A Closer Look at "Jesus in China"
July 1, 2008
Last week I wrote about a new Frontline/World documentary called "Jesus in China," which you can now watch online. Evan Osnos, the Chicago Tribune Beijing Bureau Chief collaborated with PBS to produce an in-depth analysis of Protestant Christianity in China today.
No longer considered a "Western import," Christianity in China has been officially separate from any foreign influence since the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949. Osnos incorporates recent historical events with fresh interviews to uncover the influence of Christianity on Chinese society, economy, and politics.
One of the most interesting components of the documentary involved the influence of China's Christians on the business sector. Zhao Xiao, a Chinese economist, became a Christian after researching the moral foundation behind the American economy. He says that "China's transformation must have a moral foundation," which he says can be based in a blend of Chinese cultural and Christian beliefs.
According to Zhao, a "transcendent motivation for business," where the glory of God, rather than love of money is the chief goal, "not only benefits an entrepreneur by making his business conduct proper but it can also benefit the entrepreneur's continued innovation." The "transcendent motivation" could also propel entrepreneurs to take a more ethical and socially conscious approach to their business dealings, since they're not just considering their own best interests.
Other unique elements within the documentary include the political influence of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Incident on the development of Christianity, and the balanced description of China's house churches. Despite Osnos' strong documentary, "Jesus in China" is not without its critics.
Writer Adam Minter goes as far as to call it "step backwards from the more nuanced understanding of contemporary Chinese Christianity that has developed over the past few years," on his Shanghai Scrap blog. He contends that the documentary gives the impression that the clergy within the official Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) churches "are all hand-picked and trained by the government," which is not necessarily the case.
China has its own seminaries, but some of the ministers in registered churches receive their theological educations overseas, and laity is not required to belong to the official "Patriotic" movement or associations. While ministers in TSPM churches are on good terms with the government, this hasn't always been the case, and the head of Beijing's Three Self Church was sent to labor fields during the Cultural Revolution because of his faith.
Whether China's Christians choose to worship in open TSPM or house churches, they encounter challenges that few in the West understand. As Osnos points out, "being a Christian in China is not a casual identity that people choose lightly; in fact it transforms their sense of themselves."
The continued growth of Christianity throughout all sectors of Chinese society may have significant implications for the nation, in terms of the way citizens' worldviews are shaped by Christian principles and traditional Chinese values. The friction between unregistered churchgoers and government authorities could also continue to intensify in the coming years.
Despite China's ongoing tensions between church and state, Christianity and its influence continues to spread throughout China.
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