Dr. Jacob Chengwei Feng

Organizer for the Ecumenical Symposium on Deification:

  • Date: Oct. 9, 2025
  • Venue: Payton 101, Fuller Theological Seminary
  • Call for papers: We invite scholars from diverse Christian backgrounds to contribute to a meaningful ecumenical dialogue concerning the doctrine of deification. We are privileged to have Dr. Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen as our keynote speaker.
  • Sponsor: Asia Research Center (ARC)

Organizer for the Symposium on Chinese Christianity, Its Centennial Mission and Bible Translations:

  • Date: July 24-25, 2025
  • Venue: Payton 101, Fuller Theological Seminary
  • Sponsors: Center for Missiological Research (CMR), Chinese Studies Center (CSC) of Fuller Theological Seminary, and Asia Research Center (ARC)

My Academic Presentations at Conferences & Symposiums:

  1. “The Impact of the Nicene Creed on Chinese Christianity: Toward a Chinese Christology,” 77th Evangelical Theological Society Annual Conference, Nov. 18–20, 2025. Boston, MA.
  2. “Deification as a Structuring Framework in the ‘Systematic’ Theology of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee,” Ecumenical Symposium on Deification, Oct. 9, 2025. Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA. Proposal accepted.
  3. “The Nicene Creed and Its Impact on Modern Chinese Christianity in Search of Ecclesial Unity: Watchman Nee and T. C. Chao as Case Studies Toward a Constructive Ecclesiology for the Third Millennium,” 16th International Conference of the Ecclesiological International Research Network, Sept. 17–19, 2025. Thessaloniki, Greece.
  4. “AI-Christianity-Daoism Trilogue on Anthropology: AI’s Impact on Christian and Daoist Worldviews Through the Lens of Divinization,” Inaugural Conference of the Asian Society for Philosophy of Religion, August 13–15, 2025. Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong.
  5. “From ‘Theological Interpretation of Scripture’ to ‘Theological Translation of Scripture: On the Relationship between the Creeds and the Christology Expounded in the Recovery Version 从‘神学释经’到‘神学译经’：兼论圣经恢复本的基督论与信经的关系,” Conference on Chinese Christianity and Bible Translation, July 24–25, 2025, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA.
  6. “Divinization/deification in China,” Journal of Research for Christianity in China (JRCC) Annual Meeting 2025, May 16, 2024, online.
  7. “The Pentecost Historiography: Methodology for Retelling the History of Chinese Christianity,” Society for Pentecostal Studies, Mar. 14, 2025. Northwest University, Kirkland, WA.
  8. Panel discussion on Watchman Nee and His Theology of the Spirit, with Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Michael Reardon, and Siu Kit Brian Chiu. Society for Pentecostal Studies, Mar. 14, 2025. Northwest University, Kirkland, WA.
  9. “The Nicene Creed for Constructive Chinese Theology: A Case Study of Jingjiao, the Earliest Chinese Theology,” The Council of Nicea: Symposium Making Its 1700th Anniversary, Feb. 5, 2025. Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA.
  10. “Evolution, Christianity, and Asian Modernization: A Dialogue between Xie Honglai 谢洪赉 (1873–1916) and Uemura Masahisa 植村正久 (1858–1925)’s Theologies of Science,” 2024 Forum on Christianity and Asian Modernization, December 7–8, 2024. Ritsumeikan University, Osaka, Japan.
  11. “ܪܘܚܐ  (ruḥā, spirit) and Qi 气 (air, breath, pneuma): Syriac Spirituality Encountering Ancient Chinese Cosmology and Religions,” 2024 SBL Conference, Nov 23–26, 2024. San Diego, CA.
  12. “Watchman Nee’s Christology and Global Evangelicalism,” 2024 Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) Conference, Nov 20–22, 2024. San Diego, CA.
  13. “Qi, Post-humanism, and Deification: Toward a Constructive Chinese Theology of Deification,” The International Scientific Conference 2024 on Post-Humanism and Artificial Intelligence (PHAICON 24), Nov 18–21, 2024. Athens, Greece (presented online).
  14. “The Recovery Version Bible and Decolonialism/Postcolonialism: On the Relationship between Bible Translation and the Sinicization of Christianity 圣经恢复本与去殖民主义/后殖民主义：兼论圣经翻译与基督教中国化,” The 12th Annual Summer Training Program on Religion and Law, Pu Shi Institute for Social Science, July 23–26, 2024. Beijing, China.
  15. “Looking up the creation in piety, and being fascinated by the Artisan-King”: The Earliest Doctrine of Creation in Chinese in Trialogue with Science and Religion,” Tyndale Fellowship Conference, July 3–5, 2024. Hoddesdon, UK.
  16. “The Wind of the Spirit Is Blowing East: Ancestors, Deities, and the Holy Spirit in the Earliest Mission to China,” Yale-Edinburgh Conference 2024, June 26–28, 2024. Yale University, New Haven, CT.
  17. “The Recognition of China’s Earliest Christianity in Modern China:  Based on Archival Research of Guji zaixian guji shujuku 古籍在线古籍数据库,” The 13th International Symposium on the History of Christianity in Modern China（第十三屆近代中國基督教史國際學術研討會）, June 6–7, 2024. Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong.
  18. “Embodied Critical Realism: A New Paradigm for Theology-Science-Religion Trialogue 具身批判实在论作为神学-科学-宗教三方对话的新神学思想,” Journal of Research for Christianity in China (JRCC) Annual Meeting 2024, April 27, 2024, online.
  19. “Divine Action in the Flesh: A Cognitive Linguistic Evaluation of Pannenberg’s Theology of the Divine Action,” The International Wolfhart Pannenberg Symposium, April 24–26, 2024. University of Tübingen, Germany.
  20. “Prayer as Embodied Approach to Deification: Highlighting the Role of the Spirit,” 2024 Society for Study of Theology, April 8–11, 2024, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK. Presented online.
  21. “The Pentecost in the Eyes of a Stranger in Ancient China: A Pentecostal Analysis of the Refugees’ Communication of the ‘Luminous’ Gospel in the Tang Dynasty,” Society of Pentecostal Studies 2024 Annual Conference, March 14, 2024, Atlanta, GA.
  22. “Jingjiao‘s Qi-tological Theology of Creation in Theology-Science-Religion (Daoism) Trialogue,” Center for Missiological Research (CMR), Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA, February 28, 2023.
  23. “‘No distinction between contemplating the created realities and contemplating the One God’: The Earliest Chinese ‘Natural Theology’ and Its Syriac Roots,” Context and Tradition, Australia & New Zealand Association of Theological Studies Annual Conference, July 3–5, 2023.
  24. “Pneumasis/pneumafication Based on Romans 8:1–17: Highlighting the Spirit’s Role in Deification,” SBL International Meeting 2023, Program Unit on Paul and Pauline Literature, Pretoria, South Africa, July 3–7, 2023.
  25. “Random Paronomasia, or An Empirical Evidence of Conceptual Metaphor? A Cognitive Linguistic Study of Jingjiao’s Texts for Theology-Science-Religions Trilogue,” The 2023 International Forum on Cognitive Linguistics in China, Beihang University, Beijing, April 15–16, 2023.
  26. “The Design Argument and Spirit-Wisdom in the Abrahamic Faiths in China: Toward a Pneumatological-trinitarian Chinese Natural Theology,” The Metaphysics and History of Design Discourse: Abrahamic Faiths, University of Helsinki, April 1–2, 2023.
  27. “Deificational Hermeneutics as Theological Interpretation: A Theological Exegesis on 2 Peter 1:1–11,” SBL Global Virtual Meeting 2023, March 27–31, 2023.
  28. “The Pentecostal Movement in China (1922–1942) from Watchman Nee’s Perspective: Toward a Chinese Pentecostal Theology for the Third Millennium,” Society for Pentecostal Studies Annual Meeting, Oral Roberts University, March 16–18, 2023.
  29. “Luminous Texts? Or Chi-tological Breath? A Pneumatological Approach to the Ancient Texts of Jingjiao in a Theology-Science-Religions Trialogue,” Engaging Particularities 20, Boston College, March 12–13, 2023.
  30. “宣教性教会与教会性宣教：倪柝声教会论之理论与实践” [Missional Church and Ecclesial Mission: Theory and Praxis of Watchman Nee’s Ecclesiology], CETS (Chinese Evangelical Theological Society) 6th Hybrid Colloquium, Milpitas, CA, January 8–10, 2023.
  31. “Christianity’s Earliest Encounters with the Ancient Techno-Scientific China: Critical Lessons from “Luminous Religion” (Jingjiao) Approach,” COSAC (Conference on Science and Christianity) 2022, ISCAST (Institute for the Study of Christianity in an Age of Science and Technology), Melbourne & Online, November 25–26, 2022.
  32. “Deification Seen from Three Biblical Metaphors: A Trinitarian-pneumatological Chinese Theology,” 2022 ETS Annual Conference, Denver, CO, November 15, 2022.
  33. “战争和瘟疫与宣教和末世：在全球在地语境下的倪柝声的末世论” [War, Plague, Mission, and Eschatology: Watchman Nee’s Eschatology in the Glocal Context], 薪火相传百年祭 [Symposium Series of Passing on the Torch of Learning—Watchman Nee Memorial Conference], The Journal of Research for Christianity in China, co-organized by CSRCS (Center for the Study of Religion and Chinese Society, Shanghai University) & the Institute of Christianity and Chinese Culture at GETS (Global Enrichment) Theological Seminary, November 4–5, 2022, online.
  34. “Holistic Wisdom from a Chinese Perspective: Towards a Constructive Chinese Natural Theology,” Oxford Interfaith Forum, October 3, 2022, online.
  35. “Alister McGrath and China: Toward a Chinese Theology of Transhumanism for the Third Millennium,” 2022 IRC Conference in Honor of Alister McGrath, University of Oxford, July 14–16, 2022.
  36. “Chinese Theology of Religion and Science with a Case Study of Phee Seng Kang,” Chinese Theologies Conference III: Academic and Diasporic Theologies, Yale University, June 1–2, 2022.
  37. “The Local Churches’ Ecclesiology in the Colonial Context and Its Contribution to a Glocal Church,” Evangelical Theological Society, Systematic Theology General Studies, Fort Worth, TX, November 16, 2021.
  38. “死海古卷中大以赛亚书卷与马所拉文本的比较” [A Comparison of the Great Isaiah Scroll in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Masoretic Text], International Forum on Biblical Manuscripts, Biblical Archaeology, and Biblical Translations “圣经文本、圣经考古学、圣经译本”国际学术研讨会, Taipei, October 21–22, 2014.