Christian Missionaries, Ethnicity, and State Control in Globalized Yunnan

Following the Communist Revolution of 1949, missionaries were kicked out of China and proselytizing was outlawed. However, since the beginning of the reform era, China has witnessed a massive return of missionary workers. This book investigates the interaction of Western missionaries, ethnic minorities, and Han Chinese converts with the Chinese state in an increasingly globalized China. It reveals how the previously conflicting Communist Party and Christian "civilizing projects" have reached a measure of convergence, enabling local authorities to treat missionaries with a degree of tolerance. By exploring the continuously shifting social and religious borders negotiated by converts, missionaries, and state authorities in Southwest China, this book sheds light on the larger issue of contemporary religion in China's global era.

Format: Hardback
Length: 262 pages
Publication date: 24 October 2023
Publisher: Pennsylvania State University Press

Following the Communist Revolution of 1949, missionaries were expelled from China, and proselytizing was declared illegal. However, since the beginning of the reform era, China has witnessed a significant influx of missionary workers. Today, more Christians attend church on a given Sunday in China than anywhere else in the world.

This book delves into the intricate interplay between Western missionaries, ethnic minorities, and Han Chinese converts with the Chinese state in a rapidly globalizing China. Drawing from extensive ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Yunnan, the book aims to unravel the discrepancy between official state rhetoric and the realities experienced on the ground. By examining morality within the context of the free-market system, spatial practices, linguistic activities, and Christian welfare organizations, Gideon Elazar sheds light on how the previously conflicting Communist Party and Christian "civilizing projects" have converged, allowing local authorities to exhibit a degree of tolerance towards missionaries. Elazar further explores how this unofficial arrangement relates to the social realities and challenges of the reform era, encompassing ethnic culture and identity, the numerous social problems in Yunnan, and the integration of ethnic minorities into the state system.

By examining the constantly evolving social and religious boundaries negotiated by converts, missionaries, and state authorities in Southwest China, this book offers valuable insights into the broader issue of contemporary religion in China's global era. Researchers interested in religion, Christianity, and minority groups in the People's Republic of China will find this book particularly insightful.

Weight: 538g
Dimension: 159 x 237 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780271095554