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 1st 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!
[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).
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