Asia Journal 2

 It was a long trip from Walla Walla to Seattle, to San Francisco, to Singapore, and Taiwan – approximately 20 hours of flying. I’m initially staying at Taiwan Graduate School of Theology. The first night, my wonderful and gracious host, Dr. Wen-Chuan Lin (Chair of the Church Music Department), took me to the night market (it goes on for many blocks of streets!) where there were mangoes!

Today we toured Yangmingshan National Park. Taiwan has high mountains – lush and green, with many fabulous restaurants nestled in them.

In the afternoon Dr. Lin organized a Symposium. TGST Church Music: “Recent Studies on Contextualization of Worship and Music." I gave a brief presentation on the background to my research, followed by four brilliant academic papers:

Aruai Yu-Huan Pao: “Legatura between Sacred and Secular Music: Exploring the Adaptations and Applications of Ngudradrekai Traditional Folk Melodies in the Rukai Shèng Shī (2016).”

Chi-yo Chen: Exploring the Collection and Adaptation of Taiwanese Folk Songs from the 2009 Edition of hymnal Sèng-si.

Dr. Wen-Chuan Lin: “Sing Our Songs? Sing Their Songs?: Comparing I-to Loh’s Contextualization of Music and Worship with the Ethnodoxology Movement.”  

Wei-Nung Wang: “Documenting Taiwanese Memories from the Christian Eyes: Rev. Dr. I-to Loh’s Contextualized Hymn.”

We ended the day with another foray into Taipei, where we saw the oldest Christian church on the island. Then a walk along the pier and dinner; concluding with a bus trip back to the seminary and some mango eating. Good day; good outings; good food; and superb academic learning and sharing experience.