| Chinese ancestor practice is a complex phenomenon. It pervades the whole of religious, social, and family life and epitomizes what is controversial within the core of Chinese society. This practice involves belief in present life, life after death, and at the moment of death, all of which constitute Chinese ancestor practices. Chapter 1 describes how people live under the ancestors' shadow. The methodology of this study integrates documentary research with field research in different parts of Taiwan.; Chapters 2-5 seek to re-examine Chinese concepts of filial piety (present life), soul (life after death), and funeral (at the moment of death) from the perspectives of Chinese culture, religious beliefs, and ritual behaviors. This examination exposes the strengths and weaknesses of the three issues.; Chapter 6 deals with the field research in Taiwan in relation to Chinese ancestor practices. The interview schedule gives us much information about current beliefs, attitudes, and practices of Taiwan Chinese toward ancestor practices. Several findings are intriguing. For instance, 25-50 percent of people seem not to reject Christian faith because of ancestor practices which is inconsistent with Christians' presumed understanding. At least 63 percent of respondents are highly automonous in conversion! Such findings encourage us since the practices that Christian Chinese presume seem not so inviolable.; Chapter 7 deals with evaluation of filial piety, soul, and funeral from new understandings of the Bible. Contextualized theology regarding each central issue then is constructed from the Chinese perspective. Several findings concerning filial duty (such as feeding, respecting, and honoring one's parents) are very consistent with a biblical view. This finding may surprise Christians when they learn they can fully retain the good part of tradition and assume such responsibility with all their hearts.; The intermediate state of the dead is depicted from both new understandings of the Bible and Chinese perspective. The souls of the believers in the intermediate state are in paradise which is different from heaven, the eternal home. In paradise and heaven, the redeemed are supplied with food. They are no longer hungry and thirsty. A surprising finding also is that half of the Chinese traditional funeral rites are similar to Jewish funerals. This fact provides excellent common ground for formulating a Christian funeral.; Chapters 8-9 then propose contextualized ancestor practices in the light of both the Chinese Christian theology and interview results. This Christian alternative is recommended in order that the church in Taiwan may meet the felt needs of Christians and accomplish a strategic missiological goal of removing the unnecessary barriers to Christian conversion. |
