Divergent views never get further than seminary classrooms. However, just as we do not reject anything blindly, neither do we accept indiscriminately. We must be able to absorb from what is received that which will be beneficial to the building up of a Chinese theology. Failure to create something new is complacency and stagnation, and leads nowhere. Likewise, a Chinese theology must have continuity with the faith and doctrines that have been passed on through the apostolic tradition while producing its own new and creative theological thinking, a theology which disappoints neither our forebears nor the expectations of the Church universal.
Theology is a form of theory.
Like any other theory, theology is derived from practice. Again, like any other theory, theology can serve to guide future practice, in this case the faith and spiritual practice of both the church and individual Christians. And the practice and experience of Chinese Christianity is perhaps unique in the world. From this practice and experience, we must extract the riches of theological thinking which can be refined into a theology with Chinese characteristics. This Chinese theology will guide the Chinese Church and Chinese believers through the process of modernization in China and will make a fitting gift to the Church worldwide.