When delving into the study of Christianity in China, one is struck by a particular attitude among Chinese scholars, especially those from mainland China, who often describe Christianity as a "foreign religion." Technically, it is true that Christianity did not originate in China, but the same could be said for Italy or France. Yet, in these countries, no one would consider defining Christianity as a foreign religion. However, in countries like China, where the sense of identity is exceptionally strong, there has always been--and still is--a tendency to view Christianity as an "imported faith."

Reflecting on this topic, and many others, would likely surprise readers of the monumental first volume of Nicolas Standaert's Handbook of Christianity in China, published by Brill. This work covers the origins of Christianity in China up to 1800. Readers are astonished by the wealth of information in the text, but one date, in particular, is worth highlighting: 635. According to the Xi'an Stele, which dates back to 781, a monk from the [Assyrian] Syriac Church of the East--also known (misleadingly) by some as the "Nestorian Church"--arrived in China in that year, bringing Christianity with him.^[1] 635! This was shortly after the pontificate of Gregory the Great in the Catholic Church. Thus, in one way or another, Christianity has been present in China for almost 1,400 years, making it rather complex to continue labeling it a "foreign religion."

Yet, there has undeniably been significant difficulty in spreading the Gospel in China--difficulties that persist today and are often addressed with compromises that may not always be ideal solutions. The evidence for this early Christian presence, as detailed in Standaert's book, includes the aforementioned Xi'an Stele, artifacts found in the Dunhuang caves, and official records from the Tang dynasty, which ruled at the time. The book also mentions an intriguing hypothesis, though it is not given much weight: Christianity may have been brought to China in the first century by the Apostle Thomas. This tradition existed in the Church of the East as early as 500 AD and was later adopted by missionaries from Europe.^[2] If true--though scholars seem reluctant to validate it--it would mean Christianity arrived in China at the same time it reached Rome!

Even relying on the most established historical data, the journey of Christianity in China is impressive. There were particularly significant milestones, such as the presence of the Church of the East in the 7th century, Franciscan missions in the 13th century, Jesuit missions in the 16th century, and the missionary efforts of numerous other congregations, including the Dominicans, Augustinians, Benedictines, Lazarists, the Paris Foreign Missions Society, and the Scheut Missionaries, among others. It was a monumental missionary effort, yet by the early 20th century, it was acknowledged--though not without valid reasons--that these missions in China had not yielded the hoped-for results.

Certainly, there were countless examples of Christian heroism among missionaries and the local population, but much of China remained non-Christian. One key figure representing this critical view of missionary methods was the first Apostolic Delegate to China (1922--1933), Celso Costantini (1876--1958), who drew heavily on the ideas of two pivotal Lazarist missionaries in China during that period: Fathers Anthony Cotta (1872--1957) and Vincent Lebbe (1877--1940).

Reading the nearly 1,000 pages of the Handbook of Christianity in China, one is struck by the complexity of the issues it addresses. These involve not only missionary methods but also certain aspects of the Chinese mentality. It is a deeply fascinating topic, especially given the hope that China might one day play a significant role in the future of Christianity. However, the time does not yet seem ripe.

Cultural resistance remains significant, compounded by China's turn towards consumerism, which has only deepened a certain materialism. Yet, as mentioned, the history of Christianity in China is also illuminated by the great figures who have shaped it. One can understand the Popes' concern for this vast country, which could indeed represent a beacon of hope for Christianity in an era of general decline in religious practice--a hope that could flourish if the right conditions were in place.

Notes:

^[1] For a Catholic view of the Syriac Church of the East (which is the origin of the Catholic Chaldean Church) see Mar Bawai Soro, The Church of the East: Apostolic and Orthodox (San Jose, CA: Adiabene Publications, 2007); see also Wilhelm Baum and Dietmar W. Winkler, The Church of the East: A Concise History, trans. Miranda G. Henry (London: Routledge, 2003).

^[2] Fr. Roberson says the apostolicity of the Thomas Christians has "considerable credibility" in ancient sources. The Eastern Christian Churches: A Brief Survey (7th Ed. Edizioni Orientalia Christiana: 2008), 17.