Vanessa put me on the new video section of the PBS website, specifically their Frontline section which covers world events that just don’t get any press in regular news media. One that grabbed my attention was called Jesus in China.
As you can see in this screenshot from the intro to the video Christianity is getting to the point were the government can no longer ignore it or keep it controlled through persecution. It just isn’t going away. For those Christian history buffs out there (by the way I am not one of those) this might sound vaguely familiar. For everyone else here is why it is familiar.
I was only 1600 years ago when Christianity had reached a critical mass in the Roman Empire. Persecution under Nero and Septimus Severus, to name a few, had done little to deter Christianity during despite the brutality. Here is an excerpt from a writer of the time named Tacitus explaining the twisted nature of Nero’s persecution:
Before killing the Christians, Nero used them to amuse the people. Some were dressed in furs, to be killed by dogs. Others were crucufied. Stll others were set on fire early in the night, so that they might illumine it.
Similarly in China, while not as insidious, house church leaders are arrested and sent to prison and labour camps. But again this has not deterred the chinese Christians and in fact it has only multiplied the numbers. So it was in Rome. In the early 4th century Emperor Constantine needed a way to unit his empire and what better way to do this than to use a common set of beliefs. As such he proclaimed Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. This was a joyous time for Christians becasue persectition ceased. But other changes also occured.
Until Constantine’s time Christian worship had been simple, taking place in private homes and under times of intense persecution in the underground catacombs or burial places. Now as a state religion it was influenced by the state. Worship was more elaborate with incense and and those officiating wearing more luxurious clothing. The congregation began to have a less active role in worship. Choirs were developed. Buildings became elaborate basilicas. Sounds remarkably like the PBS documentary below. This is a shorter version but the full video can be found at Jesus in China.
It seems as though Christianity is an excellent tool for uniting a nation but only if it is done in an orderly way. Somehow order and control in the hands of humans seems to choke out the Gospel. Maybe the Chinese government has it right. The best way to get rid of Christianity or at least sedate is to accept it.
2 responses so far ↓
The only thing better than decision theology is the book of James // June 30, 2009 at 2:01 am |
I wonder if the work being done in post-colonial theology is a good place to look for help here. So much harm has been done when equating the gospel with western civilization, and this is one of the likely outcomes of state control and/or organization. Does the Gospel cease to be such when it is no longer a movement but an institution?
fblishen // July 1, 2009 at 5:02 am |
It’s funny because the institution creates structure and in the process allows us to pass on the faith. However the institution also hinders the flexibility that a movement allows. It’s a real toss up.