Towards a Chinese Theology of Displacement: The Poetic Journey of a Chinese Migrant
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Abstract
While poetry was used as a rich vehicle to express one’s identity, freedom and communal belonging in the “poetry fever” (shige re, 诗歌热) of the 1980s in Mainland China, its connection with Christian theology has been long neglected despite the rapid increase in Chinese conversion to Christianity amongst the post-1989 generation. Using both autoethnographic and phenomenological methodology, this paper explores the relationship between the two using the author’s own poetry writings as a case study. From the vantage point of a Chinese Christian, poet and migrant to Australia, this paper is an inter-disciplinary study that journeys with the poetic voice from the themes of lament to search and then return, followed by some theological reflections. It argues that the dualistic thinking of poetry and theology can move into non-dualist responses so that the two can meet and become fused on the epistemological path towards God. This path parallels with that of the Israelites in exile, and ultimately Jesus’ journey in the gospel. It aims to provide a trajectory to develop further a poetic Chinese theology of displacement.
摘要
尽管在中国大陆八十年代的 “诗歌热” 中，诗歌是被用来表达身份，自由和群体归属感的丰富手段，但是随着 1989 年后的一代归信基督教人数的迅速增长，诗歌与基督教神学的联系却被长期忽略。本文使用自我人种学和现象学方法，以作者自己的诗歌作品为例，探讨了两者之间的关系。从华裔基督徒，诗人和澳大利亚移民的角度出发，本文是一项跨学科研究，和诗性的声音同旅，主题从哀叹出发，进行探索， 然后返回，这之后再进行一些神学反思。文章认为，诗歌和神学的二元论思想可以转变为非二元论的回应，从而使两者可以在通往上帝的认识论道路上相遇并融合。 这条道路与流亡的以色列人和最终耶稣在福音中的旅程相似。它的目的是提供一条轨迹，进一步发展诗意的华人流离神学。
Resumen
Aunque la poesía fue utilizada como un medio excelente para expresar la identidad propia, la libertad y la pertenencia comunitaria durante la 'fiebre de la poesía' (shige re, 诗歌热) de la década de los ochenta en la China continental, su conexión con la teología cristiana ha sido descuidada por mucho tiempo. Esto sucede a pesar del rápido aumento de la conversión china al cristianismo en la generación posterior a 1989. Este artículo utiliza una metodología auto-etnográfica y fenomenológica para explorar la relación entre los temas mencionados utilizando las poesías del autor como estudio de caso. Desde un punto de vista de cristiano chino, poeta e inmigrante en Australia, este trabajo interdisciplinario hace un recorrido acompañado de la voz poética de los temas del lamento a la búsqueda y vuelta al regreso, y continúa con algunas reflexiones teológicas. Argumenta que el pensamiento dualista de la poesía y de la teología puede modificarse dando respuestas no dualistas para que los dos puedan encontrarse y fusionarse en un camino epistemológico hacia Dios. Este camino es semejante al de los israelitas en el exilio, y en el fondo al camino de Jesús en el evangelio. Su objetivo es proporcionar un camino para seguir desarrollando una teología poética china del desplazamiento para las comunidades chinas.
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Towards a Chinese Theology of Displacement: The Poetic Journey of a Chinese Migrant
In: Mission StudiesSearch for other papers by Xiaoli Yang in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
While poetry was used as a rich vehicle to express one’s identity, freedom and communal belonging in the “poetry fever” (shige re, 诗歌热) of the 1980s in Mainland China, its connection with Christian theology has been long neglected despite the rapid increase in Chinese conversion to Christianity amongst the post-1989 generation. Using both autoethnographic and phenomenological methodology, this paper explores the relationship between the two using the author’s own poetry writings as a case study. From the vantage point of a Chinese Christian, poet and migrant to Australia, this paper is an inter-disciplinary study that journeys with the poetic voice from the themes of lament to search and then return, followed by some theological reflections. It argues that the dualistic thinking of poetry and theology can move into non-dualist responses so that the two can meet and become fused on the epistemological path towards God. This path parallels with that of the Israelites in exile, and ultimately Jesus’ journey in the gospel. It aims to provide a trajectory to develop further a poetic Chinese theology of displacement.
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 547 | 87 | 8 |
| Full Text Views | 70 | 10 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 148 | 22 | 0 |