Some Perspectives on Science and Christian Theology from the History of China and Their Relevance Today

Professor Andrew Loke, Associate Professor at the Department of Religion and Philosophy of the Hong Kong Baptist University, will deliver the public lecture on Thursday 21 May 2026 at 16:00 in the Faculty of Divinity.

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Abstract: This paper focuses on two important incidents: the visit to China by Jesuit missionaries in the 16th century, and the visit by British philosopher Bertrand Russell in the early 20th century. In the first instance, the integration of science and Christian theology by the Jesuit Matteo Ricci (1552–1610) had a significant impact on the conversions of leading Chinese Confucian scholars such as Xu Guangqi (1562–1633). In the second instance, Russell’s arguments that science and Christianity are fundamentally in conflict in their epistemologies and attitudes had a crucial impact on the anti-Christianity movement involving the young Mao Zedong in the 1920s, and remain influential in China to this day. This paper will provide an in-depth theological and philosophical reflection on the two incidents mentioned above. It will be shown that the Chinese Christians and foreign missionaries in the 1920s did not respond adequately to Russell's arguments that failed to consider (among other things) the historical interaction between the Jesuits and Confucians in the 16th century. It will also be shown that the analyses of the “Territories of Science and Religion” by some contemporary scholars such as Peter Harrison are inadequate for accounting for the historical interaction and the issues raised in both incidents. This paper will propose a better way forward by explaining the lessons learned from the mistakes of the past and their relevance for overcoming the impasses in Science and Theology discussions today.

Further information on Professor Loke's biography and research output can be found here.

Rooted and Resilient: Kuyper's Ecclesiology for the Church Under Pressure

Dr Agnes Chiu, Assistant Professor & Director of the Center for Public Theology at the China Evangelical Seminary North America, will deliver a lecture on 26 May 2026 at 16:00 in the Faculty of Divinity

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Abstract: This work examines Abraham Kuyper's ecclesiology and doctrine of common grace as complementary theological resources for Christian public engagement under persecution. Tracing Kuyper's ecclesiological development through three distinct phases — from his early balanced understanding of the church as organism and institution, through his mature distinction between essence and form, to his final vision of ecclesial visibility independent of institutionalization — the work argues that these seemingly abstract distinctions constitute a coherent and practically oriented theological vision. Grounded in Kuyper's conviction that common grace and particular grace function as integral components of God's unified redemptive plan, this framework insists that the persecuted church fulfills its witness not through institutional self-preservation but through the embodied holiness and organic community life of its members. Drawing on Ad de Bruijne's and John Halsey Wood's analyses, alongside dialogue with Herman Bavinck and David Fergusson, the work demonstrates how progressive common grace sustains cultural engagement even under hostility, while Kuyper's doctrine of pluriformity enables authentic public presence as official institutional space contracts. Grounded in Ephesians 3:10-15, this vision holds enduring relevance for persecuted churches worldwide, offering theological resources for communities — from Chinese house churches to Western congregations facing cultural marginalization — to persist, adapt, and witness faithfully when institutional structures are stripped away.

Further information on Dr Chiu's biography and research output can be found here.

A Foreign Friend or an Indigenous Prophet? The Dilemma of Public Theology in China through the Lens of Y. T. Wu’s Thought

Dr Luping Huang, Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Sichuan University, will deliver a lecture on 2 June 2026 at 16:00 in the Faculty of Divinity.

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Abstract: This lecture examines the thought of Y. T. Wu (1893-1979), a pivotal Chinese Christian thinker, to explore the challenges of public theology in modern China. Wu’s intellectual evolution—from Social Gospel pacifism to a synthesis with Communism—exemplifies a relentless effort to make Christianity relevant to China's social transformation and national salvation. He argued that faith must address societal ills, positioning Christianity as a force for public good. However, Wu's project reveals a core dilemma: while his advocacy for indigenization (e.g., the Three-Self Movement) successfully aligned the church with national goals, it also risked subsuming Christian distinctiveness under a nationalist narrative. By over-emphasizing identification with the mainstream, Wu's approach arguably diminished the tradition's critical, "prophetic" capacity to challenge society from its position as a minority faith. This lecture argues that a sustainable Chinese public theology must navigate a delicate balance between cultural integration and critical distance, a tension central to Wu's enduring legacy.

Further information on Dr Huang's biography and research output can be found here.