About Us

Dr. Jitsuo Morikawa, a great Asian American prophet and preacher who made a
tremendous impact on Euro-Western theology, died during the summer of 1987. After his
death, many of his colleagues felt led to continue his legacy and vision as the
contribution of the Asian American Christian community to Western theology from the
Asian American perspective and paradigm. With the cooperation of PACTS, Pacific and
Asian Center for Theology and Strategies, discussions were held from the time of Dr.
Morikawa's passing that led to an Inaugural Symposium-Dinner on April 1, 1989 in
Emeryville, CA with the Bishop Roy I. Sano, Diana Akiyama and Michael Yoshii. Other
participants were: Ruby Okazaki, Ruth Cortez, Paul M. Nagano, Lloyd K.Wake, and Robert
Bellah.

The following paragraph was printed on the inaugural program: "In the light of the vision
of the late Dr. Jitsuo Morikawa for the Church's influence on the future of the Pacific
Basin, and power of the message of hope which can emerge out of the corporate
theological reflection on God's purpose for the world, and in particular for the Pacific
region, a committee was organized to carry on his legacy."

The original board of CPAT consisted of Dr. Robert Bellah, Dr. Judith Berling, Dr. Robert
McAfee Brown, Dr. Terry Burch, Dr. Paul Clasper, Dr. Harold Davis, Dr.Eldon Ernst, Julia
Matsui-Estrella, Rev. Nobuaki Hanaoka, Dr. Richard Ice, Dr. Teruo Kawata, Dr. Paul M.
Nagano, Dr. Shunji Nishi, Ruby Okazaki, Dr. John Skoglund, Dr. C. S. Song, Rev. Lloyd K.
Wake, Rev. Kathryn Choy-Wong and Rev. Michael Yoshii. The original name was "The
Morikawa Pacific Rim Ecumenical Conference." And the publication was called "The
Morikawa Vision." The named was changed on the October , meeting 1996 to "Council
for Pacific Asian Theology" and the Morikawa Vision became the Pacific Asian Vision.

Regional Ministries
The CPAT movement has regional committees that endeavors to raise the
consciousness level of the regional communities to the mission and vision of the
perspectives and paradigms of Pacific Asian theology. The present regions are: Pacific
Northwest, Northern California, Southern California, Hawaii, and ties with Japan and
Asia. An example of our participating in other regions is the events held in Seattle with Dr.
Roy Sano, Dr. John B. Cobb, Jr., Dr. C.S. Song, Dr. Chung Hyun-Kyung, Dr. Paul Knitter,
Dr. Teruo Kawata, Buddhist-Christian Dialogues, Demonstration against the World
Trade Organization meeting in Seattle, and The Women's Conference. Perhaps the
greatest contribution was the development of the Pacific Ecumenical Institute with Seattle
University. In Seattle, CPAT is part of the Pacific Asian Task Force of the Council of
Churches of Greater Seattle. In Southern California, together with the various tours and
lectures of other religions and ethnic groups, at present a forum has been developed as
the "Round Table" inter-faith discussions taking place especially with the Buddhist and
Christians. The primary event was the Christian Responsibility for Pacific Civilization with
the School of Theology of Claremont with twenty theologians invited from the Pacific Rim
countries. CPAT is involved with the Journal of Asian and Asian American Theology
(JAAT) annual publication. In Northern California, in partnership with PACTS, series of six
workshops have been sponsored on Pacific/Asian Heritage and Religiosity. The first
three were: History, "Diversity, Context, and Community"; Theology, "Theologies from Our
Unique Contexts"; and Vocation, "The Creative Edge of our Ministry." The last three dealt
with Marriage, Birth, and Death. Recently, as part of the Nikkei 2000 Conference, CPAT
cooperated with the Inter-Faith Dialogue that had Dr. John B. Cobb, Jr. sum up the
dialogue dealing with "For the Common Good: The Meeting place of Religions." In
Hawaii, in place of a Pacific Conference that was proposed, CPAT is part of the "Open
Table" Movement that are having dialogues with the various sects and religions in
Hawaii. The latest event will be the Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service with the Churches
in the Nu'uanu Valley participating. A special program to re-capture the "Aloha" spirit is
held regularly that is open to the public. In Asia and the Pacific Islanders little is being
done with the Asian theological movement except for communication and the possibility
of another Pacific Rim Conference in the near future. Sixty Pacific Asian Vision is being
sent quarterly with Asian and Canadian leadership. CPAT has not attempted to impose
programs of their own in the various regions. They cooperated with other like groups that
have a similar vision and mission. In keeping with Dr. Morikawa's statement, "The task of
the church is to renounce any hopes of magisterial power and pursue servanthood,
service, meekness and humility, even anonymity (like salt and leaven), to enable,
encourage, inspire and summon history-shaping institutions to fulfill their true vocation
and stewardship."

Regional Representative and Board Members
CPAT is made up of representatives from the various regions. At the semi-annual
meeting reports are given and the corporate group suggests possible programs for the
current year. Regional committees are formed to have the local regional groups involved.
Lay and clergy leadership is encouraged to involve the various churches and groups in
each region. The Board is made up of gifted leadership in the theological, corporate,
political, economic and secular area of life. Theological leadership is make up of
proactive and progressive thinkers who have a global vision. In keeping with the legacy of
Dr. Morikawa, we hold: "While Christian theology has taken the individual and personal
life with utmost seriousness; since the welfare of every life is shaped significantly by
public policy and the action of corporate structures today, we must develop theologies of
institutional and corporate accountabilities. And particularly do we need theological
insight into harnessing for human and public good the critical issues of economics,
ecology, religions, science and technology. The future of the Pacific Basin appear to be
contingent on, at least in how these issues are dealt with." The Board and Advisory
Committee is made up of both Asian and Caucasian as well as Women and African
American thinkers in order to realize what Dr. Morikawa declared: "Our fundamental
focus of concern is God in relation to the whole world. God's purpose, action and end
have always to do with the whole world: His acts of creation, redemption or
consummation, and the ministry of the church is to bear witness to that universal
character, the Christo-centric nature of the universe" (II Cor. 5:19). Again, "If this planet is
the scene in which God is working out His ultimate goal of His Kingdom, what does it
mean in terms of the near future of life on this planet, this global village? The twin issues
of ecology and justice; ecology point to humanity's dependence on nature, and justice—
its dependence on neighbor. In the context of these twin issues, what are the signposts
pointing to hope?"

A Theological Movement
Board members are committed primarily to CPAT as a theological movement. To pursue
a Pacific and Asian and Asian American theology can be the way of challenging some of
the fundamental assumptions of American society which affect the course of history,
especially in the Pacific Basin. The political, economic and social relations between the
US and the nations of the Pacific will be imperiled if the US continue to assume her
imperial posture of unquestioned superiority, her posture of self-righteousness . . .
These are the historical forces which affect the condition of half of of the earth's
population, and the common good of all these people is the purpose and mission God,
and hence must be for the mission of the church. Dr. Morikawa stated: "An implicit
assumption . . .that theologies emerging out of imperial cultures of Europe and the US,
inescapably express an imperial theological posture toward Asian cultures, religion and
histories. The missionary movement from the West to Asian countries invariably
presumed Western perceptions of reality, thus, Western values and assumptions to be
normative, against which all Asian perceptions were measured."

An Inclusive and Pluralistic Theology
Dr. Morikawa has written: "Without deliberate intent, the Western theological enterprise
may have engaged in a religious colonization of Asia, despite Asia antedating Europe
and America in its high culture, civilization and religions." CPAT seeks the re-formation of
our theologies from a global perspective, dialoguing, listening and learning from the rich
deep contributions that come from other theologies, culture and religions. Quoting from
the statement of the inaugural event of the formation of CPAT, we declare: "The task
before us is the development of theologies born out of ecumenical horizons in the Pacific
Asian American context. This, according to Morikawa, is our fundamental task which is
the nature of reality in a transcendent context. CPAT is to provide the vehicle in which an
in-depth exploration of the contribution rising from the Pacific Asian American context
may lead to the formation of theologies and religious ideologies which have practical
meaning in the community "The Church does have a message of hope for the future of
the Pacific Basin, and the power of that message must emerge out of our corporate
theological reflection on God's purpose for the world, and in particular for the Pacific
region of the world where history is being re-shaped. Asian Americans together with
concern Western theologians have a unique opportunity to contribute to this theological
enterprise."

		To examine and evaluate present western theological assumptions for the
		purpose of formulating, as close as our understanding goes, a theology that reflects the Pacific Rim ( Asian) communities, cultures, realities, and experiences.
		To research and develop resources to enable Pacific, Asian American, Asian,
		Western Christians to more effectively develop their own indigenous, contextual theology to fulfill God's gift of peace, hope, and justice for their countries and for our pluralistic global village.
		To recruit, develop, and provide leadership with reasoned reflection of authentic,
		inclusive, pluralistic theology and mission for the present and the future religious institutions, theological seminaries educational institutions, and other history- shaping organizations and movements to fulfill God's mission for creation and community.

		Sponsor lectures, seminars, and conferences in cooperation with like-minded
		institutions and movements to bring together Pacific, Asian American, Asian, and Western church theologians and leaders for learning, dialogue, and the doing of theology.
		Publish and circulate relevant documents and papers as well as make available
		publications emanating from comparable publications, lectures, convocations, symposiums, special events, seminars, and conferences.
		Provide scholarships for students to engage in study and research.
		Promote and sponsor faculty, lecturers, and student/faculty exchange programs
		as well as interaction through travel and cultural interdependence.
		Develop corporate leadership in solidarity (Regional Committees) to disseminate
		relevant, inclusive, and dynamic global theology to bring about peace, hope, and justice in our pluralistic world.
		Monitor theological, economic, political, educational, and other value-shaping
		institutions in order to call them into accountability when necessary.
		Use various forms of media to disseminate information and learning that come
		out of these programs and invite contributions from those who are led to be partners in this mission.