Dr. Andrew Wai-luen Kwok, professor in the Academy of Chinese, History, Religion, and Philosophy, associate vice-president (curriculum and pedagogies) of Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), researches the history of Christianity in China, Christian theology, and peace studies.
As a council member of the Christian Forum for Reconciliation in Northeast Asia (NARI), he attended the recent NARI forum in Okinawa, Japan. Originally from Hong Kong, Dr. Kwok shares in an exclusive interview with China Christian Daily about his efforts in pursuing peace and reconciliation, his reflections on reconciliation, and its practical applications in Hong Kong.
China Christian Daily: Could you introduce your academic background?
Andrew Wai-luen Kwok: My graduate program focused on church history, especially the ecumenical movement and its relationship with fundamentalism in the Republic of China period. Many people deem that fundamentalists don't care about the ecumenical movement, but my focus on the Chinese theologian Jia Yuming showed that he was involved in the union movement, though he later distanced himself from it. I found out that those Christians who promoted the union movement were patriots. Unfortunately, as the situation became worse, one group of them shifted to promote social reform, while another turned to spiritual revival and evangelism.
When national crises worsened, these paths diverged. Still, Jia continued to stress the importance of unity, even if he expressed it differently. I believe unity remains important because it is a biblical command.
During my Ph.D. period, I shifted to systematic theology, exploring how Barthian theology engaged with the challenges posed after Friedrich Nietzsche, especially postmodernism. I also obtained a graduate degree in counseling in the United Kingdom.
China Christian Daily: Since you studied church history as a graduate, why did you shift to systematic theology for your Ph.D.?
Andrew Wai-luen Kwok: When I pursued my Ph.D. in the 1990s, postmodernism, deconstruction, postcolonialism, and feminism were very influential. They gave me a great shock, prompting me to ponder whether they were against Christianity or not. Then I chose to study systematic theology in the United Kingdom. I find out that Barthian eschatology offers me a grasp of eschatology, which is open, always providing another perspective for our urgent matters. It directs not just judgment toward us, but also our promises. It tells us what is good and what is bad.
What those postmoderns pursue is not important, but what perspective you have for the present. Self-centered thinking sees others as oppressors, but the eschatological perspective tells us that something should be changed. It is not necessary to oppose liberation theology. Something can be done, but nothing will be perfect. The church is just an ark, but only God decides who is in the ark.
China Christian Daily: What role can the church play in reconciliation?
Andrew Wai-luen Kwok: NARI is a great example where Christians from different places share their own situations and reflect on them. When it comes to reconciliation, we always talk about whether you would apologize to me or not. However, it is difficult to distinguish the victims from the victimizers as conflicts are complicated. But there is a good thing about Christianity: we're taught to confess sins to each other. Instead of waiting for an apology before offering forgiveness, we as Christians are called to acknowledge our own faults and ask for forgiveness as well. It's important to look at each other's pain and confess to each other, which can be a beginning of the solution.
When we were at the Sakima Art Museum in Okinawa on July 30, the artists not only illustrated the horror of the atomic bombs, but also saw the outcries of those people in Nanjing and Pearl Harbor. They came to realize that they were not just victims after learning about other people's situations.
China Christian Daily: What efforts can Christians make today for unity and peace?
Andrew Wai-luen Kwok: Peace matters in our modern society, whether in personal life or between nations. Many conflicts arise within ourselves, our families, and our communities. Many people struggle with mental health due to interpersonal tensions. We often think peace is far away, the business of officials. But in fact, peace is close to us when we look at modern people's life anxiety, mental, and family needs.
Peace between nations is not merely between officials, but also mainly results from a better understanding through genuine encounters between individuals from different places. That grassroots level of peace is as crucial as diplomatic negotiations. Many times, there are also many misunderstandings and prejudices between people. Their outrage may not be reasonable. When people from different places meet and truly interact, misunderstandings can be overcome.
China Christian Daily: Could you please share one example of conflict resolution in Hong Kong?
Andrew Wai-luen Kwok: At HKBU, we have a program encouraging undergraduates to serve new middle school immigrants who feel disconnected in Hong Kong. We train our students to help them explore what those newcomers can contribute, what imaginations they have for this city, or what groups they would like to have a dialogue with. This also helps our undergraduates understand more about the group: who they are, what they hope for, what their hometowns are like, and what their current life looks like.
For instance, this year's theme featured the interaction with the older generation in Hong Kong. The middle school students will have interesting findings and learn how they interact with the elderly people in their own home settings.
China Christian Daily: Please introduce how you engage in social service.
Andrew Wai-luen Kwok: As I research Christian theology, I try to help the church reflect on its social work through a theological lens. Sometimes Christians see themselves as "helping" middle school students, which is good, but we should recognize that we are not helping them; instead, we share what we have with different people. The book of Philippians tells us to value others above ourselves. We need to discover the God-given gifts inside them and see how they are used in God's plan. One dimension of creation theology claims that God "has made everything beautiful in its time."
There is a strong ingredient of "request theology" in our regular church social work. Even if you request other people to help, secure yourself a place in the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians says that even the most humble part of the body has a role to play. We're in a process of mutual help: when we do some work upon people, they can, in turn, bless and change us. We can even see what work God has done inside them.
China Christian Daily: What were your takeaways from this year's forum?
Andrew Wai-luen Kwok: One of the best things is to gather brothers and sisters from countries where there should be conflicts, and share their own conflict experience with other groups. The experience can be a common motivation with which people can walk together, listen to each other, and understand each other. Christians from China, South Korea, and Japan can understand, sympathize with, support each other, and also address conflicts that have existed for a while.
