What exactly is driving the growth of Christianity in a communist country that officially does not subscribe to any religion but whose citizens are mostly those who practice Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism?
Two academics, Rodney Stark and Xiuhua Wang, provide an answer in their book "A Star in the East: The Rise of Christianity in China," published this year. For them, more and more educated Chinese are becoming Christians to find the true meaning of life in modern times.
Stark, a sociologist by profession, explained that many Chinese citizens, especially the better educated ones, are currently experiencing "cultural incongruity" between traditional Asian culture and industrial-technological modernity. This leads to "spiritual deprivation," which can best be answered by Christianity, he said.
"The question of what does the world mean, and how do we live in it, persists – and so that's a major motor in the [Christianization] of China, and it explains why it's the most educated Chinese who are the most apt to join," the author explained....
Two academics, Rodney Stark and Xiuhua Wang, provide an answer in their book "A Star in the East: The Rise of Christianity in China," published this year. For them, more and more educated Chinese are becoming Christians to find the true meaning of life in modern times.
Stark, a sociologist by profession, explained that many Chinese citizens, especially the better educated ones, are currently experiencing "cultural incongruity" between traditional Asian culture and industrial-technological modernity. This leads to "spiritual deprivation," which can best be answered by Christianity, he said.
"The question of what does the world mean, and how do we live in it, persists – and so that's a major motor in the [Christianization] of China, and it explains why it's the most educated Chinese who are the most apt to join," the author explained....
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