i. INTRO

Chinese Nationalism.

Nationalism has been both the strength of China’s defense against Western colonialism and the legitimizing tool of the Chinese Communist Party.

The rise of the Chinese House Church, a rapidly growing Christian movement among the Chinese people reveals that Chinese nationalism has played a significant role in both the early rejection and the later acceptance of the Christian religion.

Because of it’s recent history of oppression and strict control by the Communist government, today, the Chinese House Church faces significant issues regarding their own identity and their larger role in the Chinese society.

ii. NATIONALISM as DEFENSE AGAINST COLONIALISM/CHRISTIANITY

A. DEFINITION OF NATIONALISM
(need to rephrase this paragraph)
Frantz Fanon defines national culture as "the whole body of efforts made by a people in the sphere of thought to describe, justify, and praise the action through which that people has created itself and keeps itself in existence." (Fanon, Ashcroft, 155). Nationalism is the ideology that informs the political and social construct that perpetuates and sustains the nation. (Daniel: Recommend inserting this last definition into the first paragraph and axe this para.)

B. HISTORY- CHINESE Nationalism vs. WESTERN Colonialism/Christianity

WESTERN COLONIALISM & MISSIONARY ACTIVITY
In the 19th century, the West viewed China as a "static, unchanging society, a society in perpetual repose," an ancient empire stuck in a standstill. Commonly referred to as changeless, historyless, and stationary by much of the outside world, China was thought to have remained virtually the same for centuries and "came to be identified as a backward society." p. 60

According to the “enlightened” nations of the West, it was their responsibility to bring civilization and modernization to a slumbering China. It was this ethnocentric posture that led to an entire century of Western colonial influence upon the Chinese empire, notably characterized by Protestant missionary activity. It began with the arrival of Robert Morrison, the first Protestant missionary, who began his ministry in present day Guangzhou in the year 1807.

As a result of the Opium Wars, the colonial forces of the West, primarily Great Britain, opened China economically, paving the way for more than 100 years of Protestant missionary activity. In the mid-1800s virtually the only foreigners that lived in the Chinese interior were Western missionaries. The missionaries made some progress, but their influence was limited (Daniel: Need some help phrasing this sentence!). In the view of Griffith John, a Christian missionary from Wales, it was “the anti-foreign, anti-progressive, exclusive, self-satisfied, proud, and supercilious spirit of the “gentry” class in China that was the resisting force to Christianity. The educated classes of China in the 1860s either passively or actively rejected the message of Christianity. Rooted in the notion that Christianity was a foreign religion, which came along with western imperialism, the anti-Christian tradition of China continued to prevent its widespread acceptance among the Chinese people. Unlike Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, Christianity was not Chinese, but a tool of Western Imperialism. The staunch nationalism of the Chinese proved to be Christianity’s greatest obstacle.

In spite of this, God used the limited mission work to build a foundation for His great and unexpected work in the second half of the twentieth century.

iii. NATIONALISM as LOCAL FORM OF IMPERIALISM BY COMMUNIST GOVT

A. RiSE OF COMMUNIST PARTY

In 1911, the Chinese imperial political structure finally cracked and eventually disintegrated, giving way to a new Republic, which was never able to fully establish itself. When it was first disrupted by massive foreign debt and anarchy, then by war against the Japanese, and finally by hyperinflation and corruption, the Nationalist government was defeated by the Communists in 1949 and Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic of China (Chao, 1989, 8). Mao and his Communist Party promised great things for China in efforts to create national unity. (video clip of Mao announcing establishment of PRC [already in our wiki])

In order to irrevocably uproot western imperialism, China expelled all foreign missionaries, marking an abrupt end to the Protestant missionary period and the emergence of the indigenous Chinese Christian Church.

B. CULTURAL REVOLUTION AND RISE OF CHRISTIANITY

Although many of the policies of the new Chinese Communist State persecuted Christians, they prepared the Chinese people for the acceptance of Christianity and laid the groundwork for the dramatic rise in Christian churches. The Cultural Revolution was instrumental in this preparation. Mao Tse-Tung initiated Cultural Revolution in 1966 to eliminate his rivals for power. He enlisted the masses to support his ideology by sweeping out all “bad elements” of Chinese society. He painted his rivals and opponents as bourgeois, imperialists, and bureaucrats. Millions of youth enlisted as Red Guards, responding to his call to destroy the old order, removing not only Mao’s rivals to power, but also destroying all cultural icons that represented China’s feudal past and Western Imperial influences. (video clip of young people waving “Little Red Book” [already in our wiki]) However, when Mao lost control of the Revolution, he turned the Army on the Red Guards, killing them or having them sent to work with peasant farmers to have them learn from “the masses.”

Leaving a gaping hole in the souls of the Chinese people, the Communist Party, inadvertently aided in the accomplishment of the unthinkable. It prepared the way for the explosion of Christianity (a Western religion in their determination) onto the Chinese scene. The Cultural Revolution and all of its failings, brought dissatisifaction, discontent, and hopelessness to the people. Many Christians considered it a time of church purification and the sowing of seeds. The message of hope in Christianity brought life to many Chinese who had lost faith in its country's government.

C. LOCAL FORM OF IMPERIALISM

But Christianity according to the Communist Party's socialist ideology was viewed as a harmful to their form of government and power. Anything that threatened the plans of the Chinese government was not tolerated.

For years and years, Chinese nationalism fought imperialism and the colonizing forces of the West.Although China is not a colonizing nation, it has adopted tactics similar to imperialists through propaganda literature and arts to impose their authority and control over every part of life in China including the practice of religious beliefs. If imperialism is an ideology of expansion that seeks to control foreign nations (Dube, p.297), then the practice of the Communist China regime is a "local form of imperialism".

The Communist Party's own constitution officially holds a position of religious freedom claiming that the Chinese people have personal freedom of religion but it is not in the interests of the party's doctrine to allow the propagation and proliferation of Christianity. Many Chinese Christians have experienced great persecution at the hands of the Communist leadership who arrest, punish, and sometimes put to death, Christian leaders under the guise of other crimes against China. Official government documents claim: "Religion will eventually disappear from human history. But it will disappear naturally only through the long-term development of Socialism and Communism, when all objective requirements are met."

iv. TRANSITION to DISCUSSION OF CHINESE HOUSE CHURCH

Despite the purging of foreign missionaries and the destruction of churches and congregations across China during the early years of Communism, the Chinese House Church experienced tremendous growth.
(video clip on house churches bro & sis singing songs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGMqFsdEPwI [portion 0:20-1:23])


v. THE CHINESE HOUSE CHURCH

A. Basic Information on House Church Movement in China

The Chinese government has implemented legislative sanctions to regulates religious activity by requiring all collective religious activities to be conducted at registered venues.

"House churches" (jiating jiaohui) are generally refered to as Christian communities that conduct religious services without government approval in the homes of believers.They are one of the most sensitive issues relating to human rights, religious freedom and expansion of Christianity in China (Daniel: Recommend delete this sentence or rephrase to be less general).

The statistics regarding the number of Chinese Christians are difficult to obtain due to the hidden nature of many house church gatherings (Lamber 2003, 7). In 1998 a report issued by leaders of nine major house church networks claimed that there were 10 million Christians in the Three-Self churches and 80 million in house churches. Today, some estimate the house church to be 130 million strong (Daniel: Let's provide a range). Added to the 20 million today in registered churches, this figure demonstrates the astronomical growth of the church during the second half of the 20th century, considering there were only 5 million Christians in China in 1949.

For decades, house churches thrived in the rural area where they were usually far from the eyes of the government. Majority of the house churches brothers and sisters were peasants. Most of the leaders had only junior high education. Due to a serious lack of leaders, many young Christians had to take up the leadership role and pastor more than one meeting point without receiving any training at all. But this picture is gradually changing.

B. Effect of China’s “local form of imperialism” on Today’s House Church

Anything that threatened the plans of the Chinese government was not tolerated. China’s “local form of imperialism” was fully expressed in her dealing with the “June the Forth Tiananmen Incident” in 1989. The hearts of many intellectuals were disillusioned after this (because...). The incident actually prepared the hearts of many intellectuals in China to be opened to the Gospel.

From the 1990s until now, different reports show a continue rise in the number of Bible study groups and fellowships in universities. And the number of young believers also increases. The Chinese government is greatly alarmed by this and takes action to increase education on Marxist ideology among universities students.

C. Effect of Globalization and Urbanization on Today’s House Church
Since Deng Xiao Ping’s Open Door Policy in the late 70s, China has gradually transformed itself from an opponent to an advocate of globalization since much of China’s economic successes is attributed to globalization. A consumer product economy let Chinese realize that they have a freedom of choice.

China sends her/many elite youth abroad for education in an exercise of internationalism. These overseas graduates help China adopt foreign technology, corporate management techniques, and other economic practices. Many become Christians when they study abroad. They now/often come back with a heart to build their country and to serve the Lord. As a hybrid of western and Chinese cultures, they contribute to probably the latest house church movement as they establish Bible study groups and house churches of their own kind (what kind? what latest movement?).

China's globalization has initiated both rural-to-urban and west-to-east migration. It leads to an increased rate in urbanization. In the 1990’s, China’s urban population was augmented by nearly 30 percent with the arrival of as many as 100 million floating (?) workers. Among them are many Christians who continue to be Christ’s witnesses as they come to the cities. Since then, There has been a rapid increase in house churches in the cities (any figures?).

D. An Emerging Chinese House Church with her dream and future

Chinese house churches are not only underground churches that play hide-n-seek with the government. A new generation of house churches in the cities is in the process of opening up themselves. They are more confident to establish constructive dialogue with the government.

As a non-compromising but non-confronting religious movement, some house churches enjoy a high degree of autonomy and ample room for expansion, though they are still under surveillance by local authorities and without legal status.

Not all Chinese house churches are un-cooperative in dealing with registration. Actually, some house churches are very active in seeking registration with the government. Many hope to be registered separately from the official Three Self Patriotic Movement.

Nowadays house churches are seeking to establish a healthy church system rather than just relying on an old pastor. They will need training on “Church administration and system”.

The biggest concern of Chinese house churches is not their rights from a political point of view. House churches also seek contribution to the society by concerning the poor and setting examples on the value of marriage and family.

Christians also seek to redefine Chinese nationalism in a way that incorporates the Christian faith. A Christian businessman who was a former Communist party member believes Christians serve a vital role in Chinese society. Christianity forms a basis for good citizens. His dream for China is that an economy characterized by the open market and Christian ethics be incorporated into Chinese nationalism.

Young intellectual Christians love China and hope to have positive influence on the country with Christian values and love. This calls for an open and inclusive government to accommodate them!


(Albert wrote: GREEN color part above is my suggestion on the presentation on Chinese House Church part. I think the whole thing needs trimming down!! Everyone, please help with the trimming! And anyone has a better ending suggestion?)

B – E below are themes that we discussed in meeting, group members please add the suitable info. to it. Each will need to be around 1 minute. But if there are more that need to be addressed, do put it down, we can trim the first part of the video to accommodate.
B. Universalities and Differences
- story of the leader meeting the two elders (30 sec)
- former more rural, now more diverse (city…)
- people thought imprisonment, beaten up, actually fine and stop renting premesis

C. Feminism
One of the major factors in the stunning growth of Christianity in China is the receptivity of the gospel from women. Some sources estimate close to 80% of Christians in China are women. One can only speculate the reason for such openness to the gospel; nevertheless a large debt of gratitude is owed to foreign women missionaries who started coming in larger numbers to china during the late 1800’s with ministries which included establishing girls’ schools, home visits, and medical services. In addition to that perhaps the teachings of Jesus which elevates the dignity and worth of those marginalized in society also attracted women who lived in an oppressive male dominated society. The church in China has helped women in terms of education, liberation, and leadership in return women has helped in the survival of Christianity under communism through her sacrificial leadership; one source indicates that up to 85 percent of the pastoral leaders of China’s house churches are women (Frances Hiebert, “Missionary Women as Models in the Cross-Cultural Context” Missiology l0:4 [1982], 459–460).

story
Women also contribute to the growth of the House Church through spiritual expression. Xiao Min, a woman who grew up in a little farming village neither completed Junior High School nor learned to read music, but God has used her to compose numerous Chinese hymns that are sung nationwide. She has written an estimated 930 hymns, which are appreciated by small underground house churches and professional composers alike, and have contributed to the Chinese churches ability to express their faith with indigenous songs.

D. Ethnicity

(Before revision)
How many people groups do you think there are in China? In China which has the largest popularity in the world, there are 56 people groups. Among the people groups, Han is the largest group comprising 92% of the country’s population. We call the rest 55 groups as minority people groups. In regard to locality, Many of the minority people groups are located along China’s borders. According to a report by Hattaway in 2000 (Daniel: I don't think we cite in our script), In 11 minorities there is no Christian or Christians are unknown . 7 groups are highly Christianized with at least 16%. In 27 minorities, there are only fewer than 10% of Christians. With this measure, the percentage of Christians among the 55 minority groups is lower than 5% on average, except Han people. Han people also has the very low percentage of Christians, which is 4.72% of Christians (Daniel: so the percentage among Han and minority groups is about the same?). With this report, the minority groups in China is the peoples who Christians, whether from outside China or inside of it, should still reach out with the message of the Gospel. Chinese House Church would be the most responsible for the mission of them and the most effective in terms of reaching out them.

(After revision)
In China, there are 56 people groups. Among the people groups, Han is the largest group comprising 92% of the country’s population. Many of the minority people groups are located along China’s borders. According to a report in 2000, In 11 minorities there is no Christian or Christians are unknown . 7 minorities at least 16%. In 27 minorities, there are only fewer than 10% of Christians. The percentage of Christians among the 55 minority groups is lower than 5% on average. Han people also has the very low percentage of Christians, which is 4.72% of Christians. With this report, the minority groups in China is the peoples who Christians, whether from outside China or inside of it, should still reach out with the message of the Gospel. Chinese House Church would be the most responsible for the mission of them and the most effective in terms of reaching out them.



E. Globalization, urbanization – dream and future of the house church
Since the reform of the economic system and opening to foreign trade under Deng Xiaoping in 1978, China has transformed itself from an opponent to an advocate of globalization. In fact, most of China’s economic successes are associated with globalization. Today, China adapts not just foreign technology and foreign corporate management techniques but also a wide variety of foreign institutions and practices. Among the most important of these changes are the decision to adopt the Western concept of rule of law, adoption of competition as a centrally important economic practice, and acceptance of English language as a second language for the educated Chinese population. Most importantly, China sends its elite youth abroad for education in an exercise of internationalism.

China's globalization has initiated both rural-to-urban and west-to-east migration. In 1990’s, China’s urban population has been augmented by nearly 30 percent with the arrival of as many as 100 million floating workers.

In the early days, Christianity was predominantly isolated with little contact with those living outside of the central cities.
Nowadays, as a result of globalization and urbanization, the growth of the church is not just among the rural poor but also the educated, urban elite. Changed policy and propaganda concerning concept of religion and a more neutral stance in education towards religious matters are creating a more positive perception of religion. Society is becoming more tolerant of religion in general, and people are becoming more open minded about their own religious beliefs.

Reasons for the rise of Chinese House Church in the city: (these can go under different themes, not necessary have to present all 4 points together.)

1. “June the Forth Tiananmen Incident” prepared the hearts of many intellectuals in China to be open to the Gospel.
2. A consumer product economy let Chinese realize that they have a freedom of choice.
3. The effect of an increased rate of urbanization in China.
4. Return of overseas graduates who become Christians when they study overseas, and are now coming back to China to serve the Lord. (Xundao Zhu)


As a non-compromising but non-confronting religious movement, some house churches enjoy a high degree of autonomy and ample room for expansion, though it is under close surveillance by local authorities and without legal status.

B. PLACE/LOCATION

81.54% of house churches in Beijing rent venues for their services. However, this has become an issue of their survival! Because a major method the Beijing government uses to restrict house churches is to stop the rent contracts and kick the house churches out of the premises.

Methods employ by the house churches to deal with this:
1. Rent another premise. Strength: the whole group can continue to meet together. Weakness: sometimes the new place is so far away that some Christians stop coming to the church.
2. Break up into small groups that meet at homes. Strength: provide stable meeting place. Weakness: house churches become small and weak, scarce resources.
3. Buy a premise under the personal name of one of the member. Strength: a stable meeting place. Weakness: expensive, may have dispute over whose name to be under.

STORY
One summer afternoon, I had a chance to worship in a Chinese church in United States. After the worship, two elders of the church came up to talk with me.

The first one who knew I was from Mainland China, asked sincerely about our situation in the Mainland. He urged me to be very careful because he read from the newspaper recently that Christians from one of the house churches were arrested by the government. I heard, from his words, sympathy and support for the house church, and criticism of the Chinese government.

Another elder came to talk with me. He spoke of a time when he went back to Shanghai, he attended some activities of the Three Self Church. He had good impression of them. The Three Self Church also gave him an impression that they would very much like to accept the house churches, but the house churches were too sealed up that they would not want to reconcile with the Three Self Church. I heard, from his words, sympathy and acceptance of the Three Self Church, and bad impression on the “underground”, “sealed up”, “un-cooperative” house churches.

From the one to two years of my association with overseas Chinese and Western churches, I begin to realize these two common attitudes towards Chinese house church.

(Brother Suen: Chinese House Church Leader)

C. TODAY’S CHINESE HOUSE CHURCH

A Different Chinese House Church as told by a house church leader:

A new generation of Chinese House Church in the city:

1. Overseas churches shall not see Chinese House Church as always un-cooperative and passive in dealing with registration of their churches. Actually, some house churches are very active in seeking registration with the government. However, the government rejects them due to different reasons.
2. Chinese house churches do not only gather behind closed doors and window. They are not only underground churches that play hide-n-seek with the government. A new generation of house churches in the cities is in the process of opening up themselves. They are more confident to establish constructive dialogue with the government.
3. Nowadays house churches are seeking to establish a healthy church system rather than just relying on an old pastor. An organization from Hong Kong that trains house church leaders has added to their training program a course on “Church administration and system”.
4. The biggest concern of Chinese house churches is not their rights from a political point of view. House churches also see the contribution they can have on the society by concerning the poor, setting examples on the value of marriage and family….

(Brother Suen: Chinese House Church Leader)


vi. DREAMS/FUTURE of THE CHINESE HOUSE CHURCH

NATIONALISM
Chinese Nationalism is being redefined as the growing economy adopts capitalist principles. Christians also seek to redefine Chinese nationalism in a way that incorporates the Christian faith. A Christian businessman who was a former Communist party member wrote, "'the market economy discourages idleness. [But] it cannot discourage people from lying or causing harm. A strong faith discourages dishonesty and injury.' Christianity and the market economy, in his view, go hand in hand.” ("Sons of Heaven" article from The Economist). He believes Christians serve a vital role in Chinese society. Christianity forms a basis for good citizens. While they oppose unjust policies, such as the one-child policy, Christianity does not pose a political threat. His dream for China is that an economy characterized by the open market and Christian ethics be incorporated into Chinese nationalism.

HYBRIDITY
A parallel of the above can be seen in Chinese Christian return scholars who are hybrids with new experience and old tradition. Most of them become Christians when they study overseas. They have influence from foreign culture. Their love for China and the hope of building China with good Christian values bring them back from overseas. However, they are unsatisfied with the churches under the TSPM (Three Self Patriotic Movement, ie. the official church recognized by the Chinese government) or house churches which make up of mostly peasants and workers. They willingly embrace China, yet hope for autonomy in their faith. So they establish their own Bible study group of house churches and are reaching out to other intellectuals.

It calls for an open, inclusive government and its Religious Bureau to accommodate them!

http://christianpost.com/article/20081109/china-s-gov-t-approved-church-reaches-out-to-house-churches.htm

BACK TO JERUSALEM???
REACH MINORITY PEOPLE GROUPS???




It is not the desire of the Chinese to expose the cruelty of a regime as much as to tell of the love of Jesus Christ. They are not telling their story to get even with those who persecuted them, but to testify to the love and power of the One who saved them.
---Carl Lawrence