Do that Protestantism and Chinese Go Well Together>

China was affected tremendously by the spread of Buddhism from 300 to 900 C.E. Buddhism itself was spread to China around 100 C.E by Indian missionaries, and after taking hold during the Era of Division (300s-500s), it became a household religion (particularly the Mahayana and Chan variations . Buddhism’s popularity rose consistently from the late Han dynasty through it’s peak during Empress Wu’s rule in the late 600s and early 700s. But, the religion’s popularity fell sharply during Emperor Wuzong’s reign as the persecution of Buddhism grew common (CONTEXT). The spread of Buddhism affected all classes and people of China in different ways; Chinese peasants were able to worship this religion regardless of education or social position (though

Classical China was a breeding ground for new ideas, inventions, and most importantly, religions. Although Classical China was littered with different religions and beliefs, Confucianism was the most prominent. Confucianism is based on the teachings of a philosophical

China has been the home to various religions. At different times different dynasties endorsed certain religions while repressing others. While Buddhism flourished during the Sui and Tang dynasty, it faced opposition from the government during the Song dynasty. Confucianism lost government endorsement during the Sui and Tang but gained momentum during the Song as Neo-Confucianism. Yuan dynasty promoted Islam and Tibet Buddhism but ignored Confucianism. Different rulers sponsored and protected different religions but Confucianism and some form of Buddhism have always been alive in Chinese society from 600 to 1450.

“It is often said that, aside from the impact of Marxism on twentieth-century China, the only other time when the Chinese looked beyond their own borders for intellectual sustenance was during the period when Buddhism was absorbed from India” (LaFleur 23). Why did this religion appeal to the Chinese when they disregarded so many other external influences? After all, being tied to the rest of the world by the Silk Road meant they were constantly inundated with novel concepts from far and wide. The answer must lie in how Buddhism interacted with the other faiths already established in the country, namely Confucianism and Daoism (sometimes spelled Taoism). While at first glance it may appear that Confucian China would be the last place

When the Chinese and Europeans first came into contact with each other, there was a mutual fascination for the other's culture, or way of life. The Chinese began to look at the European culture. They became interested in Western thinking. They were also beginning to look at the religion that the European missionaries were preaching about, Christianity. On the other end, the Europeans who came in contact with the Chinese were fascinated by their culture and their philosophy, mainly the philosophy of Confucius. While the two cultures seemed to be a good match, each respecting and admiring the other, it came to an abrupt halt. The end result was China and Europe both rejecting the other culture.

Chinese culture is also greatly embedded in religious and philosophical beliefs. The way a relationship is developed between and individual and the society differs according to various beliefs. In China, two common philosophical and religious ideas are Confucianism and Taoism. Confucianism

Most businesses in China are run by man. China has many religions like Taoism, Confucianism, but mainly Buddhism. Recently, China has excelled in having many more religions including Christian. Chinese philosophy comes from Confucianism, which is a collection of teachings from ancient history. Many other philosophies were later taught like Daoism, Legalism, Mohism and many more. China still uses many of these philosophies today.

The region of China is extensive and profound. “In China lay people did not belong to an institutionalized sect, nor did their religious life have anything to do with signing articles of faint. Religion in China was so woven into the broad fabric of family and social life that there was not even a special word for it until modern times, when one was coined to match the Western term” (Thompson, 1). In China, Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism are all blended. In the earliest period, Shang Dynasty (2000 BC), people in China had worshipped a lot of different gods (polytheism) such as weather god, river god. People in the Shang Dynasty believed that their ancestors become like gods after they died, so people worshipped their

The Greek religion encompassed a myriad of gods who were present in their daily life. They appear in stories like the Iliad and they could influence human affairs, welcomed, and responded to acts of piety and worship. Acts of piety are the fulfillment of their religious obligations. In other words, Greeks had a polytheistic belief system. In Han China they believed in finding enlightenment through Buddhism, and excepting opposites through Taoism. Confucius taught kindness, wisdom, and trustworthiness. In other words, the Chinese were very omnist, and open to many religions.

The main Chinese religions have many key features. The main religions include shamanism/ancestor reverence, Confucianism, Daoism, Mahayana Buddhism, and idol worship. These 5 religions share some features in common. For example, Chinese popular religion focuses on the human being’s pursuit of health, wealth, and happiness in their lives (quote the textbook). Chinese popular religions want the human to be doing well and succeeding in their day-to-day activities of their lives. Another key component of the main Chinese religions is respecting one’s elders. The religions teach the importance of obeying the commands of the elders and honoring the family name. The Chinese allow place a strong emphasis on the temple. The temple is a place where the people could communicate, understand, and learn about their gods (quote the textbook). The next subsections will be describing the key religious practices of each of the 5 Chinese religions.

Buddhism for centuries, has long been influencing the population all over the world, specifically in China . Buddhism first came to China as a result of merchant traders from India. From there it spread within the merchant community. It mainly expanded because it gave people a sense of hope and faith with the chaos they were experiencing from the collapse of the Han Dynasty. It also spread because it covered what Confucianism lacked; a more spiritual and emotional approach that appealed to many people of different classes. It is because of this that Buddhism spread and was able to influence and greatly affect China during the period of 300-900 CE. Buddhism influenced philosophy and moral teachings, kept the Chinese society peaceful and orderly, as well as affecting the overall economy. Buddhism had strong religious teachings that appealed to the lower class with the idea of afterlife and nirvana as well as an emphasis on following your own path that transformed Chinese beliefs causing a large portion of the population to convert (doc’s 1,4). Buddhism kept the Chinese society orderly by reminding all of Buddha’s life and teachings with statues and the influence it had on monks to spread charity and missionary work (doc’s 2,3,6). Buddhism also had an effect on the economy of China. As it spread from other regions, it caused more farmers and silk producers to convert and spread the religion as monks and nuns. (doc 7,5).

Many Chinese believed the missionaries posed a threat to their society from fears of Western imperialism and so they were antagonistic. “They expressed their hostility by writing and disseminating inflammatory anti-Christian literature; issuing threats of retaliation against any who dared enter the religion and by the direct instigation of, and participation in, anti-Christ riots” (Lutz 34). The Chinese were active in their rejection against Protestantism. They could not understand much of what Protestantism meant because there were few missionaries fluent in Mandarin and so they rejected the church doctrine. Additionally in Qing China there was a strong presence of Confucian beliefs with the civil service examination system and so the coming of this new religion appeared to challenge the social and political order in China. Although there were a few important converts such as Liang Fa, a co-worker of Morrison who was ordained as the first Chinese Pastor devoted the rest of his life travelling around China to spread Protestantism among the Chinese population (Barnett and Fairbank 40). However Morrison’s greatest accomplishments were composing the

At the core of any nation’s culture are its religious beliefs. In China there are the “Three Jewels” Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism, as described in Lopez (1996). There are small numbers of people practicing other religions such as Christianity and Islam, but these are the three dominant beliefs of the region. While they are separate in content, they have coexisted for several thousand years. Lopez (1996) goes on to say, “Historical precedent and popular parlance attest to the importance of this threefold division for understanding Chinese culture…Buddhism is the sun, Daoism the moon, and Confucianism the five planets…suggesting that although they remain separate, they also coexist as equally indispensable phenomena of the natural world.” Each belief system stands alone, and at the same time needs the other(s).

As explained in World Religions Today, in contemporary culture, the discoveries made through science are usually articulated in the structure of mathematical equations. These mathematical equations serve as proofs of the fundamental truths that the particular science reveals. Analogous to this idea is the symbolism in the Yi-Jing system of East Asian Religions. The symbolization of the Yi-Jing system enriches the conceptualization of the universe as incessantly changing. Within the Yi-Jing system, the yin-yang symbol exemplifies the most familiar representation of these uncovered fundamental truths (Esposito 502-3). In this essay, I intend to explain the meaning of the terms yin and yang and discuss the role they play in Chinese religions generally. Further, I will explain the way in which the symbolism of yin and yang contribute to the Chinese conception of the universe and the way that role is played out in religious practices.

Teiser, Stephen F. "The Spirits of Chinese Religion." Http://afe.easia.columbia.edu. Ed. Donald S. Lopez. 1996 Princeton University Press.