Contemporary Christian Study

The subject of this paper is the development, character and role of the Three-Self Church in China. It was understood that the socialism and the religion are incompatible in the Marxist theory so the socialist states like the Soviet Union attacked the religion-group after the revolution. But the Three-Self Church was recognized officially by the political consentment between the state and the church from the beginning of the socialist system in China, and the church accepted the socialism line of the state actively and developed with the identity as a patriotic religion-group.The cultural and theoretical bases which enabled the combined structure between the state and the church can be shown in conventional religion-culture of China, Marx-Leninism perspective of religion, unique theory of the socialism with Chinese charater like Mao's contradiction theory or strategy of United Front, etc. Based on these conceptions, despite the socialism and religion are incompatible, both can be associated with in the wide-ranging dimension for socialist-construction. Consequently, the state carried out the policy of religious freedom, so the church could survive and develope institutionally. And the state required the church to accept the socialism system, follow the ideology and political line of the state and the CPC (Communist Party of China).Under this religion-policy, the common base of combination between the state and church was 'the anti-imperialism and patriotism'. That is, the state of China asked the church to break off the relations with the western imperialist on the one hand, and demanded the church to participate in socialist-construction on the other hand. Under this situation, the church proclaimed to accept the requirement of the state and practice 'the anti-imperialism and patriotism' through the Three-Self Manifesto, and the church changed into the Three-Self Church which is under the control of the state through the process of the Three-Self Movement.By this process and context the Three-Self Church was combined with socialism and transfigured by political intervention of the state. And in political and social circles, the church became to have the character inclined to the ideology of the state. On the basis of this character, the Three-Self Church came to function as political and ideological instrument supporting the socialism regime and the line of the state.