Sinicization: State-Enforced Enculturation of the Gospel and Church

 

In mission studies, we discuss the notion of ‘enculturation of the Gospel’ and debate what that means and what are its positive and negative aspects.  Other terms used have included ‘translation of the Gospel’ or even ‘cultural syncretism’.  The question is whether or to what extent the Gospel and the Church can be presented in understandable terms to a given culture, and to what extent they remain true to what they are with any adaptation.

In China, the discussion includes the word 'sinicization’.  The term originally had to do with what others called ‘indiginisation,’ where the emphasis fell on replacing foreign workers like missionaries with nationals.  It highlighted the ‘assimilation of minorities in the Chinese empire into Chinese culture and language.’ It now has a much more political meaning: ‘In order to be accepted as “sinicized,” they should have leaders selected by the CCP and operate within a framework of strategies and objectives indicated by the CCP.’^[1] 

New articles regulating ‘religious venues’ in China are set to go into effect 1 September, 2023.  They include many stipulations that give the government complete control not only over religious ‘venues’ but, potentially, over the religions themselves.  Three of the articles are presented below as examples.^[2]

Article 3 Places of religious activity shall uphold the leadership of the CCP and the socialist system, thoroughly implement Xi Jinping’s ideology of socialism with Chinese characteristics for the new era, abide by the Constitution, laws, rules and regulations and relevant provisions on the management of religious affairs, practice core socialist values, adhere to the direction of Sinicization of China’s religions, adhere to the principle of independence, autonomy and self-sufficiency, and safeguard the unity of the country, national unity, religious harmony and social stability.

Article 6 Places of religious activity shall establish management organizations and implement democratic management.

No affiliation shall be formed between different places of religious activity.

Article 7 The Department of religious affairs shall, in conjunction with the relevant departments, supervise and manage places of religious activity in accordance with the law, safeguard citizens’ freedom of religious belief, protect the lawful rights and interests of places of religious activity, and guide and supervise places of religious activity to standardize their internal management.

Article 30 The management organization of a place of religious activity shall perform the following duties:

(i)              To unite and educate religious citizens to love the motherland, support the leadership of the CCP, practice socialist core values, adhere to the direction of the Sinicization of China’s religions, and abide by the Constitution, laws, regulations, rules and regulations and the relevant provisions of the management of religious affairs….

An example of how these regulations take hold of a religious institution by being venues of state propaganda and activity administered by state approved officials can be seen from the website of a state registered seminary.  Nanjing Union Theological Seminary is, as stated on Wikipedia, ‘the flagship theological seminary of Protestant Christianity in China today … managed by the China Christian Council.’[3]  By 1962, under Communist rule, twelve seminaries were incorporated into this single seminary for training of Protestant ministers in the registered churches and ministries of China.  The seminary’s website says (in its own, rough translation into English):

In order to further carry forward the Christian tradition of loving the party and patriotism, strengthen the education of Chinese excellent traditional culture, and enhance the understanding of the Sinicization of Christianity, from July 3 to 17, 2023, some faculty members of our college will be in the dean of the pastor Gao Feng and executive vice president Chen Yilu Under the personal leadership of the pastor and the vice president, Pastor Chen Bin, they went to Xinjiang in two batches to carry out patriotic education activities.

Not long ago, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Xinjiang and greatly encouraged the people of Xinjiang. Xinjiang is an important base for patriotism education. The faculty and staff study group of our school went to the beautiful Xinjiang to carry out patriotism education with a serious attitude of learning. The co-workers earnestly studied the important thoughts of Xi Jinping's new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the strategy of governing Xinjiang. They saw the great changes in Xinjiang, Xinjiang's security, national unity and social development, and deeply felt that the Communist Party of China wholeheartedly seeks happiness for the people. Seeking rejuvenation for the nation and prosperity for the country.[4]

Political enculturation of the Gospel and Church in totalitarian contexts comes across as both abusively paternalistic.  The threat posed by sinicization is mentioned in apocalyptic terms during the anti-Christian rule of Rome’s Emperors Nero (60s AD) and Domitian (90s AD) (cf. Revelation 13).  Yet the West is engaged in the same kind of control in ways fitting to its contexts as well—to the post-Christian, postmodern contexts of Western countries.[5]  We should not mistake the way in which the Gospel is regularly twisted in our own culture and how this distortion is then politically enforced in whatever culture and country where we find ourselves. 

Some examples may be helpful.  A case on government-enforced lockdowns of places of worship in Slovakia in 2021 has recently been brought to the European Court of Human Rights.[6]  Government control of children’s sex education includes both the propagation of anti-Christian morals in schools (including Church of England schools) and legal consequences for any opposing the regulations.[7]  ‘Hate Speech’ laws in Europe notoriously undermine freedom of speech and, consequently, are opportunities to use the law against Christians—as in the infamous case of Finland, where a former MP is up against the law for simply stating Christian views on marriage and sexuality.[8]  In the United States of America, redefinitions of Title IX’s non-discriminatory statute regarding ‘sexuality’ as an affirmation of and enforcement of LGBT agendas on religious institutions remain a possibility, depending on who controls the definition and implementation of the rule.

The West has not completely given itself over to state-enforced religion.  Attempts to criminalise prayer near abortion centres, where the unborn are euthanized by means of horrific executions, has become a criminal offense in England[9] but not in Germany.[10]  The government can still be a restraint on the controlling forces, which are probably still in the minority, that operate to suppress the presence and public exercise of Christian faith in once predominantly ‘Christian’ countries.  Yet the march through cultural and social institutions in the West has produced an ethos, even if not always upheld by law, that might be understood to be its own form of ‘sinicization.’

What can Christians do?  This question is not new.  Several answers might be given, but I will focus on one that must be first on our list.  The book of Revelation assumes that Christians have no access to power in the context of the Church’s persecution in the 1^st c. AD, and so the voices of the martyrs simply cry out, ‘How long?’ to God (Revelation 6.10).  Christians today should pray regularly for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ—‘Maranatha!’ (1 Corinthians 16.22; Revelation 22.20).  He will come as judge of the earth to establish justice.  If we put our hope in institutional powers of one sort or another to bring about justice, we only set ourselves up for disappointment.  Whether Americans hoping for justice in a change of government or Christians hoping for godliness in the Church of England, we only set ourselves up for disappointment.  The voice of the Church is one that cries to God for His justice in a fallen world.  That includes the institutions of power everywhere.

Even so, we are assured that governments can function to deliver some justice from time to time.  Christians are not anarchists, and they have reason to seek some degree of justice from legal institutions (both governmental and ecclesial).  Governments can and do restrain injustice, functioning on occasion to procure justice in a fallen world (Romans 13.1-7).  The restraint of lawlessness in this world—the restraint of those living against God’s Law, not some government’s laws—is a blessing of God’s grace in this age (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2.6-7).

However, the end of this age will be characterised by a lifting of this restraint and the horrific release of

the coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, ¹⁰ and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved (2 Thessalonians 2.9-10).

After this period of increased lawlessness, Jesus will return.  The West is now on a trajectory in which the restraint of ‘lawlessness’ (again—living against God’s Law) is being lifted.  Whether we are living in the last days, nobody knows.  The greatest form of lawlessness is when people begin to live against not simply God’s laws as revealed in Scripture but also God’s laws as revealed in His creation—living against nature.  Living against nature is the presiding characteristic of Western, post-Christian culture.

Not only the culture and the governments of the West but also the mainline denominations (once orthodox) are increasingly hell bent on opposing God’s Law and doing so in the name of ‘social justice,’ of all things.  The post-Christian culture’s definition of social justice in terms of ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ have taken hold of many Evangelical institutions fearful of not being accepted.  We have moved well beyond discussing the pros and cons of the enculturation of the Gospel for missional purposes to the sinicization of the Gospel and Church by powers both human and demonic that are distorting the truth, turning everything from God, and enforcing anti-Christian legislation and culture.  As the institutions of power become, as C. S. Lewis put it, ‘That Hideous Strength,’ we who remain faithful to God not only need to resist this sinicization but should also pray for the Lord’s return.  Maranatha!

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[1] See the glossary of terms on ‘Bitter Winter,’ https://bitterwinter.org/Vocabulary/sinicization/ (accessed 10 August, 2023).

[2] Source: https://anglican.ink/2023/08/08/the-new-chinese-measures-for-religious-activity-venues-come-into-force-on-september-1-the-full-text/ (accessed 10 August, 2023).

[3] See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanjing_Union_Theological_Seminary (accessed 10 August, 2023).

[4] See http://www.njuts.cn/wen.asp?id=1455 (accessed 8 August, 2023).

[5] See cases in England addressed by Christian Concern: https://christianconcern.com/.

[6] See press release: ‘Legal challenge to church COVID lockdowns brought to the European Court of Human Rights,’ (1 August, 2023); online: https://anglican.ink/2023/08/01/legal-challenge-to-church-covid-lockdowns-brought-to-the-european-court-of-human-rights/ (accessed 10 August, 2023).

^[7] E.g., see ‘Church of England refuses to intervene or question teaching of extreme gender identity lessons in its primary schools,’ Christian Concern (20 July, 2023); online: https://christianconcern.com/ccpressreleases/church-of-england-refuses-to-intervene-or-question-teaching-of-extreme-gender-identity-lessons-in-its-primary-schools/ (accessed 10 August, 2023).

[8] Rick Plasterer, ‘Continuing Challenges to Religious Freedom in Europe and America,’ Anglican Ink (15 June, 2022); online: https://anglican.ink/2022/07/15/continuing-challenges-to-religious-freedom-in-europe-and-america/ (accessed 10 August, 2023).

[9] See: ‘Charity volunteer arrested, charged for silent prayer “thoughtcrime” near abortion facility,’ Anglican Ink (20 December, 2022); online: https://anglican.ink/2022/12/20/charity-volunteer-arrested-charged-for-silent-prayer-thoughtcrime-near-abortion-facility/ (accessed 10 August, 2023); ‘British Parliament introduces first “thought-crime” into UK law,’ Anglican Ink (7 March, 2023); online: https://anglican.ink/2023/03/07/british-parliament-introduces-first-thought-crime-into-uk-law/ (accessed 10 August, 2023).

[10] See: ‘German Court Allows Prtayer Outside Abortion Center,’ Anglican Ink (1 September, 2022); online: https://anglican.ink/2022/09/01/german-court-allows-prayer-outside-abortion-center/ (accessed 10 August, 2023);  Joachin Meisner Hertz, ‘German court strikes down laws banning no protest or prayer zones around abortion clinics,’ Anglican Ink (27 June, 2023); online: https://anglican.ink/2023/06/27/german-court-strikes-down-laws-banning-no-protest-or-prayer-zones-around-abortion-clinics/ (accessed 10 August, 2023).