personal experience to dynamic centrality.; Though Watchman Nee may have flaws in his theological formulations, the message he brings to the twentieth century Church is a powerful one: theology is a way of life, not mere academic theorizing. |
