Links LETTER
FROM BISHOP PUNZALAN (OIC) | 2-DAY
SCHEDULE | BREAK-OUT
SEMINARS
PDF Downloads SPONSORSHIP CONTRACT | ATTENDANCE-FAX REPLY FORM | LOCATION MAP
Brochure (jpg) FRONT | BACK
The Second Annual Forum of Asian Theological
Seminary, "Naming the Unknown God,"
was a huge success! Consider:
Almost 800 people attended.
- Attendees enjoyed thirty-five different presentations.
- Presenters represented more than ten countries of origin,
and at least ten different graduate schools and universities.
- Attendees learned how to minister to Muslims, to Hindus,
to unbelievers, and to many others not yet ready to join
the Christian church.
- Students and staff who helped to organize the forum presented
ATS with a 400,000 peso check at chapel on Wednesday, March
8. The check represented the amount of money Forum-related
events raised, after expenses
Numbers like these only
scratch the surface of the Forum's success, however. The
near unanimous report of the participants was that they
enjoyed the wide variety of topics covered, that they learned
much, and best of all, they were able to experience Christian
fellowship with pastors, students and scholars they might
otherwise never see.
Three plenary speakers delivered keynote lectures. Dr. Hwa
Yung, a bishop in the Methodist church of Malaysia and an
acclaimed author, spoke of the need for Asian theology to
be truly Asian and biblical. Dr. Manfred Kohl is a vice-president
of the Overseas Council, an organization devoted to strengthening
evangelical seminaries throughout the world. He made an
impassioned plea to Asian seminaries to meet the real needs
of Asian churches, and to discern those needs by listening
carefully to alumni and churches themselves. Prof. Emo Yango
of Koinonia Seminary in Davao made the case of doing theology
with deep love and concern for the "underside"
of society-the poor, the alienated, those of other faiths,
and the marginalized.
ATS faculty members, board members, and students gave almost
half of the lectures. Some of their lectures were on very
tough, often ignored, topics. ATS students, in particular,
handled some fascinating issues such as ancestor worship,
using poetry as a bridge for inter-religious dialogue, the
Christology of the Iglesia ni Cristo, ministering to victims
of HIV/AIDS, Dialogue with Catholics, Johannine prologue
as a basis for interfaith dialogue and the Koran's portrait
of Jesus.
One of the more exciting aspects of the Forum was that students
pre-sold hundreds of tickets. The staff also pitched in
in a big way! They handled moving chairs and coffee pots
and sound equipment to Union Church of Manila. They staffed
the registration table, managed feeding 100 volunteers,
moved crowds through crowded hallways, and packed everything
up when we were done.
We could not have done the Forum without the especially
generous participation of Union Church of Manila. Their
staff was unfailingly polite, running from one little crisis
to another in order to keep the Forum moving along smoothly.
Perhaps one of the most satisfying aspects of the forum
was the opening and closing worship. Members of Asian Institute
of Liturgy and Music (AILM) used traditional Asian instruments
to bring songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. Participants
joined in singing traditional songs from Thailand, Korea,
China, Myanmar, and the Philippines.
Planning to attend next year's Forum, but still sad that
you missed this year's? Well, look for the upcoming OMF
publication of the most intriguing and important papers
from the Second Theological Forum. The book, following on
the huge success of the first Forum book, Doing Theology
in the Philippines, will be launched next August.
CALL FOR PAPERS FOR THE 3RD ANNUAL
THEOLOGICAL FORUM
"THE SPIRIT WORLD: Biblical Reflections on
the Asian Context"
From pagan survivals in Roman Catholic
and popular practice to thoughtless superstition; from Evangelicalism's
sometimes overwrought concern with spiritual warfare to
scriptural teachings about principalities and powers-how
do we give the spirit world its proper due without falling
prey to sensationalism or secular media fads? What is the
variety of Catholic, Muslim, various sects and even secular
belief and superstition in this area? What is the Biblical
message about spirits? How should the Asian church minister
to people deeply engaged in pagan spirituality? Interested
individuals (theologians, pastors, missionaries, educators
and graduate students) are invited to submit paper proposals!
Proposals should be one page in length
and include the following:
- Paper Title
- Your full name, institution/group you are associated with,
your address, email-address, office and cell phone numbers
- An abstract (max 125 words) summarizing the main thesis/argument
of the paper.
The papers themselves should be deliverable
in 25 minutes (about 2500-3000 words) in order to leave
adequate time for discussion. Submission of a proposal does
not guarantee acceptance. Papers presented at this Forum
will become part of the Forum's official proceedings.
ATS also welcomes suggestions about
potential plenary speakers!
Submission deadline for proposal
abstracts is September 30, 2006. Send proposals,
topic and speaker suggestions by email to 3rdforum@ats.ph.
