Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Jesus Creed

Home
Evangelical
The Political Witness of the Chinese Church (Jackson Wu)

The Political Witness of the Chinese Church (Jackson Wu)

Last updated on: May 7, 2014 at 12:07 am by Scot McKnight

The Political Witness of the Chinese Church (Jackson Wu) 2014-05-02T20:33:44-05:00 Scot McKnight

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Jackson Wu teaches theology and missiology for Chinese pastors. He blogs at www. jacksonwu.org. Wu has also written Saving God’s Face: A Chinese Contextualization of Salvation through Honor and Shame (2013). Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

The Political Witness of the Chinese Church

Previously, I reviewed the book Christian Political Witness (see Part 1, Part 2). Now I want us to apply some of its insights.

Therefore, I’m starting a new series in which I will consider the Christian political witness of the Chinese church. It is important to remember what is meant by “politics.” In a prior post, I said that “politics” concerns power–– influence–– in a public setting.

Therefore, the topic is much broader than political parties and elections.

Does the Church Matter in Society?

Stanley Hauerwas sets the tone in the book’s opening chapter “Church Matters.”

Stanley Hauerwas He argues that the church (in the West) has succumbed to a secular way of thinking that separates “religion” from “politics.” He claims that the church has been domesticated for the sake of societal peace (19). It is no wonder then that people see the church as a voluntary organization. Christianity is not longer treated (even by believers) as a “public” truth.

Accordingly, the church has lost the ability to discuss matters of deep conviction. By privatizing Christian faith, we automatically make any sort of Christian political perspective impossible.

Hauerwas argues that the Church is inherently political yet has failed to integrate this fact into our theology. This is what he means:

The church makes a definitive “political” statement when we proclaim that Jesus is King.

He claims authority over every government or corporate powers that be. This is because ultimate allegiance to Christ as king will necessarily mean challenging the supremacy of other loyalties, whether the state, a clan, or family.

Christians historically were prepared to die as the ultimate political statement; yet he wonders who would become martyrs for a “civil religion,” which Christianity in the West has become.

Finally, he draws heavily on Karl Barth as an example of a theologian who did not dichotomize Christianity and “politics” (so-called). Rather, for Barth, a Christianity that cannot publically oppose the atrocities of unjust war––even at the cost of suffering––is irrelevant.

On the other hand, Hauerwas is not calling for a “Christian state.” In fact, he points out, “Hitler’s attempt to make Christianity a state religion by creating the German Church meant the free preaching of the gospel was prohibited” (29).

Is this Practical?

Theology is supposed to be practical, especially “political theology.” Therefore, I want to evaluate the chapter by trying to apply it to a Chinese context.

1. Church and Gospel

The gospel announces the fact that Jesus is King.

Therefore, an apolitical ecclesiology (doctrine of the church) makes Christian faith impossible because it takes away the core of the gospel. In other words, if Christianity is not essentially collectivistic and public, it is not biblical. Yet, if it is collectivistic and public, then it is also political.

This raises the question: What “gospel” do Chinese Christians preach? Functionally speaking, does it proclaim a private religion whereby individuals escape the material world for a disembodied existence in a place called “heaven”? In what sense would that sort of message be “public” and challenge people to live materially different lives here and now?

2. Church and State

Hauerwas deals with a very Chinese problem; namely, the way people largely perceive religion and thus the church. Throughout Chinese history even to the present, it is assumed that religions, including Christianity, exist for the sake of society. Government always trumps religious commitments. Accordingly, although Hauerwas has western democracies in mind, the division between public and private is also an accurate diagnosis of Chinese religious life.

What is the relevance of Hauerwas’ analysis for the Three-Self Church?

If the Three-Self church is unwilling to be a prophetic voice confronting corruption and officially sanctioned evil, then in what sense can they be called “Christian” and not just “Chinese”?

Of course, countless unregistered “house churches” have proven equally hesitant to engage in social (i.e. “political”) ministries

3. Provocative and Practical

Might the separation of Christianity and politics––with Christians’ reticence to address “politics”–– be one reason people might also shy away from preaching the “King Jesus gospel” and instead settle for the plan of salvation? After all, if we proclaim clearly that Christ is King, then all will draw the proper inference –– Caesar is not. Or to put it in a more “Chinese” way, if Jesus is chairman, then Mao is not.

In short, the very fact that we talk about “Christian politics” illustrates the problem.

After all, such a question presumes that there is in some way a distinction between Christianity and politics. [Christianity has become too abstract to affect actual lives.]

4. Suffering for Society?

Naturally, the threat of persecution, at some level, hangs over the head of every Christian, whether formally (by local authorities) or informally (by family and friends). Conventional wisdom teaches the average Chinese person to equivocate on controversial issues; take the middle road and don’t stick out in a crowd.

The Chinese church needs to ask itself, “What are we willing to suffer for?”

What it suffers for will demonstrate what it really stands for, what lies at the essence of its message. Chinese Christians have willingly suffered to help people find eternal life; that is commendable.

How about other injustices?

If Christ is truly king over every inch of creation, then what does it say about our gospel if we are not willing to risk our jobs because our wives are not willing to abort what would be a second child?

What does it say about the gospel when we tell people they can have eternal life but cooperate when our boss tells us to bribe a local official in order to get a business contract or wants to higher a prostitute to entertain business clients?

In effect, what people hear is that Jesus is primarily concerned about the “next life.” After all, if we are not willing to challenge the norm (and suffer for it), then our lives proclaim that Jesus is not yet king. The problem is obvious: Christ was raised and now reigns as king of kings.

5. Chinese Christian or Christian Chinese?

Hauerwas’ presentation is a penetrating analysis of the church’s self-understanding. In essence, he rightly challenges Christians to consider whether they identify more with the state or the Church. In China, I sometimes ask people, “Are you a Chinese Christian or a Christian Chinese?” (The noun says what you are; the adjective could be tossed away).

Uncategorized

Previous Post

May 6, 2014

Student Voices at Bryan College

Next Post

May 7, 2014 The Church and Racism (Jonathan Storment)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Acts of the Apostles Adam Advent Anabaptism Angels Anglican Apologetics Atonement Baptism BCP Prayers Bible Biblical Studies Birds Blogging Bloglossary Bonhoeffer Books Calvinism Christianity Church Church History Coffee Colossians Commentary Recs Conversion Creation Creeds Culture Death Ecclesiastes Economics Education Embracing Grace Emergent Emerging Movement Eschatology Essays Ethics Eucharist Evangelicalism Family Fasting Fathers Fellowship of Differents Footsteps Tour Fun and Whimsical Gospel Grace Happiness Heaven Hell Holy Spirit Irenaeus James Jesus Jesus Creed Job Justification Kingdom of God Law Lectures Lent Liberalism Love and Marriage Mabanteneni Manhood Mary Miracles Missio Alliance MissioLife Missional Missional Jesus Movies and Film New Perspective Northern Seminary OneLife Origins Project Orthodox Parables Pastor's Spouse Pastoring and Leading Pastoring and Preaching Patristics Paul Paul-John Tour Pharisees Pietism Political Theology Prayer and Formation Preaching Problems for Faith Psalm 119 Psalms Public Issues Purgatory Religions Resurrection Revelation Romans Rule of JCreed Science and Faith Sermon on the Mount Sports Ten Commandments Theology Third Way Top Ten Lists Translations Uncategorized Universalism University Ministry Way Out Weekly Meanderings Wisdom Women and Ministry Work Worship Writing & Blogging Youth Ministry

Select a Month July 2021 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 0000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

The righteous person will live by what quality or characteristic?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Works Obedience Faith Holiness