Taiwan Church News
3422 Edition
September 25 – October 1, 2017
Headline News
500 Years Of Reformation: Faith, Reform And The Challenges Of Ideology
Reported by Chiu Kuo-rong
To explore the contemporary meanings of Reformation, especially at its 500th anniversary, a seminar entitled as “500 Years of Reformation: Faith, Reform and the Challenges of Ideology” was held at Chi-nan Presbyterian Church on September 23. His Excellency, Mr Asher Yarden (Representative of Israel in Taiwan), delivered a opening speech for this significant seminar.
Prof Dr Stephen Lakkis, director of Center for Public Theology at Tainan Theological College, pointed out that the historical fact the notorious Nazi regime, committed so many heinous massacres and evil cleansing of the Jews in the first half of 20th century, yet reaping so many enthusiastic supports from German Christians deserved our critical thinking in a contemporary right-turn milieu around the world.
Quoting Paul’s advice to the Corinth Church believers encouraging them to become genuine followers of Jesus Christ, Prof Lakkis urged Christians to reflect if a life of Christian faith is really practiced within our inner lives and if Jesus Christ is exactly what we believed in. “This is the task what the Reformation, also as a test of Christians and the church, truly wants to accomplish. And it depends on if our faith goes on the right track,” Prof Lakkis said, adding a reminder that a faith totally complying with the verses of Holy Bible could not be equivalent to engage in a faith in Jesus Christ!
Many renown Christian theologians and scholars were invited to deliver their thoughts about contemporary significance of the Reformation in this seminar. Rev. Dr. Heike Springhart (University of Heidelberg, Germany), delivered her studies about the dark times of Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchenbund between 1933 and 1945; His Excellency Mr Martin Eberts (Representative of Germany in Taiwan) addressed how the Catholic Church adapted and revolted from the era of Reich to Bundesrepublic; Prof. Dr. Clifford Anderson (Vanderbilt University, USA) discussed the theological thoughts under the time of crisis; Prof. Dr. Stephen Lakkis (director of Center for Public Theology, TTCS) analysed the proper use and abuse of the scripture within social conflict.
Taiwanese scholars, Prof. Dr Hua Yih-Fen(famous historian of Taiwan history at National Taiwan University) and Prof Dr Yao Li-Ming (public administration professor and former congress member Taiwan’s Legislative Assembly) were also invited to share their thoughts with above four speakers.
Translated by Peter Wolfe
