The Dispute About Sino-Christian Theology

The word "Sino-Christian Theology" first came out on<Dao Feng>resurrected in1994. It was put forward by Yang Xinan and Liu Xiaofeng, aiming at promoting the academic research of Christianity and making it be a part of Chinese academic tradition. With the development of Sino-Christian Theology, there has a controversy about its concept, mainly lies in the Sino-Christian Theology in a narrow sense and Sino-Christian Theology in a broad sense. Sino-Christian Theology in a narrow sense refers specially the theology of cultural-Christians, such as Liu Xiaofeng’s theology. Sino-Christian Theology in a broad sense refers the theological works that written in Chinese no matter what race the writer is and where he lives. Specifically, the controversy is about different theology theories constructed by different scholars.Form research literatures with, this article sorts out different theology theories by different theologians, the connotation and the extension change of Sino-Christian Theology and discusses the controversy about the definition of Sino-Christian Theology, for the purpose of demonstrating a clear view of Sino-Christian Theology for the readers. This article involves the first advance and the significance of Sino-Christian Theology, the difference between Sino-Christian Theology in a narrow sense and Sino-Christian Theology in a broad sense, the theology theories constructed by Liu Xiaofeng, He Guanghu, Zeng Qingbao, Wen Weiyao, Lai Pinchao, Li Qiuling, Wang Xiaozhao, Zhuo Xinping, Huang Baoluo, etc, and opinions on Sino-Christian Theology in a narrow sense by priests in Hong Kong. The crux of the dispute lies in to the definition about the Sino-Christian Theology in a narrow sense, and the main questions lies in the relationship with the church theology as well as the validity of constructors. This article finally points out that, taking Sino-Christian Theology in a broad sense as the angle of view conforms to the pluralism of development of theology.