Intercultural Lived Ecclesiology: The Asian Synodal Praxis of Communio, Partecipatio et Missio Inter Gentes

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

While I appreciate the various takes on synodality and on the role of lay people - among whom women reign prominent - I cannot stop wondering why issues like gender and, specifically, clerical marriage are not taken into account.

 

I do see that the author was concerned with the issue of marriage at the level of ordinary believers, although aspects like the marriage of priests has not been discussed. 

 

Perhaps clerical marriage has not been an issue in Asia, but it is elsewhere, especially in the West, and I think it needs to be addressed with clarity, even if only briefly.

 

Also, there should be a section on the paper's methodology which investigates HOW the sources that were targeted were also used to build the author's scientific argument. 

I found no fault in the English used. The editors will decide if correction/editing is needed but, in my opinion, the article may be published as it is.

Author Response

While I appreciate the various takes on synodality and on the role of lay people - among whom women reign prominent - I cannot stop wondering why issues like gender and, specifically, clerical marriage are not taken into account.

• I had made a mention of the issue as it appeared in the Asian synodal process. But it was not my intension to address any of the emerging issues specifically, as this would be left to the next phase of the synodal process.

I do see that the author was concerned with the issue of marriage at the level of ordinary believers, although aspects like the marriage of priests has not been discussed. 

• As mentioned above, it was not my intension to discuss the emerging issues, but declare them as they emerge in the Asian synodal process.

 Perhaps clerical marriage has not been an issue in Asia, but it is elsewhere, especially in the West, and I think it needs to be addressed with clarity, even if only briefly.

• It is my hope that in the next stage of the synodal process the issue will be addressed interculturally taking in to account the Asian view. That was my intension in this article.

 Also, there should be a section on the paper's methodology which investigates HOW the sources that were targeted were also used to build the author's scientific argument. 

• Thanks for the suggestion. I have added some lines at the end of the introduction to clarify the question of methodological steps being taken in elaborating the paper.

I found no fault in the English used. The editors will decide if correction/editing is needed but, in my opinion, the article may be published as it is.

• Thanks, I have done some further linguistic improvement.

 

Reviewer 2 Report

You would have written a compelling piece had you not simply tried to sew together a series of assertions using fashionable theological jargon supported by citations from a narrow and predictable range of authors. Rather than a piece of scholarship which sought to examine your own all-to-obvious antecedent commitments adequately and read your sources carefully and critically, what you have submitted - whilst displaying a great deal of hard work - lacks proper scholarly detachment.

Author Response

• Thanks for your critical-appreciative comment. As I have now clarified in the last paragraph of the introduction, my intention was to build up a theological framework on the basis of what is emerging in diverse ecclesial contexts with regard to synodality, and highlight some criteria for the inter gentes discernment process, and on the basis of these to make a critical synthesis of the discussion emerging in the Asian synodal process, which may be taken up in the next stage of the synod.

Reviewer 3 Report

The paper presents a good analysis of the synodal process and its relevance from the perspective of interculturation, mission and lived ecclesiology in dialogue with the self-understanding of the Catholic Church. The method of the article could be opened up a bit more in the introduction. The reader of the text must also be attentive in order to catch up the German discussion's part in the whole. The article includes many illuminating summaries which indicate a deep knowledge and provide forward-bringing new steps for research in dialogue with recent recent literature. It would be good to correct the still existing minor grammatic errors before the publication.

Author Response

• Thanks for your appreciative comment. I have added some lines in the last paragraph of the introduction to clarify the methodology underlying the paper: build up a theological framework on the basis of what is emerging in diverse ecclesial contexts with regard to synodality, and highlight some criteria for the inter gentes discernment process, and on the basis of these to make a critical synthesis of the discussion emerging in the Asian synodal process, which may be taken up in the next stage of the synod.
• I have done some linguistic improvement. Thanks.

 

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

The few additions improve the article sufficiently for me to recommend that it is published. I remain disturbed by the lack of scholarly detachment which excludes from consideration legitimate concerns about the synodal process and particularly the tiny numbers of Catholics who actually took part, the extent of the control of the curation process and the activities of the Synod secretariat who (at least in Bangkok) manifested predetermined agendas. They were clearly the protagonists. Their claim that the voices they heard were the authentic voice of the People of God is contestable. Nevertheless, the article does what it says it is going to do and will appeal to readers, providing them food for thought.