Christianity in China

Christianity in China
voy:fr:Utilisateur:Fogg, Peter Fitzgerald · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Christianity in China
Caption	Interior of a Protestant church in Beijing
Population	Estimates vary widely
Regions	Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shandong, Sichuan, Hebei
Languages	Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Hakka, English
Denominations	Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Protestant churches (including Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Pentecostals)
Established	Tang era (early missions), Yuan dynasty (Mongol era), Ming dynasty (Jesuit missions), Qing dynasty (Protestant missions), modern revival in People's Republic of China

Christianity in China has a long, complex presence stretching from medieval missions to contemporary revival and conflict. Influential figures, competing missions, state institutions, and social movements have shaped Christian communities across Beijing, Nanjing, Hong Kong, and interior provinces. Interactions among missionaries, indigenous converts, and political actors have linked Chinese Christianity to global developments such as the Jesuit China missions, Protestant missions in China, and Vatican–China relations.

History

Early contacts began with the Church of the East in the Tang dynasty and the arrival of Nestorianism in the 7th century, notably recorded on the Nestorian Stele near Xi'an. The Yuan dynasty facilitated renewed links via Franciscan missions and merchants on the Silk Road. The Ming dynasty saw limited contact until the influential Jesuit China missions led by figures like Matteo Ricci and Sebastiano da Montagnana brought Western astronomy and cartography into court circles, engaging with the Ming imperial court and scholars of the Hanlin Academy. The Qing dynasty witnessed expansion through Protestant missions in China with societies such as the London Missionary Society, American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, and missionaries like Hudson Taylor and Robert Morrison. The Taiping Rebellion drew on heterodox Christian ideas under Hong Xiuquan, while diplomatic incidents like the Opium Wars influenced missionary access and treaty port expansion (e.g., Treaty of Nanking). Republican-era institutions included Christian universities such as Yenching University, St. John's University, Shanghai, and hospitals founded by Lester Frank Ward-era philanthropists and missionaries. The Chinese Communist Revolution and establishment of the People's Republic of China led to the 1950s creation of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, while many clergy faced persecution during the Cultural Revolution. From the 1980s onward, reforms produced rapid growth of both registered and unregistered congregations, linking to transnational networks including the Vatican, World Council of Churches, and diasporic communities in San Francisco, Vancouver, and London.

Demographics and Distribution

Estimates of adherents vary: official statistics from the State Administration for Religious Affairs and scholarly surveys by institutions such as Pew Research Center, Asia-Pacific Mission Research Consortium, and Chinese Academy of Social Sciences diverge. Large concentrations exist in urban centers like Shanghai, Chongqing, and Guangzhou as well as inland provinces such as Henan, Sichuan, and Hebei. Ethnic minorities including the Zhuang people, Miao people, Hui people, and Uyghur people show diverse religious affiliations, with notable Christian communities among the Korean Chinese and Tibetan minorities in border regions near Heilongjiang and Yunnan. Diaspora flows link mainland congregations to churches in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and overseas hubs like New York City, Sydney, and Singapore.

Denominations and Organizations

The major Catholic body is the Roman Catholic Church operating in tension with the state-sponsored Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association and underground communities loyal to the Holy See. Orthodox presence includes the Eastern Orthodox Church centered on parishes in Harbin with ties to the Russian Orthodox Church. Protestantism encompasses broad families: historical denominations such as Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterianism, Anglicans and revival movements like Pentecostalism and house churches. Missionary societies involved historically include the London Missionary Society, China Inland Mission (founded by Hudson Taylor), American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America (Maryknoll), and Catholic orders like the Society of Jesus and Paris Foreign Missions Society. Education and social service organizations include university networks (e.g., Fudan University collaborations), hospitals such as Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and NGOs connected to international bodies like Caritas Internationalis and World Vision.

Government Policy and Legal Status

The Constitution of the People's Republic of China recognizes "religious belief" with regulations enforced by bodies like the State Administration for Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Registered institutions participate through the Three-Self Patriotic Movement for Protestants and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association for Catholics; both interact with provincial United Front Work Department offices. International diplomacy influences religious policy, notably Vatican–China relations and negotiations over episcopal appointments. Campaigns such as the Sinicization of religion policy aim to align religious practice with socialist values advocated by the Chinese Communist Party. Legal frameworks include regulations on religious affairs, registration requirements monitored by municipal authorities in Beijing and Shanghai, and recent directives restricting foreign religious activity linked to enforcement by the Ministry of Public Security.

Cultural Influence and Social Impact

Christian institutions have contributed to Chinese medicine, education, and print culture via missionary hospitals, schools, and presses that influenced the modernizing currents of the Self-Strengthening Movement and May Fourth Movement. Prominent converts and intellectuals—such as Wang Ming-Dao-era figures, educators at Yenching University, and writers like Lu Xun's contemporaries—engaged with Christian ethics and social reform. Christian art, music, and architecture shaped urban landscapes in treaty ports like Shanghai International Settlement and cathedral landmarks such as Xikai Church and Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Beijing). Social service efforts by Catholic and Protestant NGOs addressed public health crises (e.g., SARS outbreak) and poverty relief in provinces like Guangxi and Anhui, connecting to global philanthropy networks in Geneva and New York City.

Persecution, Restrictions, and Underground Churches

Periods of suppression include late-1940s campaigns, the Cultural Revolution's closure of religious sites, and intermittent crackdowns on unregistered communities by provincial authorities in Henan and Hebei. Underground or "house church" networks operate parallel to state-sanctioned bodies, maintaining episcopal loyalty in some Catholic communities to the Vatican and fostering charismatic Protestant networks inspired by figures linked to the China Inland Mission legacy. High-profile incidents involved arrests of clergy, demolition of crosses in Zhejiang campaigns, and trials of activists who interfaced with international organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. International responses include statements from the European Union, bilateral dialogues with United States officials, and pastoral letters circulated by the Holy See.

Category:Religion in China