(Hong Kong) A fierce debate continues regarding the Communist Party’s policy of Sinicization of religion. During a symposium in Hong Kong, an anonymous scholar described it as “obedience.”
The symposium took place at the Chinese University of Hong Kong as it celebrated the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Divinity School Of Chung Chi College.
Obedience
It was titled “Spirituality, Culture, and Chinese Societies: Interdisciplinary and Interfaith Dialogues,” on October 6. Scholars expressed their views on Sinicization. One scholar quoted an anonymous scholar, stating, “To put it simply, Sinicization means obedience,” but argued that attempts at transformation would not succeed. Another scholar remarked, “Claiming one’s own culture as unique alone can bring danger.”
The scholar is making a pun based on similar sounds for Chinese words “zhongguohua” simply means “tinghua” or obedience.
Sinicization of Religion
From 2015 to 2022, Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping has mentioned the Sinicization of religion four times in speeches He called on the ruling Communist Party to “resist the infiltration of hostile foreign forces in taking advantage of religion.” He warned that China’s religions must be “sinicized,” meaning they should have Chinese characteristics. His speeches reflect the long-standing concerns of the Chinese government. Religions, particularly those like Christianity, potentially undermine the authority of the ruling party.
Reports from the symposium
According to reports from the Global Times, retired professor Richard P. Madsen from the University of California, San Diego, and Professor David A. Palmer from the University of Hong Kong expressed their views on the current situation in China and religious belief patterns during the seminar.
Homogenize religion
Richard P. Madsen is the director of the Fudan-UC Center on Contemporary China. He discussed two modes of religious Sinicization in a talk entitled “The Sinicization of Chinese Religions From Above and Below.” He mentioned that current Chinese religious policies actively compress the space for “bottom-up” sinicization. This approach aims to homogenize religion and discussions related to Sinicization from academia into religious communities.
New Framework for Control
He stated that since Xi Jinping proposed his Sinicization plan in 2015, sinicization has become the guiding framework for various government departments. Under this principle, all religions in China must adapt to socialist Chinese society. Madsen believes that the Sinicization of religion has replaced the religious policies of the 1980s, which primarily focused on controlling religion. Now, the government is more proactive. The goal is to transform religion to serve the Communist Party and the state.
Madsen used the words of a Chinese scholar, “to put it simply, Sinicization means obedience.” Xi Jinping endorsed Sinicization primarily based on selected Confucianism and Marxism. It is perceived that Christianity, Islam, and Tibetan Buddhism, which have connections with the West or overseas, are severely suppressed. However, Madsen believes that the complex nature of China’s religious landscape can evolve into diverse possibilities, leading to the inevitable failure of Xi Jinping’s homogenizing transformation through Sinicization.
Religion guided by Marxism
Naomi E. Thurston, an assistant professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, also expressed concerns about the current state of religious studies in China. She noted that Chinese scholars have found it increasingly difficult to apply for overseas exchanges or participate in international conferences. Many research topics have become risky, and publications must be guided primarily by Marxist ideology. She witnessed the hanging of the Five-Star Red Flag inside churches, even on crosses or near altars. These developments cause her to worry that the state, development, and history of religion in China at present will lack accurate documentation.
The Divinity School of Chung Chi College is the oldest theological school in Hong Kong, and it is currently the only theology college among public universities in the Chinese area of Hong Kong.
~Gao Zhensai, Special Correspondent of ChinaAid
