(Beijing, China—November 7, 2023) Envisioned and led by the Chinese Communist government, a vigorous “Sinicization of Christianity” movement is underway across the country. Several official religious organizations held their first forum on Sinicization with the theme “unity”. It was held under the supervision of the Government, to construct Communist-friendly theology.
The official China Christian Council and National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement reported that the first forum on the “unity” of the Sinicization of Christianity, opened at the Beijing Conference Center on October 20th. This forum was held under the guidance of the official Beijing Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee and jointly hosted by the Philosophy School of Renmin University, the Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee in Beijing, and the Beijing Christian Council. It was also co-organized by the school of philosophy and religious studies at Minzu University of China. More than 200 participants attended, including experts and scholars from Beijing universities and research institutions, faculty members from theological colleges and seminaries nationwide, representatives from the Jingling Union Theological Seminary, Catholic priests from the Beijing Diocese, pastors from various Christian congregations in Beijing, and students from the Yanjing Theological Seminary.
According to the conference, the forum represents an initiative by the official Christian community in Beijing to take Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as its guide, to take the socialist core values as its lead, to focus on the theme of “systematic theology” recognized by the orthodox Christian faith, to promote the combination of Christian faith and traditional Chinese culture, and to establish a sinicized Christian theological system of thought.
An official of the Beijing Ethnic and Religious Affairs Department, Sun Qi, expressed the hope that through the seminar, patriotic sentiments among religious figures and believers could be enhanced. The aim is to deepen cultural integration and transform this first “unity” seminar into a significant platform for advancing research on the Sinicization of Christianity. This effort intends to promote the profound integration of Chinese ideology, wisdom, spirit, and theological thought.
Pastor Wu Wei, President of the official China Christian Council, emphasized that adhering to the Sinicization of Christianity is a requirement set forth by the Chinese Communist government for the development of Christianity in China. It is also the necessary path for the healthy inheritance and growth of Chinese Christianity. Wu Wei pointed out the importance of being guided by the core values of socialism. He stressed the need to delve into the doctrines and regulations of Christianity to find elements conducive to social harmony. It is essential to interpret these doctrines and regulations in a manner that aligns with contemporary Chinese development and progress while also adhering to the rich traditions of Chinese culture. The approach should involve both preserving the core principles and promoting innovation, striving to better align Chinese Christianity with socialist society.
This forum also organized participants to visit the “Sinicization of Christianity” Exhibition Center in Beijing.
China’s official advocacy of the “Sinicization of Christianity” presupposes a political identity. Its foundational belief is that Christianity is foreign, carrying elements of Western colonialism and imperialism. Therefore, it is deemed necessary to remove these foreign elements and replace them with the Chinese regime or the country, assimilating Christianity into Chinese culture. This assimilation serves the interests of the regime and becomes a tool applicable to the construction of socialism. Christian doctrines and regulations must align with and fulfill the needs of China’s development, offering interpretations that resonate with Chinese culture and comply with the requirements of socialism.
For the first 70 years, the regime advocated the “Three-Self Patriotic Movement” in the context of promoting the Sinicization of Christianity. Alongside the development of this movement, numerous unofficial home churches emerged. The sinicization of Christianity serves as a supplement to the “Three-Self Movement,” aiming to further transform official Christianity.
The Christian doctrines, creeds, and regulations followed by Chinese Christians show no traces of colonialism or imperialism. Throughout the century-long history of Christianity’s presence in China, it has deeply rooted itself in the local context in aspects such as propagation, pastoral care, and discourse. Many of its characteristics have become indigenous. Christian theology exhibits its unique faith and theological charm, incorporating elements from Chinese culture. There is ample room for discussion regarding the connection and communication between Christianity and culture, revelation and culture. There are different approaches to understanding and carrying the connection between them.
However, the fundamental goal of the “Sinicization of Christianity” under the influence of power is to make Christianity submissive to the regime. It aims to place the ideology of the regime, socialist values, and even more significantly, the personal will of the political leader — namely, “Xi Jinping Thought” rooted in Marxism and nationalism — above the theological development of the church itself. This is part of the strategic agenda of the Chinese government, intending to subordinate religion under communism and ensure loyalty to the atheistic Chinese Communist Party or the individual leader.
In the increasingly stringent political environment imposed by the regime on Christianity, the space for religious freedom is extremely limited. At this time, the driving force behind the push of “Sinicization of Christianity” primarily comes from the regime unilaterally. The Christian community under its control can only passively comply. The government aims to assimilate Christianity, but for Christianity, this would imply alienation.
The essence of this forum is to encourage internal reflection within the Christian community on how Christian doctrines can adapt to Chinese society. It urges theological introspection, enabling Christian theological discourse to adapt to the social environment under the influence of the regime. The aim is to establish a so-called “Sinicized theological framework for Christianity,” where the Chinese government, from top to bottom, seeks to transform the essential doctrines of Christianity and reshape the Church’s theology. This transformation would strip Chinese Christianity of its unique identity as the body of Christ, making it a part of the political power and organizational structure. However, this is precisely something that Christianity cannot accept.
However, if one takes an optimistic view, the regime’s efforts to promote sinicization might yield opposite results. In this process, Christianity has the opportunity to demonstrate strong resilience and adaptability, leading to vibrant outcomes that the political authorities may not anticipate. This is because the church in China is rapidly growing despite the persecution.
