Hill Road Journal

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Nathan Ng

　　主耶穌頒佈大使命，內容除了吩咐跟從者要在人群當中為主作見證，努力領人歸主外，還包括把主所吩咐的一切，都教導信徒遵守。也就是說，要裝備信徒，使他們成為能夠明白聖經、實踐真道的門徒。近年香港出現移民潮，許多教友相繼移居他方，其中有部分甚至是堂會曾經銳意培育的下一代領袖接班人，香港靈命成熟的信徒數目驟減，堂會內能夠承擔重要事奉崗位的領導團隊，漸漸出現青黃不接的現象。培訓更多信眾起來承擔使命，成為不少堂會解決當前困境的應急策略。今期《山道期刊》以「信徒裝備」為主題，期盼藉著眾學者對聖經、歷史和實踐神學的研究，給華人教會帶來啟迪。

　　今期專題文章共有五篇。周兆真的〈馬太福音的門徒裝備觀〉首先從舊約和希臘世界入手，分析那時代普遍的門徒觀和門徒訓練。雖然存在多元性，但在耶穌時代有關老師和學生的概念已廣為人所接受。因著耶穌屬神的獨特身分，祂要求門徒單單以祂為師。祂通過不同的方法裝備門徒，包括直接教導真理，藉問答誘導思想，糾正錯謬，並透過責備敵人來間接警惕門徒。文章最後提醒今日教會，愛神愛人才是門徒裝備的目的，故此必須追求敬畏上帝、活像基督、建立教會、追求合一、領人歸主、榮耀上帝。

　　第二篇專文是葉沛森的〈平信徒主導的信仰追求與更新：中世紀晚期「新靈修」運動〉。雖然學者對「新靈修」的定義存在分歧，但基本上是指「共同生活弟兄會」及其衍生的修道群體。作者回溯當時的處境，扼要簡介這運動的五個發展時期，描畫這運動其中三位關鍵人物的獨特經歷和思想，以及其順服權柄的傳統，從而呈現這運動的主要特色和信念。「新靈修」運動對後世教會有多方面的影響，主要改教家如馬丁路德和加爾文均深受其啟發。文章最後嘗試從運動的精神和意義方面，指出今日教會可從中借鑑的地方。

　　筆者拙作〈宗教改革期間信徒裝備的需要和應對〉，首先回溯在中世紀羅馬公教主導的制度下，改教家要裝備信徒認識真理遇到的種種困難，包括現存維護傳統的教育制度、充滿迷信的宗教實況、當時偏差錯謬的信仰教導，以及淫亂敗壞的生活踐行。針對當前的需要，改教家全面推動教育改革，更新崇拜的語言和模式，將新舊約聖經翻譯成各地語文，努力宣講和寫作以解釋真理，按新教信仰教導核心教理，並糾正信行不一的問題。他們推動信徒裝備，既是基於聖經真理、顧及不同層面、配合時代需要，並且信仰與實踐兼重，樹立了良好的榜樣，這正是對今日華人堂會的寶貴提醒。

　　另一篇歷史研究專文，是由宋軍撰寫的〈論太平洋戰爭期間日本基督教團的信徒裝備〉。文章首先根據明治和第二次世界大戰時期出版的三部代表日本官方立場的文獻，指出當時皇國意識形態的核心，就是以天皇神聖、國家至上為崇拜對象，人民要去私奉公，以扶翼皇運。經過半個世紀的灌輸，這套皇國信念已在民眾間養成高度的劃一性，支撐著日本民眾的戰爭侵略行動。在此處境下，日本的基督教團也透過變質的佈道、禮拜和服務，將國家神道與基督信仰混合起來，培育信徒成為盲目地忠君愛國、積極投入帝國侵略擴張行動的共犯。

　　本期最後一篇專題文章，是潘玉萍的〈基督教靈修學的訓練在信徒培育過程中的角色：學習者經驗個案分析〉。文章首先以兩個受訪實例指出靈修學的學習和操練，如何幫助受訪者拉近信仰認知與經驗之間的距離，幫助他們檢視個人的信仰經驗，從而獲得更新的體會。文章後半部分就基督教靈修學培育的設計和安排提出意見，強調要正視不同屬靈傳統的差異，呼籲發展福音派信仰傳統的寶貴之處，檢視那些影響華人教會的神學觀念，鼓勵持定信仰與生命整合的神學教育目標。文章最後主張妥善發揮靈修學在信徒培育過程中的連結角色，將碎片化的神學教育重新整合。

　　本期另有兩篇討論文章。朱美娟、梁以利亞的〈神學教育之靈命塑造理論與實踐模式〉涉獵多所神學院的靈命塑造藍圖及安排，指出它們彼此的基本理念雖然不盡相同，但實踐上仍可歸納為三個類別：開設整合性科目、開設獨立的靈命塑造科目，以及在現有的科目加入靈命塑造因素。文章最後建議神學教育界建構一個廣受認同、整全的靈命塑造理論，以及更具包容性的靈命塑造實踐模式。

　　另一篇是林諾欣的〈教會在世界的意涵——再閱讀潘霍華的《倫理學》〉，嘗試在耶穌基督作為替代性代表這基礎上，指出教會的雙重身分：它既是上帝的目的，也是祂的工具。它是上帝在地上建立的屬神群體，是以基督為中心的新人類；也是上帝給世界展示的替代性代表，向世界見證和宣告耶穌基督和祂的拯救。這雙重身分是不能分割的。

　　一如既往，本期還有多篇書評，涉及近年出版的多本中、英文書籍，涵蓋聖經、神學、歷史等不同範疇。期望今期的文章給香港及海外的華人堂會帶來點點亮光，幫助教會群體更全面、更有智慧地裝備信徒，緩解今日信眾流失的困境。

The Equipment of Disciples according to the Gospel of Matthew

Simon CHOW

In response to the popular phrase “equipping the saints” in today's context, this paper aims to explore how disciples are equipped in the Gospel of Matthew in order to provide some guidance for today. The Gospel of Matthew was chosen because it was the most commonly Gospel used in the early church, and its content is likely representative of the formation of disciples in that time.

The paper commences with an examination of the roles of “teacher/master” and “disciple/pupil” in the Old Testament and the Greco-Roman context, before delving into the Gospel of Matthew. It argues that a disciple's role is not merely about learning (manthanein) in the sense of acquiring knowledge, but about following (akoluthein) in the sense of commitment as a follower to the master. The idea of learning through service in Matthew is consistent with the Old Testament practice, as demonstrated in the case of Moses and Joshua, and the case of Elijah and Elisha. This is a fundamental aspect of “equipping the saints.”

Regarding the goal of “equipment,” the author emphasizes the Matthean view of the great commandment in the law, which is to love God with all one's heart and to love one's neighbor as oneself. This can be summarized in three aspects: (1) fear the Lord and live like Christ; (2) establish the church and pursue unity; and (3) make disciples and glorify God.

In short, Matthew clarifies that the nature of “equipment” must begin with a commitment to Christ rather than with acquiring knowledge and skills.

The Pursuit and Renewal of Faith Led by Lay Believers: The Late Middle Ages Devotio Moderna Movement

IP Pui Shum

This essay examines the Devotio Moderna movement, which emerged in late medieval Europe, focusing on how this lay-led initiative sought spiritual renewal and significantly influenced religious practices among ordinary believers. Spanning over 170 years from its inception to its decline, the movement's influence was recognized by the papacy during its height. On the eve of the European Reformation, Devotio Moderna continued to exert a significant impact on both education and the culture of faith. Although the movement did not produce original theological works, some of its critiques and ideas regarding religious practices resonated with later generations, including those involved in the Reformation.

This article explores the historical context and beliefs of the movement, the forms of religious practice its adherents embraced, and the relevance of its insights for the contemporary Church. As John van Engen aptly describes, Devotio Moderna exemplifies a form of spirituality on the edge, betwixt and between, that calls Christians to return to their inner resources and to God. The followers of this movement, known as the New Devouts, identified themselves as sojourners and pilgrims. However, they did not confine themselves to the pursuit of private devotion. Rather, they sought alternative organizational structures within the gaps of the institutional Church, seeking opportunities to foster communal piety. The movement also placed a strong emphasis on the education of the next generation and the dissemination of religious texts. Regarding spiritual practices, Devotio Moderna advocated a sharply Christocentric focus in both the reading of Scripture and prayer, which strongly resonated with ordinary believers. Furthermore, the movement's emphasis on worship and liturgical life, providing tangible models of pious behavior that were accessible to people of diverse backgrounds, likely contributed to its sustained growth and lasting influence.

The Needs and Responses on Equipping Believers during the Reformation

Nathan K. N.G.

As Hong Kong society has faced various crises in recent years, the Hong Kong churches today face a significant need to equip their believers. During the era of the Reformation, the reformers had to guide believers in breaking free from the control of the Roman Catholic Church and accepting the new Protestant faith. They too faced immense challenges. This article attempts to examine the problems of the medieval Roman Catholic Church and review the strategies of the reformers in order to extrapolate insights from historical examples for the contemporary Chinese churches.

The medieval Roman Catholic Church did not value the equipping of believers, nor did it encourage them to understand scriptural truth. It merely required believers to obey the directives of the Roman Curia, attend various gatherings, and observe sacraments faithfully. The educational system of that era was based on the standpoint approved by the Roman Catholic Church, emphasizing rote learning, not encouraging critical thinking, but rather pursuing the preservation of tradition. The vast majority of believers had only a superficial understanding of the truth and were even steeped in superstition. The Catholic mass was conducted solely in Latin, rendering it unintelligible to the laity. Furthermore, the Roman Curia strictly forbade the translation of the Bible into vernacular languages and proposed various erroneous doctrines lacking biblical basis, demanding blind acceptance from believers. Concurrently, many bishops and priests were inconsistent in their faith and deeds and were morally corrupt, greatly disappointing the faithful. Society also deteriorated morally, urgently necessitating reform.

Responding to the serious deficiencies and distorted, erroneous faith teachings of the medieval Roman Catholic Church, the reformers undertook various efforts. Through educational reform, they laid a solid foundation for the community of believers to study the Scriptures and understand the truth. By renewing worship , the reformers enabled the vast majority of believers to receive the truth and have their lives edified. The translation, dissemination, and explication of the Scriptures enabled the community of believers to better grasp God's word and no longer be misled by the errors of Catholicism. Through various courses and writings on doctrine teaching, believers could systematically comprehend the Protestant faith and break free from the bondage of Catholic tradition. The reformers' vigorous promotion of the practice of faith character, as well as the social and moral reforms based on the Scriptures , could deepen the believers' experience of faith, from intellectual knowledge to daily life. Thanks to the insights and efforts of the reformers, a large number of believers who converted to Protestantism were equipped and edified, and the waves of the Reformation eventually swept across Western Europe, resulting in the current global presence of Protestants.

Today, the Chinese churches in Hong Kong are also facing a significant need to equip their believers. If we summarize the models of the reformers, at least four insights can be found as reminders to us: the teaching must be grounded on biblical truth; the equipping must be comprehensive to suit diverse groups; the message must cater to the needs of the current era; and the practical living must align with the understanding of faith.

The Disciples' Training of the United Church of Christ in Japan during the Pacific War

SONG Jun

To what extent can national ideology penetrate, transform, and even distort Christianity? This article takes the United Church of Christ in Japan during the Pacific War as an object of observation. An examination of the faith practices of preaching, worship, and service advocated and promoted by the Church at that time reveals a high degree of homogeneity between the imperial nation and the Christians in terms of nationalism and values during the war, and that the latter were so patriotic as to be unwilling to stay back; instead, they were even willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the imperial nation. While this phenomenon reflects the success of half a century of brainwashing and indoctrination of the imperial ideology, it also makes us realize the seriousness and depth of the problem, that is, the United Church of Christ in Japan has integrated the deified Emperor with God, the Dai Nippon Shinkoku with the Kingdom of Heaven, and the subjects of the Imperial Kingdom with the disciples of Christ, and they did not find it contradictory or inappropriate. The case of the United Church of Christ in Japan during the war time will surely trigger more reflections on the Christian Church today.

The Role of Christian Spirituality Training in Christian Education: A Case Study on the Learners' Experience

PUN Yuk Ping

This article explores the role of Christian spirituality training in Christian education through a case study. The author employs Richard Osmer's approach to practical theology interpretation. The learning experiences of two Christians who graduated from a Christian spirituality degree program are analyzed. Data was collected through in -depth interviews with the two participants, focusing on (1) what motivated them to pursue Christian spirituality; (2) which experiences were significant in their learning process; and (3) what the training outcomes were.

The gap between cognitive knowledge of Christianity and life experiences motivated the participants to undertake Christian spirituality training. The author discusses the factors contributing to this gap and analyze how the training helped the participants review and interpret their experiences. The training offered new perspectives for the participants , enabling them to reassess and renew their previous frames of reference.

The author raises three theological concerns regarding the content and purpose of Christian spirituality training:

• 1. When introducing various spiritual traditions and disciplines to Christians, it is essential to equip them to discern the different theological foundations of these traditions.
• 2. Further exploration of the spirituality within the evangelical tradition and the potential influence of theological concepts inherited from Chinese church traditions could help the learners in this study better understand their previous frames of reference.
• 3. In addressing the fragmentation issue in theological education, rediscovering the theologia is crucial. Training in Christian spirituality can provide a valuable platform for collaboration among different theological disciplines, helping Christians integrate their faith with their experiences.

Finally, the author concludes that Christian spirituality training can serve a bridging role in Christian education. On the one hand, it helps Christians connect their experiences to Christian interpretative perspectives. On the other hand, interdisciplinary collaboration enables Christians to make sound theological judgments regarding the practice of spiritual disciplines.

Theories and Practical Models of Spiritual Formation in Theological Education

Mei-Chuan CHU and Elijah LIANG Yi Li Yah

In theological education, spiritual formation is regarded as an indispensable aspect of nurturing future church pastors and leaders. However, as of now, the literature discussing the theoretical concepts and practical models of spiritual formation remains limited. There are variations in the understanding and implementation of spiritual formation among different theological institutions, and disagreements exist even among leaders within the same institution. This paper aims to investigate the existing understanding and practical models of spiritual formation in theological education. Our findings will serve as a reference for theological education institutions, and it is hoped that this will inspire more Chinese-speaking theological educators to engage in dialogue and research on this topic.

This paper identifies two approaches to spiritual formation in theological education in the current research. One starts with the unique background of each theological institution and takes into consideration the lives and calling of disciples as described in the Bible. It emphasizes that spiritual formation is the work of the Holy Spirit, and transformation is brought about through God's word. This approach features designing spiritual formation programs tailored to the institution's student community. The other approach focuses on one's personal relationship with God, considering and incorporating biblical theology and social sciences to explore the factors and processes of individual spiritual formation. Both approaches have their advantages, but a lack of in-depth dialogue between practitioners who adopt different approaches may cause tensions.

In this paper, we also discover that the practical models of spiritual formation used in various theological institutions usually consist of two parts: learning within the classroom and learning outside the classroom. Spiritual formation within the classroom can be further categorized into three types: integrated courses , specific spiritual formation courses, and incorporating spiritual formation elements into existing courses. Spiritual formation outside the classroom generally includes personal spiritual formation, group spiritual formation, and spiritual guidance.

This paper concludes with a discussion of our findings and offers recommendations for future research and development on spiritual formation in theological education.

The Meaning of the Church's Being in the World: Re-reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Ethics

April Nok-Yan LAM

The objective of this article is to provide a way of reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Ethics and shed light on his understanding of the church's role in the world. Rather than solely examining the book, this article will take into consideration his earlier writings, such as his Sanctorum Communio and Discipleship, in order to provide a more comprehensive perspective.

The discussion comprises three main parts. The first part delves into Bonhoeffer's interpretation of Jesus Christ, which serves as the foundation of his entire theological thinking. From Sanctorum Communio to Ethics, Bonhoeffer stressed the significance of Jesus Christ's incarnation, as He is the real and active vicarious representative of humanity. As the vicarious representative, Jesus Christ is being-for-us: He bears our fallen humanity and creation on His flesh, standing before God and being crucified on the cross on our behalf, and renewing humanity and creation through His resurrection. Therefore, Bonhoeffer argued that there is only one reality, which is Christ-reality, and in that reality, God is present in the world, and the The world is accepted by and united with God.

The second part discusses Bonhoeffer's interpretation of the church, in which he stressed that it is closely related to the being and the act of Jesus Christ. In Sanctorum Communio, Bonhoeffer argued that the church has a two-fold nature: on the one hand, the church-community, as the new humanity realized and actualized through Jesus Christ's vicarious representative action, is a divine reality; on the other hand, the church is also a human community, an empirical church that is actualized by God through the Holy Spirit and the word of Christ. Therefore, in essence, the church-community is created through Christ and in Christ, with Christ as its center; and it is Christ's body in the world, which means that it is a visible community in the world. This view of the church is present in both Bonhoeffer's Discipleship and Ethics.

The final part of this article focuses on Bonhoeffer's view on the church's relationship to the world. In his Ethics, Bonhoeffer stressed that the church, as the body of Christ, is conformed to the form of Jesus Christ. It is for the sake of the world. Hence, in Christ, the church is the vicarious representative to the world—it is being- for-the-world and act-for-the-world so that the world may know the will of God in Christ-reality. Although Bonhoeffer emphasized the church's being-for-the-world, it doesn't mean that he rejected the view of the church as he expressed in Discipleship, that is, being the church-community in Christ and through Christ. Rather, as he did in Sanctorum Communio, he still maintained the two-fold nature of the church, which stressed that the church is both the goal and the tool of God in the world.