基督教傳入中國，首先面對的就是來自於傳統儒、釋、道文化的挑戰，以「中體西用」的理由來拒絕了基督教，並認為中國人就有自己的精神傳統，無須接受「西方」的宗教。面對這種挑戰，並為了洗脫「洋教」的色彩，中國基督徒致力於建立一套以溝通中國傳統和西方基督教的「中國神學」，於是一種以民族認同為思考的神學為之確立，並加入以建立現代新中國的行列中。然而，現代中國之所以為現代中國，其問題意識已經從傳統的儒、釋、道轉向現代性，「中國神學」已不足以承載新的問題意識，換言之，隨著問題意識從民族認同走向現代性，中國基督徒面對現代性對中國的挑戰，必然要思考一種新的神學之可能性，於是「漢語神學」形成一個典範轉移下的可能路向。本文主要推進了劉小楓所提出的「漢語神學」，對中國神學的思考和理論進行批判和反思，並指出以神學充當民族認同的局限，認為目前中國與世界一樣，面對的是現代性的問題多於民族認同的問題，而現代性問題不僅不再思考如何脫去「洋教」的問題，並將與西方或世界的神學家共同承擔起思考「人類」的問題而非「中國人」的問題。因此，在此神學典範的轉移下，中國基督徒的神學思考將突破儒、釋、道傳統的牽制，並以更為徹底的方式為中國知識分子思考中國的現代性問題提供基督教的思想資源。

In order to face the challenge of the Chinese culture as a ”foreign religion,” Chinese Christians have endeavored to establish a kind of ”Chinese theology,” connecting traditional cultures in China and Christianity from the West. This is how an ethnic identification-based theology came into being. Later it also joined in the efforts to form a modern China. However, as China has become ”modernized,” the challenge that Christianity faces is no longer from Confucian, Buddhist and Taoist cultures but from Modernity. Hence ”Chinese theology” is no longer adequate to answer the new situation. In other words, because these changes have taken place, there is an urgency for Chinese Christians to think about the possibility of a theology which faces the challenge that Modernity poses for China. Thus following this paradigm shift, ”Sino Theology” has presented itself as an alternative approach. This essay gives an analysis of the term ”Sino Theology” proposed as criticism and reflections on the ”Chinese theology.” I will point out the limitations of former approaches, which employed theology as a means of achieving ethnic identification. Modernity has become a much more significant issue than ethnic identification for China, just as it has been for the rest of the world. Modernity is no longer forces a concern to defend oneself from the charge of following a ”foreign religion.” Therefore, as a result of the paradigm shift, the theological reflections of Chinese Christians will break through the barriers of Confucian, Buddhist and Taoist cultures, and provide Christian thinking resources in a more progressive way for Chinese intellectuals.