Author: ZHANG Jinfu, Associate Professor, School of Ethnic Cultures, Yunnan Minzu University, Visiting Scholar of Zhejiang Normal University.
Abstract:
This paper takes L village of the Lahu ethnic group in Yunnan as an example to explore possible ways forward for the development of Christianity in a Chinese context. Given the opportunities afforded by “frontierization” at the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, Christian missionaries entered villages of the Lahu ethnic group on the west bank of the Lancang River at the China-Myanmar border to proselytize. They deftly redesignated the local supreme deity Esha “Esha-Jesus,” and a multi-layered religious culture gradually formed inter-splicing local and foreign beliefs. A “daily life” research perspective from religious anthropology reveals how a multi-faith religious practice expresses the Lahu people’s desire for a better life. This kind of cultural logic is reflected both in public space in the village and also integrated into the sphere of private life, promoting unity and harmony in local society and enhancing cohesion among villagers. It has become the cultural foundation for the development of Chinese Christianity and the basis for the harmonious governance of frontier areas.
Keywords:
Lahu, developing Christianity in the Chinese context, Daily life, Practice
Full Text (International Version):
Full Text (Simplified Chinese Version):
