What Christianity Has to Offer China in the 21st Century

The advent of the Cultural Revolution in China in the early 1960s to the late 1970s was signified by the repression of religions, which culminated in the destruction of places of worship such as mosques, temples, and churches. Additionally, there was a proliferation of martyrs, which led to the death of numerous faithfuls from diverse dominations. Nonetheless, individuals who resided in the countryside predominately from the Eastern and Northern provinces were the pioneers of the Chinese Christianity resurgence through their efforts of spreading the gospel despite facing the threat of being imprisoned. Equally important is the fact that Christianity has always been a minority religion in China as it has not been part of the natives culture. Consequently, this paper focuses on highlighting how Christianity has taken root in the Chinese culture and its subsequent proliferation that has become a force to reckon with in the 21st Century by influencing natives in various aspects of their lives.

Progression of Christianity

An analysis of the rampant rise in the Christian population in China leads me to believe that milestones in reinforcing the freedom of religion in a nation that is seemingly notorious for its draconian laws. The last century has been characterized by the mushrooming of the number of believers who are inclined towards the Christian religion. Initially, the Christian religion was seen as a belief reserved for peasants but the last decade has demonstrated a growth amongst the educated and business-oriented individuals especially in cities such as Shanghai. Statistics indicate that since 19997, the populations of Christians have nearly doubled and perhaps account for approximately 5% of the current population (Daplan & Sacuzzo, 2009). Furthermore, Christianity in China has been polarized between two main factions namely the Tianzhujiao that comprises of the Chinese Catholics and the Jidujiao, which is made up of the Chinese Protestants. Additionally, the government has made strides in the support for other denominations such as the autonomous house churches and the Three Self Churches, which accommodate individuals from various backgrounds (Minnear & Gray, 2008). Nevertheless, research in regards to the population between the different factions may not be accurately determined since there is exists no empirical data to support this course. In essence, the fragmentation into different denominations in China denotes the paradigm shift that has accorded citizens the ethical consideration of choice of place of worship despite the dominance of Buddhism.

Unique Aspects of Chinese Christianity

Christianity has played an essential role in breaking the stereotypic notions that leadership roles are a reserve for the male gender. Without a doubt, the concept Christianity in the Chinese culture deviates from the conventional religious norms where women are held in the highest regard and are elevated to positions of leadership. Further, the dominant denomination for women is the Pentecostal church that has its faith founded in the occurrence of miracles and the belief of the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit (Kline, 2013). This implies that the wealthy and those who have been subjected to the ideologies of the contemporary church in China hold the belief that the global issues may be approved through a persons faith. Subsequently, the exceptional quality in Chinese Christianity may be perceived as a harmonizing tool that brings people together regardless of their economic status or gender.

Evolution of Christianity in the Modern Chinese Culture

The historical background of Christianity in China offers an insight into a revolution that has led to the confidence that this seemingly novel faith is bound to spread throughout the rest of China and may have a significant effect on political and social institutions. It is imperative to go through the various changes that have taken place concerning the current state of Christianity in China. Initially, the conditions in China had it that the residents relied on their ancestors belief and did not conform to any other religions that got to the country. One of the common religions present in the country in earlier years was that of Buddhism (Fellogg, 2009). Buddhism gains recognition as one of the most effective religions and the reason for this is the fact that the country follows some of the Japanese cultures and religions where many people bear their roots. In the earlier days, religion and state had a common bearing, and these faiths were the strongest and represented their feelings.

With the advent of the 20th and the 21st century, people have got to explore many religions, and this has led them to identify with the Christian religion. One fact that has had these people change and move to Christianity is the fact that they have had the ability to observe the positive changes that modern Christians have had. With the modern environment, people have come to coincide peacefully, and the consequent of this has been the development of the Chinese community (Okafor, 2009). It is also essential to note that in earlier days it was impossible for Chinese people to gain a role in Hollywood films. However, the fact that Hollywood has come to accept the existence of different religions and appreciated them has instilled confidence in people in the United States and China such that they have gained the confidence to practice the American religion in other areas of China.

Conclusion

Going through the information provided one gain a deeper understanding of the Chinese culture and its relationship to Christianity. Initially, it was difficult to have the Chinese community gain a sense of understanding of the Christian religion. The perception of the Christian religion in the modern environment has also changed in such a manner that people have turned to it more as compared to earlier timers when people despised the religion. Numerous changes in the community such as according women leadership roles in churches have seen to it that they have the ability to understand the developments that the community has and consequently develop ideas through which to fill the gap effectively. Ensuring that not only the Chinese community but also every other community adheres to the religion rules is effective in ensuring that the religion prevails in the country.

References

Daplan, R. and Sacuzzo, D. (2009). Rights of Men and Women in Christianity. Belmont, CA: Cengage Publishers

Fellogg, R. (2009). Medieval Christianity Civilization. London: Oxford University Press

Kline, P. (2013). Christian Fundamentalist Efforts. Chicago: Chicago University Press.

Minnear, P. R. & Gray, C. D. (2008).Understanding Christianity. London: Oxford University Press.

Okafor, L. (2009). The Rise of Religious Externalism. Unpublished dissertation, Institute of Education, University of London.