"Incorporating Chinese traditional festivals such as the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Day and Chongyang Festival into Chinese Christian festivals will help deepen Chinese Christians' recognition of Chinese society and culture." On September 29th, You Bin, a chief expert on the subject and dean of the Institute of Religious Studies at the Central University for Ethnicity, made the above statement.
According to reports from China Ethnic News, in his report on the National Social Science Project "Research on Classics, Etiquette and Thought of Sinicization of Christianity in China" held in Beijing, You Bin said, "From the time that Christianity entered China, the conflict between Catholicism and Chinese culture in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties started from the 'etiquette dispute'. Up to now, etiquette is still the key link and core field of the sinicization of Christianity."
As a matter of fact, etiquette is the core of Christian faith and the church is formed by ‘etiquette’. Believers first contact and deepen their faith in "worship". Not all believers understand theology, but all believers attend worship services. Christianity’s worship service procedure, etiquette system and liturgy are both the most concise theological expression and regulate the theological understanding of believers. Adding elements of Chinese culture to some important Christian etiquette systems, such as Christian wedding, funeral, hospice care, spiritual counseling and so on, will substantially promote the development of Christianity with Chinese characteristics.
In the process of the Christian religion entering China, from Nestorianism in Tang Dynasty, Yerevan in Yuan Dynasty, Catholicism in the late Ming Dynasty, Protestantism in the late Qing Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty, to the survival and development of modern Christianity in China, it is inseparable from the efforts of "localization", "indigenization" and "contextualization", whose fundamental purpose is to make Christianity Chinese.
Shortly after the founding of New China, Mr. Wu Yaozong and others launched the "Three-Self Patriotic Movement". Mr. Wu pointed out that the Church must break away from "the influence of western social tradition", "the fetters of Chinese old social thought" and "make Christianity a positive force in the construction of New China".
This corresponds to General Secretary Xi Jinping's emphasis on "adhering to the orientation of the Sinicization of Chinese religions".
This topic focuses on the sinicization of Christianity at the cultural level, which includes three parts: the interpretation of Christian classics, etiquette construction, and doctrinal thoughts.
Yuan Sha, vice president of the Central Institute of Socialism, Zhang Zhigang, president of the Institute of Religious Culture of Peking University, Zhang Fenglei, director of the Institute of Buddhism and Religious Studies of the Renmin University of China, and Chen Yilu, executive vice president of Nanjing Union Theological Seminary, also attended the conference.
- Translated by Charlie Li
学者倡议：把中华传统节日编入中国基督教礼仪节日
“在礼仪节日及相应的礼文中，把中华传统节日如端午、中秋、重阳等编入中国基督教礼仪节日之中，将有益于深化中国基督徒对于中国社会和文化的认同。”9月29日，课题首席专家中央民族大学宗教研究院院长游斌作上述表示。
据中国民族报报道，在北京召开的国家社会科学重大项目“基督教中国化的经典、礼仪与思想研究”课题报告中，游斌说，“从基督教入华历史来看，明末清初天主教与中国文化的冲突即起于‘礼仪之争’。时至今日，礼仪仍然是基督教中国化的关键环节及核心领域。
”事实上，礼仪是基督教信仰的核心，教会因“礼”而成。信众首先是在“礼拜”中接触信仰、深化信仰。不是所有信徒都懂神学，但所有信徒都参加礼拜。基督教的礼拜程序、礼仪制度、礼拜仪文，既是最凝练的神学表述，又规范着信众的神学理解。在一些重要的礼仪制度如基督教婚礼、葬礼、临终关怀、灵性辅导等领域加入中国文化的元素，将实质性地推动发展具有中国特色的基督教。
在基督宗教进入中国的历程中，从唐代的景教、元代的也里可温教，到明末的天主教、清末明初的新教，一直到现代基督教在中国的生存与发展，都离不开“本地化”“本土化”“处境化”的努力，其根本目的都是为了基督教的中国化。
新中国成立不久，吴耀宗先生等人发起“三自爱国运动”。他指出，教会必须脱离“西方社会传统的影响”“中国旧社会思想的羁绊”，“使基督教变成新中国建设中一个积极力量”。
这与习近平总书记强调，“坚持我国宗教的中国化方向”相对应。
该课题着力于文化层面上的基督教中国化，包含基督教经典诠释、礼仪建设与教义思想等3个部分。
中央社会主义学院副院长袁莎，北京大学宗教文化研究院院长张志刚，中国人民大学佛教与宗教学理论研究所所长张风雷，金陵协和神学院常务副院长陈逸鲁等专家组成员也参加了报告会。
学者倡议：把中华传统节日编入中国基督教礼仪节日
"Incorporating Chinese traditional festivals such as the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Day and Chongyang Festival into Chinese Christian festivals will help deepen Chinese Christians' recognition of Chinese society and culture." On September 29th, You Bin, a chief expert on the subject and dean of the Institute of Religious Studies at the Central University for Ethnicity, made the above statement.
According to reports from China Ethnic News, in his report on the National Social Science Project "Research on Classics, Etiquette and Thought of Sinicization of Christianity in China" held in Beijing, You Bin said, "From the time that Christianity entered China, the conflict between Catholicism and Chinese culture in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties started from the 'etiquette dispute'. Up to now, etiquette is still the key link and core field of the sinicization of Christianity."
As a matter of fact, etiquette is the core of Christian faith and the church is formed by ‘etiquette’. Believers first contact and deepen their faith in "worship". Not all believers understand theology, but all believers attend worship services. Christianity’s worship service procedure, etiquette system and liturgy are both the most concise theological expression and regulate the theological understanding of believers. Adding elements of Chinese culture to some important Christian etiquette systems, such as Christian wedding, funeral, hospice care, spiritual counseling and so on, will substantially promote the development of Christianity with Chinese characteristics.
In the process of the Christian religion entering China, from Nestorianism in Tang Dynasty, Yerevan in Yuan Dynasty, Catholicism in the late Ming Dynasty, Protestantism in the late Qing Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty, to the survival and development of modern Christianity in China, it is inseparable from the efforts of "localization", "indigenization" and "contextualization", whose fundamental purpose is to make Christianity Chinese.
Shortly after the founding of New China, Mr. Wu Yaozong and others launched the "Three-Self Patriotic Movement". Mr. Wu pointed out that the Church must break away from "the influence of western social tradition", "the fetters of Chinese old social thought" and "make Christianity a positive force in the construction of New China".
This corresponds to General Secretary Xi Jinping's emphasis on "adhering to the orientation of the Sinicization of Chinese religions".
This topic focuses on the sinicization of Christianity at the cultural level, which includes three parts: the interpretation of Christian classics, etiquette construction, and doctrinal thoughts.
Yuan Sha, vice president of the Central Institute of Socialism, Zhang Zhigang, president of the Institute of Religious Culture of Peking University, Zhang Fenglei, director of the Institute of Buddhism and Religious Studies of the Renmin University of China, and Chen Yilu, executive vice president of Nanjing Union Theological Seminary, also attended the conference.
- Translated by Charlie Li
Scholars Suggest Chinese Traditional Festivals Be Incorporated into Chinese Christian Festivals
