Transcript Chinese Christian Sutras

Chinese Christian Sutras
Where was Christianity in 600?
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Europe
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Middle East
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Mix of Jewish, Christian, other (Zoroastrian)
Will quickly become Islamic (600s-700s)
Africa
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Arians in north (Germany) and west (Spain)
Irish Celts have been Christianized
Scandinavia not yet Christian
Northern coast (becomes Muslim by 700s)
Egypt retains Christian community (Copts)
Ethiopia
Asia
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Missionaries from Syria go east into Asia, through Persia
India had small Syrian Christian communities (not native)
China: monasteries along trade routes
Inculturation
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Religion always needs to be translated into local
culture and ideas
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In Roman empire: Greco-Roman philosophy, political
structures
In China: Buddhist ideas
In Christianity, this relies on “incarnational
principle”
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God can be “translated” into human in Christ
So too Christian beliefs can be translated into other
cultures
Christianity in China
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Isolated communities by 600s and 700s
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Established by Syrian Christians
Along international trade route, “the Silk Road”
Evidence: Christians in China by 635
Perhaps 12 monasteries, ca. 3000 Christians
Did not last
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Buddhist, Christian, and Muslim missionaries active along Silk
Road
Chinese gov’t was Confucian
845: gov’t banned “foreign religions” (Christian, Zoroastrian,
Buddhist)
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Monks and nuns had to leave China or be secularize
Chinese Christian sutras
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Modeled on Buddhist sutras (scriptures)
Discussion
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What elements sound Eastern/Buddhist?
What elements are same as Western
Christianity?
Does inculturation enhance the message of
Christianity? Change it?
For next time
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Christianization of Russia
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How did a whole region become
Christianized? Forcibly?
Why did the prince choose Eastern
Christianity?
What roles does politics play in deciding the
religion of a country?