Containing twenty-six essays presented at the first pan-Asian conference of Catholic theological ethicists, which met in Bangalore, India, on July 17–20, 2015, this is the second volume in the Asian Theological Ethics series associated with the network Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church, founded by James F. Keenan, SJ, in 2003. The late Yiu Sing Lúcás Chan, SJ (1968–2015), planned and organized the conference, and this volume, dedicated to his memory, is a rich tribute to the bridge building that Chan sought to accomplish among theological ethicists from India to Australia, Sri Lanka to the Philippines, Japan to Hong Kong, and Myanmar to Malaysia.
The essays cover a range of topics, and it soon becomes apparent that while common threads are discernible for Asian theological ethicists, differences also surface. These are seen, for instance, with regard to the task of a Catholic moral theologian in secular Australia in contrast to that of one in predominantly Muslim Malaysia. Early essays focus on “doing cross-cultural ethics” in Asia, paying attention to context and space in India (Clement Campos, CSsR), Australia (Robert Gascoigne, Bishop Peter Comensoli), and the Philippines (Jose Mario C. Francisco, SJ). These are followed by essays addressing threats and struggles faced by Catholics and theological ethicists, such as fundamentalist Hindutva, as opposed to Hinduism, in India (Stanislaus Alla, SJ), the prodemocracy movement in Hong Kong (Mary Mee-Yin Yuen), and the effects of land grabbing on people, communities, and ecology in the Philippines (Anthonette Collado Mendoza). Doing interfaith ethics, engaging other religions, is demonstrated in India (Mathew Illathuparampil), Malaysia (Sharon Bong), and Japan (Haruko K. Okano). Timely issues revolving around the environment and economy are tackled in several essays, including the oppression of the poor, women, and the Earth (Christina A. Astorga) and Indonesian labor migrants (Bernhard Kieser, SJ). Bioethics, sexual ethics, and family ethics are treated, moreover, by a number of contributions, including reproductive health in the Philippines (Eric Marcelo O. Genilo, SJ), the “permanence of marriage” in Hinduism and Christianity (George Kodithottam, SJ), and sexual activity among gay-identifying Malaysian men (Joseph N. Goh).
While the entire volume could be a part of a graduate-level course on methods, themes, and issues in Catholic theological ethics, it contains chapters that ought to be inserted into specific undergraduate and graduate courses with narrower scope. Some accessible and interesting chapters that I plan to incorporate into my courses include for my environmental ethics course, the chapter on virtue ethics and ecology in the Philippines (Rhodel N. Nacional) and that on the contributions of Chotanagpur tribes to debates on the environment in India (John Crasta); for courses with units on same-sex relationships, the chapter drawing on interviews with and narratives from gay-identifying Malaysian men, and extending Margaret A. Farley's framework for just love to nonheteronormative subjects (Joseph N. Goh), will gently challenge common preconceptions; and for my medical ethics courses, an especially fascinating chapter on Chinese and Vietnamese medical ethics is provided by Hoa Trung Dinh, SJ, considering the dao of medicine and the principles and virtues from Confucianism. Finally, Australia's Daniel J. Fleming offers a concise and helpful account of conscience formation that I will use in my basic Christian ethics courses; however, unlike other chapters, I could not tell what difference, if any, his Australian or Asian context added.
Informed by and engaged with Pope Francis’ statements and documents, including Laudato Si’, these essays are fresh and up-to-date. Significantly, contributors include several women. My only complaint—a minor one, though it can be distracting at times—has to do with the number of typos and awkwardly constructed sentences, although these are perhaps understandably due to the fact that English might not be some contributors’ first language. Nevertheless, the hope that Yiu Sing Lúcás Chan held for doing Asian theological ethics truly lives on in this important volume.
