The Future of Evangelical Theology: Soundings from the Asian American Diaspora

In 2009, Soong-Chan Rah published a book with IVP entitled The Next Evangelicalism as his manifesto for the North American evangelical church to realise that it, like the global church, was becoming more and more ethnically diverse and needed to free itself from what he calls the ‘White Babylonian captivity’. The book currently under review by Amos Yong tackles a similar subject. However, instead of a battlecry, this recent publication by IVP Academic is an investigation into what the future holds for North American evangelical theology, broadly understood, as it necessarily engages with the growing phenomenon of Asian American evangelicalism and its theological concerns.Yong does not claim to speak for all Asian Americans; rather he speaks from his own biographical vantage point as an Asian American pent-evangelical (his shorthand for pentecostal-evangelical). To provide context, the first two chapters focus on how the growth in Asian and Asian American evangelicalisms are providing opportunities and challenges to the global and the North American churches, respectively.Chapter three shifts the tone by asking why the growth in Asian American evangelicalism has not actually resulted in any unique Asian American evangelical theology. One culprit he names is the conservatism of North American evangelicalism and its tendency towards fundamentalism and a ‘Christ against culture’ disposition. Another culprit comes from East Asia – namely, a Confucian cultural conservatism. Hence, while some Asian and Asian American theologians have brought up important theological considerations such as understandings of sin in terms of shame rather than only guilt, ‘Asian Americans are both too shameful and too shy to even consider asking about these matters’ (pg. 114).Chapter four continues down this thread and discusses pentecostalism as promoting conservatism and providing a willingness to engage ‘divinely ordered diversity and pluralism’. Yong writes: ‘Building on this idea, I have gone on to argue at length that the many tongues of Pentecost signify and anticipate not only the multilingual and multicultural character of the reign of God, but also the potential and possibility of the many cultural and perhaps even religious aspects of traditions around the world being caught up in the redemptive work of God in the eschatological long run.’ (pg. 136)The next two chapters engage more practical concerns of Asian immigrants in America – particularly the need for a theology of im/migration and a spirit of Jubilee with regards to undocumented immigration. Both of these chapters, of course, have wider consideration than just for Asian Americans.Chapter seven concludes the book by first speaking to Asian Americans. ‘The challenge for descendants of immigrants’, he soberly writes, ‘is avoidance of either ethnic ghettoization… or uncritical assimilation into the wider American milieu’ (pg. 220). For the global church, Yong argues that evangelicals need ‘positive apologetics’ – a constructive theology that ‘includes, rather than ignores or excludes, whatever truths, goodness and beauty are witnessed to by other traditions’ (pg. 231).As he points out, some may find being both Asian and American as debilitating (pg. 239). Instead, Amos Yong challenges Asian American evangelicals to see their hybridity as a significant resource for the global church. Overall, the theologically rich reflections of this book are an important read for all thoughtful evangelicals – Asian American and otherwise.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”To begin this review I’d simply like to say that I am new to this conversation. The conversation that I’m talking about is the conversation about the effects of “globalization” on the Christian faith. More specifically, this conversation is on the effects of the Asian American diaspora on evangelical theology.Amos Yong’s book The Future of Evangelical Theology: Soundings from the Asian American Diaspora (henceforth Evangelical Theology) is central to this conversation. At times I felt myself sinking under the number of sources and conversation partners Yong engaged with throughout this work. Much of this could be due to the format of the volume. Many parts of the book were reworked essays that Yong had written previously which kept the book from a natural flow (12). That said, even someone new to the conversation like myself can glean much from Yong’s work.Yong begins Evangelical Theology by sharing his “story” with the reader. He explains how growing up in a Pentecostal Chinese American household offered many challenges for him. Issues surrounding identity plagued much of his adolescence. Yong had a seemingly innate desire to know about his Chinese heritage (the culture of his parents) but was told that because he was a Christian he did not need to worry about the cultural aspects of his identity (pgs. 20-21).Rather than rejecting these roots Yong grew to embrace his upbringing in becoming a Chinese American Pentecostal and Evangelical theologian. Yet he has always held a desire to confront the issues that he faced growing up as an Asian American “pent-evangelical”. Yong describes some of his experiences in the world of evangelical theology that tended to confirm what he was told as a child. “Conversion to Christianity did bring with it a conversion to Christian culture at some level; the only thing is that in the upper Midwest such “Christian culture” takes on a very white form of life.” (pg. 23) Having told his story and aired some of his grievances Yong offers his thesis for Evangelical Theology:"In this volume I argue the thesis that Asian American experiences and perspectives have much to contribute to the broader evangelical theological discussion. More precisely I want to press the question of the what and how of evangelical theology in the emerging global context that we all now inhabit, and do so from the particular angle of Asian American realities." (pg. 27)From this springboard Yong jumps into a number of seemingly disassociated but ultimately united topics. In chapter 1 Yong expands on the realities of globalization and the existing and inevitable expansion of Asian Evangelical Theology. Chapter 2 sets out to speak to the specific experiences in Asian American religious and theological trends. Evangelical Theology really seems to hit its stride in chapter 3. It is here where Yong begins to immerse the reader into the “Whence” and “W(h)ither” of Asian American Evangelical theology. Chapter 4 takes the reader through the specific relationship between Asian American evangelical theology and Pentecostal theology, specifically Asian Pentecostal theology. This leads quite naturally into chapters 5 and 6 which highlight the relationships between evangelical theology, Pentecostal theology and immigration/migration. Then, like chapter 3, chapter 7 offers a somewhat cohesive overview of what Asian American Pent-evangelical theology is and where it’s going all the while echoing back to the themes of globalization in chapter 1. Yong then concludes with an epilogue which takes the form of pseudo-biography much like the prologue.Throughout the book Yong offers a few reoccurring themes. First there is the evangelical response to globalization. Yong perceives the pillars of evangelical theology in America have their heads in the sand in many ways and are devoid of dialogue with the changing nature of the church, particularly in conjunction with the “Asian American Diaspora.” Secondly, Yong considers the impacts that race, ethnicity and culture might have on the gospel. And third, Yong assumes that social, political and economic issues must be addressed by the theology of the church moving forward into an increasingly globalized world.In the end I found Yong’s book stimulating in many ways and am thankful that I have been exposed to a conversation that I was, in many ways, unaware of even taking place. That said, I do disagree with Yong on many levels and sit more comfortably in the theological seats of those who fall under his criticism.As I read Evangelical Theology two questions arose in my mind: (1) Does Yong oversimplify “Evangelicalism” in attempting to show the complexities of the Asian American situation? and (2) Does young take into account the complexities from the “native” side of immigration/migration when attempting to explain the problems of assimilation? I think the questions and conversations that Yong is having are important to the future of evangelical theology and thus I think the title of the book is appropriate. I do not widely recommend this book to everyone but happily recommend it to those who are interested in the intersection between globalization and theology; which inherently entails Asian theology.

Asks great questions.