Christianity and religious syncretism in early twentieth-century China
by Xiaoxuan Wang
Working Papers WP 17-11
October 2017
ISSN 2192-2357 (MMG Working Papers Print)
Full text: pdf
Abstract:
Christianity in China is known to have been influenced by Chinese popular religion. Yet it is less known how much Christianity has influenced other religions in China. This article examines the syncretic trend of the early years of Republican China, which aimed at reinventing Chinese religions. I argue that as early as the 1920s, followers of Chinese religious traditions were appropriating various aspects of Christianity – from its symbols and institutions to its values – for their own ends. This trend was crucial for Christianity to become a part of Chinese religion and society.