Archetypal and Ectypal: Undergirding Contextual Reformed Theology

Dr. James Eglinton, Meldrum Senior Lecturer in Reformed Theology, New College, University of Edinburgh, Scotland

Abstract: This article supplements Ximian Xu’s efforts to draw on Abraham Kuyper’s neo-Calvinism to develop a Sino-Reformed theology. It does so noting Xu’s reliance on Kuyper’s views on (i) the tempo-spatiality of theology, and (ii) the manner in which theology progresses organically through cultures across history. The article supplements Xu’s argument by probing the layer of theo-logic that undergirds both points in Kuyper’s view of theology as inherently contextual: namely, the view that theology only exists in archetypal and ectypal forms. Setting neo-Calvinism in its critical reception of this distinction, which it received from early modern Reformed scholasticism, it argues that in its past and present, neo-Calvinism has drawn on the nature of human theologising as ectypal as a fecund resource in the task of contextual theology. In this neo-Calvinist theological framework, it is possible to develop both Dutch Reformed and Sino-Reformed theologies, affirming that both are ‘pilgrim theologies’ expressing the same notion of ‘true theology.’

Reconsidering Geerhardus Vos: Neo-Calvinism and the Development of Sino-Reformed Biblical Theology

Dr. Heng Li Chiong, Cornerstone Christian Church in Somerset, East Franklin, NJ, US

Abstract: This article explores how neo-Calvinist Geerhardus Vos (1862-1949) and his Reformed biblical theology can inspire the Sino-Reformed community to develop its own biblical theology within the broader Reformed tradition. It examines Vos’s identity through his biographical background and assesses how his biblical theology, as a scientific discipline, has been received within the Sino-Reformed community. Vos is often referred to as the father of Reformed biblical theology, a title that shapes the understanding of his contributions. However, this designation overlooks Vos’s Dutch Seceder identity and the way he constructed his biblical theology by incorporating neo-Calvinist elements that reflect Reformed orthodoxy throughout its historical development. By examining Vos’s identity and the neo-Calvinist theological elements embedded in his biblical theology, this article explores how the Sino-Reformed community in mainland China might appropriate Vos’s insights to develop a biblical theology that remains faithful to the broader Reformed tradition while being meaningfully grounded in their cultural context.

Seeking Divine Revelation in Chinese Philosophical Heritage: Jonathan Edwards and Reformed Catholicity

Dr Victor Zhu, Columbia International University, US

Abstract: This study explores Jonathan Edwards’s engagement with Chinese philosophy within the framework of Reformed Catholicity – a theological vision committed to biblical fidelity, historical continuity, and Christian unity. Edwards showed a notable openness to non-Protestant and non-Western traditions, drawing on Roman Catholic writings about Confucianism and Taoism. He believed traces of divine revelation could be found in Chinese classics and viewed China as part of God’s redemptive plan. His perspective aligned in part with Catholic missionaries who saw Confucian teachings as echoing biblical truths, possibly inherited from the patriarchs. In contrast to Deists, who rejected the authority of Scripture, Edwards defended the Reformed insistence on divine revelation and redemption. Though he sometimes oversimplified Chinese thought due to limited sources, his work reveals a striking global theological imagination. This study highlights an overlooked aspect of Edwards’s theology and its relevance for cross-cultural dialogue between Reformed theology, Roman Catholicism, and Chinese philosophy.

Public, Political, and Puritan? Reformed Conformity and Ecclesiology in Urban China

Dr Christy Wang, Graduate School of Economics, Faculty of Economics, the University of Tokyo, Japan

Abstract: This article examines the contested identity of the Reformed church in urban China and its diverse approaches to religious politics, particularly since the 2010s. Despite profound differences in church polity and political engagement among Reformed circles, a set of shared ideals unites these communities. Most notably, Chinese Reformed church leaders commonly appeal to Puritan history to frame their commitment to civil obedience, uphold evangelism as the core mission of the church, and justify their separation from the state-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement (tspm). However, these rehearsed categories also empower them to promote markedly different pastoral priorities, social imaginations, and attitudes toward political conflict. Assessing both the ecclesiological unity and diversity of Reformed Christianity in urban China, this article delineates a distinctively Chinese vision of Reformed catholicity: hidden yet public, Sino-centric yet global and cosmic, and finally, politically marginal yet spiritually central.

Revisiting China’s Modernity through the Lens of “Consciousness of Darkness”: Reinhold Niebuhr’s Influence on Chang Hao

Dr Luping Huang, Department of Philosophy, Sichuan University, China

Abstract: This article examines the intellectual foundations and implications of Chang Hao’s concept of “consciousness of darkness”, a framework rooted in Reinhold Niebuhr’s theological anthropology and Christian realism. By interrogating human sinfulness and the limitations of moral progress, Chang’s concept critiques both traditional Confucian idealism and modern utopianism, particularly within China’s Transitional Era (1895-1920) and May Fourth Movement. The study argues that the consciousness of darkness transcends mere pessimism, embodying a political ethos that balances idealism with institutional vigilance against the corrupting tendencies in human nature. It highlights how Niebuhr’s doctrine of sin—emphasizing humanity’s dual capacity for grandeur and depravity—shaped Chang’s analysis of modern Chinese thought, particularly the dangers of radical anthropocentrism and the deification of humanity.