By Fr Robert L. Kinast
When Pope Paul VI issued his apostolic exhortation on evangelization in the modern world in 1975 (Evangelii Nuntiandi), it resonated with local church leaders and missionaries worldwide. For most of the 20th century they were putting increased emphasis on proclaiming the Gospel in harmony with local cultures, a process often referred to as inculturation.

Perhaps nowhere in the world is this form of evangelization more challenging than in Asia, a vast territory stretching from India to Indonesia, from China to East Timor. Within that area countries vary enormously in their economic, political, cultural, social and religious conditions. The major religions in Asia (Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Islam) are among the oldest and largest in the world.

They are often inseparable from the social and cultural way of life in a particular country. This makes it difficult for a “foreign” religion to gain acceptance, especially if it is identified with certain cultural values (materialism, individualism) which are viewed negatively.

How then does the Catholic Church carry out its evangelizing mission under these circumstances? First of all, contemporary evangelization respects and appreciates the local culture. Rather than looking for deficiencies and errors from a Christian point of view, evangelizers seek areas of agreement and adaptation.

This may include the study of another religion's sacred writings, incorporation of a culture's art forms into Catholic worship, church organization and decision-making processes based on local custom or, surprisingly, awareness that Asia is the fastest growing Web market in the world. Millions of Asians use handheld devices to access all kinds of information, which could include Catholic teaching and values.

The risk of an inculturation approach is that the substance of Catholic faith can be compromised in the desire to accommodate the teachings and traditions of, for example, Buddhism or Hinduism. On the other hand, the Western formulation of Christian belief is itself a particular cultural expression which does not exhaust all the ways the faith might be expressed.

Second, the work of evangelization is best carried out in a manner that is Asian, with a style of communicating and acting that is consistent with the traditions and expectations of a particular culture.

Bishop Aloysius Jin Luxian of Shanghai, China, affirmed this approach when he recently urged all Catholics to equip themselves to “fight a good battle of evangelization” by imbibing the Asian values of humility, tolerance, forgiveness, friendliness, calmness and good intentions toward others.

Also, these evangelization efforts are more likely to succeed if the primary evangelizers are native to the local culture. They embody a fusion of Catholic faith and Indian, Korean or Filipino traditions. This is why it is important that church leaders, from catechists to clergy to bishops, come from the indigenous population.

A third aspect of evangelization in Asia is dialogue, understood as a mutual openness with a desire to learn and appreciate differences. Such dialogue, where it is welcomed, is necessarily interreligious. As the late Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan of Korea repeatedly affirmed, Catholics must have a knowledge of other religions and recognize the “precious jewels” they have to offer.

A fourth expression of an Asian form of evangelization is presence. The physical sight of church buildings, schools, health clinics and other structures is a reminder that the church is part of Asian life. Of course, church facilities are a witness to the Gospel because of the human services that take place within them — health care, education, physical and spiritual nourishment. The church is also present by offering hospitality at public events.

It is planning to participate at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, making people aware of the regular meetings of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, offering concern and prayer for the victims of natural disasters like a tsunami or earthquake, denouncing terrorist attacks as in Mumbai, India, last November and giving aid to the victims. Finally, there is a form of evangelization that occurs when the church is persecuted. This may be the result of a general policy as in North Korea, where religion is effectively banned, or in China, where a state-authorized church enjoys nominal approval. More drastically it occurs when there are periodic attacks such as the aggression of Hindu mobs against Catholics in India last fall or the arrest and imprisonment of Catholic clergy.

In such circumstances Catholics witness to their faith by bearing the pain of persecution, not retaliating, and continuing to offer service to others. One constant feature of evangelization in Asia is that the Catholic Church is a small minority in most countries (the Philippines being a notable exception). This means it does not have the resources or influence to impact the culture directly and effectively as it might in Europe or North America.

The minority status of the Catholic Church in Asia is not necessarily a liability. It is an opportunity to promote a form of evangelization that affirms local culture and serves the people of that culture in the inclusive and confident spirit of the Catholic tradition.