This volume collects together short writings by Christian writers from South East Asia, the majority of them probably unknown to Western readers. They come from the Philippines and Korea; China, Japan and India; Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Burma. The editor has written an introduction, and provided introductory notes for each setting to explain the passages chosen. To hear what is being said by many Asian Christians, he points out, is to discover a different motivation and a different role for theological reflection. However competent theologically the writers are, their over-ruling concern is first of all pastoral and missionary. They are not writing theological papers or constructing political theologies, but taking the next step in mission, and in the development of people. The examples given reflect the bewildering complexity of the region. Here is more than half the world's population, in thousands of ethnic and linguistic groupings. Every major religion is resurgent in a kaleidoscope of historic cultures. The destructive impact of colonialism and neo-colonialism, allied with the policies of feudal or capitalist elites within a nation, has produced a running fire of violence and domination which are reflected in almost every section. So the starting point is, given that running fire, how do Christians reflect and find in Bible, prayer and fellowship, strength for the struggle and perspective for larger human purposes?
