The Gospel in the Affluent East - The Case of $in-gapore

"In Singapore, one observes not only ethnic, but also religious diversity. While traditional Chinese religions such as Buddhism and Taoism still maintain stronghold among the Chinese, who represent three quarters of the population, Christianity has experienced rapid growth since World War II especially among the younger, English-educated generation. As a result, Singapore has emerged to be a strong a candidate as the Antioch of Asia. Indeed, given its strategic location, its convenient access to neighboring (non-Christian) countries, availability of training facilities, and economic affluence, Singapore has every potential to become an ideal mission base in Asia.

However, the situation may not be as optimistic as some have believed. Besides the challenges of reaching the people within and afar, there lies a hidden crisis among the Christians in Singapore. For once, the affluence, resulting from economic success, has shown its profound influence on the Christian church. While the society is being Christianized, Christianity in Singapore is under the serious threat of being secularized. In other words, a different gospel is quietly sneaking into the church.

The aim of this paper is to trace the development of this new brand of Christianity, investigate the background and factors leading to its formation, expose its fallacies and thus defend the Christian faith. We will first survey the Singapore society as a whole, and then go deeper to discuss the Christian culture. Reference materials, including some of my first-hand experience with the Christians in Singapore, will cover the political, sociological, and theological aspects."

Click on the link below for the full article:

http://www.antioch.com.sg/well/articles/gospel.htm