Matt and Dan light a joss stick for the ancestors and crack open a very special (and slightly spicy) episode of Awkward Asian Theologians - this time, in memory of the dearly departed Pope Francis. Yes, the Argentinian Pope who said “Pachamama” out loud in the Vatican and lived to tell the tale.

They reflect on a papacy that was as chaotically beautiful as your auntie's home altar: a bit cluttered, deeply sincere, occasionally controversial, and full of incendiary content. Matt takes a detour into the legacy of Luigi Giussani - no, not a K-drama villain, but close - while Dan channels the virtue of presence, something Pope Francis quietly re-centred in the Catholic tradition. Like the yum cha trolley that shows up with you need it most, this special episode of Awkward Asian Theologians is steaming hot and smells of the sheep.

Resources

Evangelii Gaudium

This is the second installment of a two-parter on the theme of mystery.

Matt and Dan use more big words to talk about how divine mystery makes itself incarnate into our experience. They also talk about how Christian grappling of divine mystery should lead to a certain posture, one that brings us to our knees rather than inflates our heads.

Look out for the use of the term "sacramental ontology".

Matt and Dan begin a two-parter on what mystery is and entails.

They use big words like "epistemology", and warn us about the risk of reducing mystery to a jingoistic stopping of further reflection on the life of faith.

They also warn us about the conceit of thinking one's way to salvation, instead of truly encountering the complexity of reality and God's working his way through our lived experience.

Graham Ward: The Unimaginable

Pope Francis: Address to Participants in the International Congress on the Future of Theology

Matt and Dan talk about the finer details of asian dinner conversations, before speaking about the Christian task of evangelisation.

They clarify the important distinction between evangelisation and "flexing" (and why one does not equate with the other). They also talk about the link between parish life and the imperative for evangelisation, and the important place of divine gift, journeying and communion in the proclamation of the Gospel.

Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium

In this episode, Matt confesses to being a sedevacantist, discusses with Dan why Catholic tradition matters, and how it can be the cause of maximum emotional damage for the Asian. They also look at change and faithfulness, engaging the analogy of the body.

Second Vatican Council:Dei Verbum (esp 7-9)

Anne Carpenter’s article onMaurice Blondel & the Fights Over Catholic Tradition.

In this episode, Matt and Dan talk about the sacraments, try not to offend Protestants (and like good Asians, fail), and ponder if mere culture can save us (Spoiler: it can't).

They also look at why evangelisation matters, involves each of us and why Asians make parishes complex.

Escencia Life Centre

Alpha in a Catholic Context

Matt and Dan discuss what to order at Yum Cha. They also speak of other things good, true and beautiful, jumping off their previous episode on Theology and focusing on the spiritual life of parishes, the fundamental building block of most Catholics' spiritual lives.

They explain and speak of the centrality of missionary discipleship for the local community of faith, and in so doing, bust a big myth about what parishes are meant to do.

They also declare that Asians make bad hymns good, and demonstrate why Catholics should get off the sacramental treadmill, and challenge us all to do more than simply "get on with the program".

Divine Renovation Ministry: https://divinerenovation.org/

Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne: Missionary Discipleship

In this episode, Dan incurs Matt's jealousy by discussing his favourite dim sum, and also laying claim to all things Asian.

They also discuss other steamy goods like theology. They define what it is, what it is not, and what good it does to us intellectually, pastorally and spiritually. They also discuss why Catholics (Asian or otherwise) should care and reflect theologically in order to better engage with the reality, time and space in which they live, as well as deepen their relationship with Jesus.

SPOILER ALERT: They also talk about why one cannot think their way to salvation.

Anthony Ferguson: Unbiased Reality