卓新平：基督教与中国文化适应问题

Mutually Adapting: Christianity and Chinese Culture

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About

Zhuo Xinping

Shinjie zongjiao wenhua (Global Religious Culture), Vol.2, 1997, pp 8-12

Ideally, Chinese Christianity should be the organic fusion produced by the mutual adaptation of Christianity to Chinese culture and vice versa. This contributes not only to the religious spirit and values of Chinese culture, but also to Christian philosophy and culture.

Mutual adaptation between Christianity and Chinese culture not only involves finding

common ground, but also exchanging and incorporating new ideas. As these two traditions have grown and matured throughout history, a struggle to dominate has led them to oppose and exclude one another. In the modern era, they have learned to adapt to tradition and

modernisation. Christianity is currently being assimilated and culturally reconstituted into Chinese culture. Christianity has inspired Chinese culture and provided it with opportunities and an impetus for reform and renovation. At the same time, this exchange and fusion has not prevented Chinese and Christian cultures from maintaining their own traditions. It is in this context that they have become modern and dynamic.

This rapprochement is in its early stages; healthy exchange and objective, fair dialogue is key to its continued success. Additionally, all forms of dogmatism and xenophobia must be

eliminated in religious practice. Because it is universal, Christianity can accept and assimilate Chinese cultural traditions; its openness can also help China face up to a globalised world and become more modern. And because Chinese culture promotes tolerance, it can also recognise the existence and value of Christianity. Theclear way of thinking inherent to Chinese culture also makes it easier for the Chinese to understand and accept the cultural significance and contribution of Christianity.

∙基督教与中国文化的双向契合

∙Le processus d’adaptation bidirectionnelle entre le christianisme et la culture chinoise

A Market Theory of Religion

Anthony J. Blasi

Tennessee State University, P.O. Box 110282, Nashville, TN 37222-0282, United States of America, anthonyblasi@

References to market phenomena are common enough in the sociology of religion, but despite the proliferation of systems of concatenate propositions that have been tested with survey and church

membership data, little has been done to develop the conceptualization of how a religious market works.

Consequently there is a significant lack of correspondence in the literature between the role

market phenomena play in economics and the role of market-like counterparts in the religious field.

While there may be some point to offering a correction to allegedly market-centered research in the sociology of religion, the intent here instead is to take what insights are to be had from the study of economic phenomena and draw out their implications for inquiry into religion.

Key Words:market theory • religion and economic phenomena