Alwyn is wise to foresee questions regarding RoH, which he advanced through email.

I've attempted to reply these questions, although my reply is not officially representative of the RoH Team's position. Given the ethos of these beautiful people with me on the team, however, I'm quite sure they'd be rather happy with my approach in tackling these answers. So here's my reply:

1. What sets RoH apart from, say, Friends In Conversation/Emergent and Agora?

Agora is a local church-based effort to engage society from a rather explicitly Reformed perspective. It is an admirable effort although thoroughly Western and unapologetically Evangelical in its approach (but they certainly believe in apologetics, haha).

Friends in Conversation was exactly what it spells - a conversation - as is Emergent. And out of that conversation was birthed a shared dream by a small group of thinkers to rise beyond Western categories in its response towards societal realities in Malaysia.

One main difference between Agora's approach and RoH's approach is the language used. I think Agora would be quite happy to rest with high-sounding theological language, whereas ROH will represent an express effort to articulate in the language of the people.

Also, Agora uses already pre-established Western theological categories in responding to societal realities, whereas RoH seeks to not do that.

Finally, Agora has, in a way engaged much of the social-scientific arena; but RoH is attempting to do that much more seriously by engaging the wisdom of sisters like Tricia, Veron, and Rachel in our theological interactions.

By the way, may I add, it's of no coincidence that they are sisters, not brothers - the demographics of the team has been very carefully configured.

2. What is your doctrinal statement (if any)?

There is no necessity for a doctrinal statement in this effort, because we are constructing theologies as Malaysian Christians, not Protestant or Roman Catholic (which are in themselves Western realities).

The one thing that has brought us together and which holds us together is our being Malaysian and Christian. As Malaysian Christians, there must be things we can articulate in common without splitting hairs on our Western historical realities and their resulting positions.

But this does not mean we are planning to evade all the differences we may have. RoH represents an ecumenical effort. In an ecumenical effort, there is an implicit understanding that no single individual is expected to compromise his doctrinal positions as we all enter into an effort in a spirit of dialogue. But yet, there is also an implicit understanding of humility in our dialogue, which means that our position is open to constructive challenge and positive shifts.

One most crucial attitude in this effort is that of listening to the other with open hearts before we respond with discontention towards anything we're unfamiliar with.

3. What is your view of the differences between Protestants and Roman Catholics?

We have vast differences. But far more similarities than differences.

Within the Great Tradition, there is a common stream, a very broad stream, that runs throughout Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism. That alone provides us with ample space to move together in like-heartedness and single-mindedness in this effort.

The issues of the papacy or the veneration of the saints are too far removed from the realities of Malaysian society for us to even want to discuss at this point of time. Issues like Islam Hadhari, the Federal Constitution as opposed to Syariah Law, the poor and marginalised in our nation, children at risk, the Orang Asli, besides others, are things we hold closer to our hearts as Malaysian Christians.

Besides, we have Protestants (like me) who hold the Holy Father in higher regard than most Protestant bishops we know, and who are very happy to practise iconography (which includes something of the veneration of the saints).

What I'm saying is that we are Christians who are willing to cross over. Recently, Veron (one of the RoH Team members) kindly conceded to come over to [the seminary I teach in] to share what it means to her that she's Catholic and ecumenical in her faith. Something extremely beautiful was birthed from that conversation.

The spirit in which we are working together in RoH is rather idealistic, admittedly. We are trying to embody an eschatological oneness which probably has yet to truly exist in our various ecclesiastical contexts; but it is only because the Roh who is orchestrating this effort is the eschatological Spirit of God himself... and we're foolish enough to flow along.