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Confucian church

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused withTemple of Confucius.
Project for the Confucian Church Headquarters (Khổng giáo tổng hội đường) inBeijing,next to the Confucian University. The Confucian University was opened in 1923, but the main church was never completed.[1]

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Confucianism
天將以夫子爲木鐸, "Heaven will instruct the master like a wooden-clapper bell (to awaken everyone to the Way)" — Analects 3.24.
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Confucian churchesand sects

TheConfucian church(Chinese:Khổng giáo hội;pinyin:Kǒng jiàohuìorRú jiàohuì) is aConfucianreligious and social institution of thecongregationaltype. It was first proposed byKang Youwei(1858–1927) near the end of the 19th century, as astate religionofQing Chinafollowing a European model.[2]

The "Confucian church" model was later replicated byoverseas Chinesecommunities,[3]who established independent Confucian churches active at the local level, especially inIndonesiaand theUnited States.

There has been arevival of Confucianismin contemporary China since around 2000, which has triggered the proliferation of Confucian academies (Thư viện;shūyuàn); the opening and reopening oftemples of Confucius;the new phenomenon ofgrassrootsConfucian communities or congregations (Xã khu nho học;shèqū rúxué); and renewed talks about a national "Confucian church".[4]With the participation of many Confucian leaders, a nationalChurch of Confucius(Khổng thánh sẽ;Kǒngshènghuì) was established on November 1, 2015; its current spiritual leader isJiang Qing.

Kang Youwei's national Confucian Church[edit]

The idea of a "Confucian Church" as thestate religionofChinawas proposed in detail by Kang Youwei as part of an earlyNew Confucianeffort to revive the social relevance of Confucianism. The idea was proposed at a time when Confucianism was not institutionalized, after the collapse of theQing dynastyand the Chinese empire.[3]Kang modeled his ideal "Confucian Church" after European national Christian churches—hierarchical and centralised institutions closely bound to the state, with local church branches, Sunday prayers and choirs, missions, journals, and even baptisms, devoted to the worship and the spread of the teachings ofConfucius.[3][5]

The large community of Confucian literati—who were left without an organization or an outlet for their rituals, values, and identity after the dissolution of state Confucianism, supported such projects.[5]Similar models were also adopted by various newly created Confucianfolk religious sects,such as the Xixinshe, the Daode Xueshe, and the Wanguo Daodehui.[5]

The Confucian Church was founded in 1912 by a disciple of Kang, Chen Huanzhang, and within a few years it established 132 branches in China.[6]From 1913 to 1916, an important debate took place about whether Confucianism should become the state religion (guo jiao) and thus be inscribed in the constitution of China.[6]This did not occur and anti-religious campaigns in the 1920s led to a full dissolution of the Confucian church.[6]

Modern churches and congregations[edit]

While Kang's idea was not realized in China, it was carried forward inHong Kongand amongoverseas Chinesepeople.[3]The Hong Kong branch of Kang's movement became known as the "Confucian Academy"(Khổng dạy học viện), while theIndonesianbranch became theSupreme Council for the Confucian Religion in Indonesia.Members believe inTian,with Confucius as the prophet (Indonesian:nabi).[7]Chinese people in theUnited Statesestablished independent, local Confucian churches such as the Confucius Church of Sacramento or the Confucius Church of Salinas.

In contemporary China, the Confucian revival of the 21st century has developed a variety of interrelated ways: the proliferation of Confucian academies,[7]the resurgence of Confucian rites,[7]and the birth of new forms of Confucian activity on the local level, such as Confucian communities. Some scholars consider the reconstruction ofChinese lineage associationsand theirancestral shrines,as well as cults and temples worshiping natural and national gods from other Chinese traditional religions, as part of the revival of Confucianism.[8]

Other groups associated with the revival include folk religions[9]orsalvationist religions[10]that have a Confucian focus. Confucian churches, for example theYidan xuetang(Một đam học đường) inBeijing,[11]theMengmutang(Mạnh mẫu đường) ofShanghai,[12]theWay of the Gods according to the Confucian Tradition,Phoenix Churches,[13]and the Confucian Fellowship (Nho giáo đạo đàn;Rújiào Dàotán) in northernFu gianhave spread rapidly over the years since their foundation.[13]Ancestral shrines of the Kong family have also reopened, as well as Confucian-teaching churches.[12]

The Hong KongConfucian Academyhas expanded its activities to the mainland, constructing statues of Confucius, Confucian hospitals, restoring temples and sponsoring other activities.[14]In 2009, Zhou Beichen founded the Holy Hall of Confucius (Khổng thánh đường;Kǒngshèngtáng) inShenzhen,inspired by Kang Youwei's idea of the Confucian Church. It is also affiliated with the Federation of Confucian Culture inQufu,[15]a nationwide movement of congregations and civil organisations that was unified in 2015 as theChurch of Confucius(Khổng thánh sẽ;Kǒngshènghuì).

Chinese folk religion's temples and kinship ancestral shrines sometimes choose Confucian liturgy during special occasions (that is calledNhorú,or sometimesChính thốngzhèngtǒng;'orthopraxritual style'), led by Confucian ritual masters (Lễ sinh;lǐshēng) who worship the gods enshrined, instead of Taoist or other popular rituals.[16]"Confucian businessmen" (rushang;'learned businessman') is a recently revived term to identify people among the entrepreneurial or economic elite who recognize their social responsibilities and therefore apply Confucian cultural practices to their business.[17]

ContemporaryNew Confucianscholars Jiang Qing[7]and Kang Xiaoguang are among the most influential supporters behind the campaign to establish a national "Confucian Church".[18]Jiang Qing is the current spiritual leader of the Church of Confucius.

In Japan,Confucian Shintois organised as part ofSect Shinto.Similar Confucian-focused sects also exist in South Korea.

List of churches[edit]

  • Confucian Fellowship (Chinese:Nho giáo đạo đàn;pinyin:Rújiào Dàotán)[13]
  • Daode Xueshe(Chinese:Đạo đức học xã;lit.'Community for the Study of the Way and its Virtue')[5]
  • Kongshenghui(Chinese:Khổng thánh sẽ;pinyin:Kǒngshènghuì)
  • Kongdaoshe(Chinese:Đường hầm xã;lit.'Community of the Way of Confucius')[19]
  • Kong Meng Xuehui(Chinese:Khổng Mạnh học được;lit.'Society of Confucius and Mencius')[20]
  • Kong Meng Shengdao Hui(Chinese:Khổng Mạnh thánh nói sẽ;lit.'Church of the Sacred Way of Confucius and Mencius')[20]
  • Mengmutang(Chinese:Mạnh mẫu đường)
  • Ruists' Society (Chinese:Nho xã;pinyin:Rúshè) and Ruist Masters' Society (Chinese:Nho sĩ xã;pinyin:Rúshìshè), two modern networks of Confucians in mainland China
  • Ruzong Luandao(Chinese:Nho tông loan nói;lit.'Way of the Phoenix according to the Confucian Tradition'), phoenix churches[21]
  • Shengdao(Chinese:Thánh nói;lit.'Holy Way'), aXiantiandaobranch best known by its corporate name of Tongshanshe (Chinese:Cùng thiện xã;lit.'Community of the Goodness')[22]
  • Shenglishe(Chinese:Thánh lý xã;lit.'Community of the Holy Truth')[23]
  • Wanguo Daodehui(Chinese:Vạn quốc lộ đức sẽ;lit.'Universal Church of the Way and its Virtue')[5]
  • Jiushi teaching (Chinese:Cứu thế giáo;pinyin:Jiùshì jiào;lit.'Life Healing'), also known by its corporate name Wushanshe (Chinese:Ngộ thiện xã;lit.'Community of the Awakening to the Goodness')[5]
  • Xin Rujiao Hui(Chinese:Tân nho giáo sẽ;lit.'New Confucian Church')[20]
  • Xixinshe(Chinese:Tẩy tâm xã;lit.'Community of the Pure Heart')[5]
  • Xuanyuanism(Chinese:Hiên Viên giáo;pinyin:Xuānyuán jiào)[23]
  • Yidan xuetang(Chinese:Một đam học đường)
  • Zongsheng Hui(Chinese:Tông thánh sẽ;lit.'Church of the Great Sage')[19]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Tay Wei Leong.SAVING THE CHINESE NATION AND THE WORLD: RELIGION AND CONFUCIAN REFORMATION, 1880s-1937[permanent dead link].National University of Singapore, 2012. pp. 96-98
  2. ^Ya-pei Kuo, 2010.
  3. ^abcdYong Chen, 2012. p. 174
  4. ^Billioud, 2010. p. 201
  5. ^abcdefgGoossaert (2011),p. 95.
  6. ^abcBillioud, 2010. p. 207
  7. ^abcdYong Chen, 2012. p. 175
  8. ^Fan, Chen. 2015. (a). p. 7
  9. ^Billioud, 2010. p. 203
  10. ^Billioud, 2010. p. 214
  11. ^Billioud, 2010. p. 219
  12. ^abFan, Chen. 2015. p. 29
  13. ^abcFan, Chen. 2015. p. 34
  14. ^Billioud (2015),p. 148.
  15. ^Billioud (2015),p. 152-156.
  16. ^Clart, 2003. pp. 3-5
  17. ^Billioud, 2010. p. 204
  18. ^Angle, 2012. §Ritual, Education, and the State.
  19. ^abTay Wei Leong.SAVING THE CHINESE NATION AND THE WORLD: RELIGION AND CONFUCIAN REFORMATION, 1880s-1937[permanent dead link].National University of Singapore, 2012. p. 60
  20. ^abcClart, Jones. 2003. p. 71
  21. ^Clart, Jones. 2003. p. 72
  22. ^D. Palmer.Redemptive Societies as Confucian NRMs?.Journal of Chinese Theatre, Ritual and Folklore/Minsu Quyi,172 (2011): 1-12. Line 172: «Tongshanshe emphasized that it was “primarily Confucian” lấy Nho gia là chủ ».
  23. ^abClart, Jones. 2003. p. 73

Sources[edit]

  • Billioud, Sebastien; Joel Thoraval (2015).The Sage and the People: The Confucian Revival in China.Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0190258146.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Goossaert, Vincent; David Palmer (2011).The Religious Question in Modern China.University of Chicago Press.ISBN978-0226005331.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Clart, Philip.Confucius and the Mediums: Is There a "Popular Confucianism"?.On:T'uong Pao LXXXIX.Brill, Leiden, 2003.
  • Fan Lizhu, Chen Na.Revival of Confucianism and Reconstruction of Chinese Identity.Paper presented at:The Presence and Future of Humanity in the Cosmos,ICU, Tokyo, 18–23 March 2015.(a)
  • Fan Lizhu, Chen Na.The Religiousness of "Confucianism" and the Revival of Confucian Religion in China Today.On:Cultural Diversity in China1: 27–43. De Gruyter Open, 2015. ISSN 2353-7795, DOI: 10.1515/cdc-2015-0005
  • Payette, Alex.Shenzhen's Kongshengtang: Religious Confucianism and Local Moral Governance.Part of:Role of Religion in Political Life,Panel RC43, 23rd World Congress of Political Science, 19–24 July 2014.
  • Stephen C. Angle.Contemporary Confucian Political Philosophy.Polity, 2012.ISBN0745661300
  • Sébastien Billioud.Carrying the Confucian Torch to the Masses: The Challenge of Structuring the Confucian Revival in the People's Republic of China.On:OE49 (2010)
  • Yong Chen.Confucianism as Religion: Controversies and Consequences.BRILL, 2012.ISBN9004243739
  • Ya-pei Kuo."Christian Civilization" and the Confucian Church: The Origin of Secularist Politics in Modern China.On:Past and Present(2013) 218 (1): 235–264. DOI: 10.1093/pastj/gts030
  • Philip Clart, Charles B. Jones.Religion in Modern Taiwan: Tradition and Innovation in a Changing Society.University of Hawaii Press, 2003.ISBN0824825640.

External links[edit]

Articles
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