Theological and practical reflections on building dynamic church communities.

摘要

The outflux of Christians and church leaders and the secret way that emigration was handled during the 1997 crisis has exposed the Hong Kong church as being deficient in the reality of community. Further exploration reveals that Hong Kong society has been individualistic in an amoral and utilitarian sense. Evidence indicates that the church is also plagued by the ethos of individualism. The structural, historical and cultural background of Hong Kong (as a British colony in a Chinese land) can satisfactorily account for most of the individualistic traits of the church and society. Unless we confess our bondage to individualism, building the church into a dynamic community will not be possible. However, battling against individualism demands the adequate weapon of theology. Trinity as communion of three persons is such a weapon. Moreover, the dynamic Trinitarian understanding of the Cappadocian fathers that person constitutes the being of God, serves as an excellent ground for the ecclesiology of community. It brings forth a dynamic and relational understanding of church polity, spirituality, ministry and mission. On the other hand, the communitarian motif of biblical revelation reinforces our conviction that individualism is foreign to the Christian tradition. Furthermore, biblical revelation witnesses that God's heart is for community. His design of community as revealed especially in the Mosaic covenant sheds much light on principles of dynamic community living for the present day church. The identification of our sickness (individualism), the formulation of a Trinity based ecclesiology, and the portrait of the biblical paradigm of community thus constitutes three strands that form one strong life-cord which may rescue the church from the rough sea of the individualistic milieu and form it into a dynamic community. To build the church into such a community is the desire of many pastors and church leaders. Plunging into quick solutions is however a real temptation for eager leaders. The contextual insights, and the theological and biblical principles espoused in this dissertation serve also as a basis of critique of current praxis, as is demonstrated in the concluding chapter.