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Introduction

We are extremely happy to resume the publication of the WSCF Asia/Pacific Books. This is the seventh in the series and carries a handful of theological reflections presented at various regional gatherings in the past two years.

This is a humble attempt by the Asia/Pacific region of the WSCP to participate in the theological and political ferment in the vast melting pot, that is Asia. It is also an attempt to put on record the perspective with which the SCM's in Asia/Pacific partake in the protest against the domination of alien values in this continent.

In this current quadrennium, the WSCF has adopted for itself the theme: "Come, Let us Rise up and Build" (Nehemiah 2:18) and exhorted its member movements to build together, with people, a new vision and hope. Today, in Asia, one has to see this call in the context of 'rebuilding' as in the action of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. The struggles of the Asian peoples today are struggles to rebuild their identity, nationhood and human dignity that has been destroyed by centuries of colonial domination and that continues to be trampled upon by the neo-colonial powers – economic and political. In this ferment the WSCF Asia/Pacific opts to bear effective witness to the liberating message of Jesus Christ. It participates, with people struggling to 'rebuild' their human dignity, in the protest against subjugation not as a Christian minority but as part and parcel of the larger struggles. For the faithful outworking of this perspective, the SCM's have been challenged to express "Christian solidarity with peoples' aspirations".

The bulk of the contents of this book, have been discussed by the Asian and Pacific SCMs in recent regional meetings. However, the first article which is an overview of the theological attempts in Asia is reprinted from elsewhere, for the benefit of the national movements in their search for understanding the wider ferment.

The remaining texts attempt to identify the ferment and project the protest from very concrete situations. Dr. Kim Yong Bock makes his case in point against the backdrop of the Korean A-bombed victims and attempts to delineate the concept of shalom amidst the suffering in Asia today. His paper also suggests a methodology to respond theologically and is written from the specific context of 'minjung theology' that has made considerable impact in the wider theological ferment in Asia. Also, included as appendix in this book is an article, by the same author, that would introduce the reader to the development of minjung theology in Korea.

The second of them, written from the Philippine context raises crucial questions from a political perspective. It also poses a challenge to the WSCF in its ministry in Asia/Pacific today.

The next paper attempts to answer the questions related to the debate on development and the response of the church. It brings out the hesitations of the Asian Christians and church structures in being effective witnesses and

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attempts to answer these hesitations by challenging the Asian Christians to shed its minority consciousness or "grasshopper neurosis", as the author describes it, and to participate in the total development of the human personality.

The two Bible-Studies included in this book show the oppressive nature of a dominant race in Asia today. Though written from the specific context of Korean minority residents in Japan, the two studies link the struggles of people in Asia and elsewhere and stress the importance of the ecumenical solidarity network in meeting the challenges of today's oppressive forces.

All these papers, though written by various persons for different occasions, emphasise a common point: that people are the subjects of history and not objects. The challenge to SCM's and WSCF posited in the light of this emphasis is to be God's instruments in history to partake in the 'rebuilding' of the lives of His people, by participating in the ferment and protest that is brewing in Asia. For a meaningful response, one has to find answers in their specific contexts, and this book is only a tool in that process.

Finally, we place on record our sincere thanks to all contributors who have very kindly made these texts available to us for publication.

Ahn Jaewoong

Koshy Mathew

WSCF Asia/Pacific