Christianity In Modern Northeast Of China

Taking social vicissitude and the political change in Northeast of China modern times as a background, this paper has a main clue about churches in Northeast of China, which is the situation in different periods, the responses to the political issues and the influences from this kind of interaction. The paper reveals the facts about the interrelationship between church and all kinds of political forces, the factors which influence the relationship between church and politics, the political impacts to the dissemination and development of Christianity. And it finds out the complex relationship in different Christian groups, different Christian sects and different persons as well. Furthermore, it shows the domestic and international issues relation to Christianity in Northeast of China, and discusses the circumstances and characteristic of churches in Northeast of China under a wider social background.This paper is divided into five parts.The first chapter describes the social backgrounds and political environments of the dissemination and development of Christianity in Northeast of China. At the same time, it points out the position of Christianity in Northeast of China in Asian Christianity system and the influences from Catholic and Orthodox.Chapter II analyzes the political situation that churches in Northeast of China must face and its response measures from the beginning of the Protestantism in Northeast of China to the break of Boxer Movement (1867-1900). Missionaries in Northeast of China experienced a lot of resistances and constraints from mandarin, populace and Catholic Church. Many missionary cases also impacted Protestant church somewhat. But missionaries took many effective missionary strategies. They kept humble and tolerant attitude to mandarins or populace, and hardly resisted them. They identified and rejected those who have impurity motive, and selected excellent local missionary agents. During famine or war time, they did a lot of relief jobs so that populace's anti-foreign feeling decreased gradually. Especially missionaries greatly gained goodwill of mandarins, scholar-bureaucrats and populace by their excellent medical work. Therefore Christians of churches in Northeast of China increased and sectarian alliance emerged. The church system was established primarily.Chapter III discusses the new environments that churches in Northeast of China faced and further development of Christianity from Boxer Movement to "September 18" incident. During this period, Russian, bandits and warlords forces controlled Northeast of China alternately and Missionaries still got on well with all kinds of forces. They contacted with both populace and senior officials, which can be named "low class route" and "high class route". During the time of war, famine or plague, missionaries cooperated with the official relief actively, which brought fame and populace's support to church. Thus medical work became a method by which missionaries associated with the authorities. As a result, Christianity in Northeast of China made progress again, such as the increase of Protestant sects, the expansion of missionary area, the rising of indigenization movement etc. Certainly, due to the influence of First World War and political turbulence of the Northeast of China, churches was affected negatively somewhat after 1915.Chapter IV discusses the plight of churches in Northeast of China from 1931 to 1945, when was a special occupied period. During this period, Japanese and Puppet authorities' tolerant policy to Christianity grew stricter and churches were controlled and attacked entirely. Churches' activities were monitored tightly and persons of churches were persecuted. At last missionaries were all arrested so that churches in Northeast of China were almost destroyed. At the same time, supported by Japan military forces, Japan Christian groups entered into Protestant church system in Northeast of China, and controlled these churches by rebuilding or alliance of church system, which cooperated with aggressive and expandable policy of Japan effectively. Facing strict control and oppression, churches in Northeast of China tried their best to keep tolerant attitude, and limited resistance measures was only taken when Christian principles was wrecked. But this kind of attitude failed to save churches.In the last part, the author summarizes church and state relations, and characteristics of Christianity in Northeast of China. Domestic and international politics affects the spread and development of Christianity deeply, which can be summarized two kinds of impacts, i.e. direct and indirect impacts. Christian church's political attitudes and strategies are very important to the spread and development of Christianity as well. Many factors affect missionaries' political attitudes. Comparing with the power of state, the strength of Christian church is feeble. Once the authorities make their mind to attack Christianity, Christian church would destine to be wracked. Because of Northeast of China's political features, many unique characteristics of churches in Northeast of China are especially prominent. These characteristics can be realized by comparison with Christianity or other religions in other areas.