The Academy for Christian Thought was founded in December 2002 by Ron Choong to 'equip the church for a responsible apologetic witness'. Christianity has often been accused of being narrow-minded, intolerant, unscientific, colonialist and ignorant of reality. In the ACT website Mr. Choong stated that he founded ACT to address some of these concerns. To this end, ACT seeks to form a community of thinkers and provide a 'theological safe-space' (tss) for believers and non-believers alike to ask probing questions.

Its location in New York City reflects the pluriform scope of the task, at the home the the United Nations, Wall Street, High Fashion, Broadway, over 100 institutions of higher learning, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the NYPLibrary, The Metropolitan Museum, MOMA, etc.

ACT specializes in engaging the world's major religions and the impact of the natural sciences on Christian belief. It hosts several programs designed to teach the Christian doctrines in settings that reach out to the inquirer's penchant for asking 'why?'

According to its website,

"ACT is an educational research ministry to equip the church for responsible apologetic witness in the marketplace of ideas. We encourage interdisciplinary research into history, literature, the natural sciences, philosophy, world religions, and Christian theology for the express purpose of a personal transformative renewal of the mind.

A responsible proclamation of the Christian gospel must address:
(1) the role of the natural sciences to make sense of reality (does divine disclosure and scientific discovery share a common source in revelation?) &
(2) the relationship to other world religions (what can we learn from the wisdom of other faith traditions as we understand our own)

We offer a climate of respectful inquiry that we call a theological safe-space (tss), to consider the claims of the Christian scriptures (Bible) and we we seek to formulate a thoughtful Christian worldview by thinking things through, theologically. We believe that the Church is called to engage the most pressing concerns in the cultural spheres of influence and human inquiry.

To this end, ACT offers studies, lectures and seminars on philosophical inquiry into scientific methodology to distinguish science from scientism and evolution from evolutionism. We teach history from the perspective of a global Christianity rather than a Eurocentric assessment of events. We teach biblical and creedal theology that respectfully engages other world religious convictions as well as inferential commitments of modern scientific conclusions. We offer an interactive and interdisciplinary Bible study program (Project Timothy) that employs the tools of exegesis and hermeneutics to faithfully understand the Bible as a trustworthy, divinely inspired writing of fallible, human effort. And we reach out to the community of international students and scholars that they may understand how the Christian gospel has shaped the intellectual cultures of Western civilization from which they have come to learn."

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Vision:
To develop a comprehensive worldview for a responsible proclamation of the Gospel

Mission:
By equipping Christians for a life of learning by study, growth by discipleship, and obedience by evangelism

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Goals: Serve as a resource to

1. Provide a theological safe space to learn about the gospel and seek to renew the mind

2. Enrich the Christian life by fruitful interaction with every cultural sphere of human inquiry

3. Equip the Church for productive growth, effective witness and caring discipleship

Christian Educational Resources

Project Timothy offers a 3-year intensive study of the entire Bible in 6 modular semesters, each consisting of 5 monthly sessions. Participants (PTers) are trained in a close reading of the Bible using tools of biblical analysis such as concordances, dictionaries, atlases, commentaries and word study guides. The art and science of exegesis and hermeneutics are accompanied by formal background lectures highlighting the historical and geographical settings, socio-economic landscape and cultural-religious contexts. Trips to seminaries and museums form part of the learning experience. Special visiting lectureships by visiting academic tutors offer a taste of biblical and theological scholarship in an interdisciplinary context.

The Areopagus Seminars are topical interactive presentations of topics which relate Christianity to the four cultural spheres of influence (Commerce, Academia, Media and Politics). Its topics include the Global Church in History in 12 parts, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, Evangelicalism, The Crusades and Jihad, Darwinism, Post-Darwiniam Evolution, The Origin of the Universe, of Life and of Man, A Response to [Bertrand Russell], etc.

The Kairos Lectures are introductory discussions on Systematic Theology and other timely topics of interest including "Reflections on the Darwin Exhibit."

Paideia Bible Studies are monthly sessions geared towards international students and scholars in New York City.

Discourse in Science and Theology is a program for the public awareness of the science and religion dialogue. It is funded by the Templeton Foundation through the Metanexus Institute of Religion and Science.

About Ron Choong

Ron Choong was born in Malaysia on April 1st, 1960, studied in Great Britain, and is now resident in New York City, NY, where he directs this research and educational ministry. He married fashion designer Lingmei Lin from Taiwan in 1997 at Princeton Theological Seminary's Miller Chapel.
It is not a denominationally supported organization and is completely funded by "Friends of ACT' who share in the vision. He is the principal reearcher, writer and tutor. Ron is assisted by associate directors Gene Yuan and Vivek Mathew. The Director of Communications is Daijin Kim, the Registrar is Amber Chisholm-Lane and Coordinator of the Information Center is Catherine Penn. ACT is represented globally by ACT-UK based in Oxford and London, ACT-Asia based in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia and ACT-France based in Paris.

External links

ACT official website

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