THE SINICIZATION OF CHRISTIANITY IN CHINA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24193/theol.cath.latina.2026.LXXI.1.01Keywords:
Sinicization (zhongguohua), Christianity in China, Chinese Communist Party (CCP), religious policy, Xi Jinping, religious freedom, state-church relations, political domesticationAbstract
This study examines the Sinicization (zhongguohua) policy of Xi Jinping’s government and its impact on Christianity in China. It distinguishes between organic, bottom-up cultural adaptation and the top-down, politically driven Sinicization enforced since 2015, which demands that religious communities pledge loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party, adopt socialist core values, and sever foreign ties. The paper traces the development of this policy through Xi’s key speeches, major regulatory documents (2018–2025), and the five-year plans of official Protestant and Catholic organizations. It concludes that the policy represents state-imposed political domestication rather than genuine inculturation, steadily narrowing the space for authentic Christian practice in China.
Article history: Received 03.05.2026; Revised 05.05.2026; Accepted 15.05.2026.
Available online: 01.07.2026. Available print: 31.07.2026.
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