INTRODUCTION

This article analyzes four social influences regarding the conversion of Chinese students to Christianity, and provides responsive implementations to give WELS educators a foundation for approaching their work from a proper cultural perspective.

According to the Institute of International Education, China was again the top sending country of international students to the United States, with 235,597 enrolled in American schools in 2013. With the boost of Chinese international students in the United States and the new trend of Christian schools recruiting Chinese students, understanding the social and cultural contexts of Chinese students is urgent. While Lutherans believe that true conversion to Christ is the work of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5), social and cultural factors are extremely important in the process surrounding the conversion process (Hall, 2006, p. 131). As facilitators of the means of grace, WELS schools must provide an appropriate environment that shows our respect for how the Holy Spirit uses the gospel as the only way to change hearts.

SOCIAL INFLUENCES AND RESPONSIVE IMPLEMENTATIONS

The Cultural Gap

In contrast to religions perceived to be indigenous to China, such as Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, Christianity has been viewed as a foreign religion throughout Chinese history. Young Chinese fear that their families would not be supportive if they became a Christian. An ancient Chinese proverb summarizes the deep sentiment of Chinese culture: “falling leaves return to their roots.”[1] People residing elsewhere will eventually return to their ancestral home and be buried with their ancestors. But being a Christian means assurance of eternal life with God, and conversion can be perceived as an act of betrayal against their ancestors and even their parents. Therefore many Chinese believe that Christianity is incompatible with traditional Chinese culture, and this negative attitude toward Christianity is a barrier that stands in the way of acceptance among Chinese (Hall, 2006, p. 135).

Implementation One: WELS schools can alleviate the misunderstanding that Christ is a foreign God and Christianity is a foreign religion. It is urgent to share with the Chinese the truth that God is the one and only (2 Kings 19:15, Zechariah 14:9, and 1 Corinthians 8:4) for all human beings for the past, present, and future. He is universal. In fact, investigation of the etymology of numerous Chinese characters shows remarkable consistency between the earliest forms of written Chinese and the biblical period recorded in Genesis 1-11. Furthermore, significant similarities can be found between ancient Chinese and Jewish culture. Two good resources are recommended: an academic book called Finding God in Ancient China: How the Ancient Chinese Worshiped the God of the Bible[2] and a video called God in Ancient China[3]. Chinese students might feel more connected if this is shared.

Educational Background

With the destruction of traditional Chinese culture and religious practices[4], the inculcation of a series of atheistic theories[5] by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and the radical development of Westernization in modern and contemporary China, many Chinese have a perplexing and conflicting attitude toward Christianity. On the one hand, Chinese students were taught that 1) religions are superstitions implemented as tools by Chinese emperors to control people; 2) educated people should believe in atheistic science; and 3) only ignorant people believe in any religion. On the other hand, they come to learn that many well-educated people believe in God. Their previous worldview is not congruous with their current real-life experiences in WELS schools.

Implementation Two: In exclusively “religious” settings such as church or doctrine class, it is easy for students to close their minds and harden their hearts to a new worldview which they feel no connection with based on previous experience. WELS teachers well-educated in the philosophy of Marxism and evolutionism and knowledgeable in thermodynamics and evolutionary biology may receive better reception for open discussion. One-on-one tutoring and small group discussions are essential for gaining trust—first allowing the students to “talk out” their own worldview and then relating the wonders of God’s creation, the reality of sin, and the joy of Christ’s redemption. A few booklets containing the testimony of Chinese scholars include The Song of a Traveler, The Path of Drifting Back Home, and A Righteousness that Is by Faith[6], and they can be recommended with the caution that the Chinese scholars are not confessional Lutherans.

Faith versus Morality

It is commonly accepted that compared to American public schools, religious schools are safe, management is strict, and students are well disciplined. “Non-believing Chinese parents choose Christian schools for their moral values, college placement records, and lower tuition than secular private schools” (Golden, 2011). St. Croix’s admissions director, Jeff Lemke, stated that although many international students don’t understand Christianity, they do trust Christians to take good care of them (WELS Forward in Christ, 2007). Chinese parents worry that their children will be influenced by the lifestyle portrayed in Hollywood movies and sitcoms and American magazines. They send their children to WELS schools confident of a drug- and alcohol-free environment that is not available at public schools.

It is natural for Chinese students to approach Christian education in the same way that they approach humanist education. All middle school and high school students are trained in humanist Ideology and Politics[7], and students consider their religion class to be a Western replacement for teaching morality. Naturally, the moral aspects of Christianity such as loving others, honesty, respect, selflessness, and self-control become a Chinese student’s primary takeaway from their Christian education.[8]

Implementation Three: Many traditional values such as selflessness, honesty, strong families, and respect for elders have been lost in modern China. Parents see these values still alive in WELS culture and seek them in their children’s education. Coming from a society void of religious faith, Chinese students are likely to see Christianity as “an increasingly positive light” (Hall, 2006, p. 138); however, they often do not understand the source of Christian love. Their worldview is still human-centered rather than Christ-centered. WELS schools have a great responsibility to teach students to live out their created purpose as redeemed children of God.

The Religious Gap

Besides the common linguistic and cultural challenges, students are surprised and overwhelmed by the way Christianity permeates every aspect of life. The student body prays in class and before meals, goes to chapel and church, and participates in choir and short-term mission trips. Plunged into such an environment, Chinese Christians rely on Christ through their struggles and tend to acclimate more easily, while non-Christian students struggle to fit in.

Implementation Four: WELS recruiters should certainly share the secular advantages of a Christian school, while also expressing the primary intent of the school’s Christian training. The Chinese parents should perceive Christian schools as a place which provides not only academic success and a safe social environment for their children, but also testifies to Jesus Christ. When students appear on campus, orientation should address the religious gap. Support and social acceptance by the entire student body will be necessary to create an environment in which young Chinese are receptive to God’s Word.

SUMMARY

The benefits of an increasing population of Chinese students in Lutheran schools reach beyond the cultural diversity and tuition dollars. While tens of thousands of Chinese students flood to America without knowing Christ, WELS schools have already become another mission field. The presence of these non-Christian international students is a great opportunity for American students to witness to their Chinese peers about Jesus Christ. The intent of this article is to help WELS schools understand Chinese students better from a social and cultural context in order to create a better environment in which the Holy Spirit can work freely in these young people’s hearts.

References

Golden, Daniel. (2011, December 8^th). Chinese Atheists lured to find Jesus at U.S. Christian schools. Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-12-28/chinese-atheists-lured-to-find-jesus-at-u-s-christian-schools.html

Hall, Brian. (2006). Social and cultural contexts in conversion to Christianity among Chinese American college students. Sociology of Religion, 67 (2). 131-147.

Institute of International Education. (2013). Open Doors 2013: Report on International Education Exchanges [Data file]. Retrieved from http://www.iie.org/Research-and-Publications/Open-Doors

Steffan, Melissa. (2013). Recruiting the Middle Kingdom: Why America’s Christian colleges are pursuing Chinese students. Christianity Today, 9. 14.

(September, 2007). International students find a home at St. Croix Lutheran high school. WELS Forward in Christ. 94(9). Retrieved from http://www.wels.net/news-events/forward-in-christ/september-2007/international-students-find-home-st-croix-lutheran-high

The Holy Bible. (1984).

Yang, Fenggang. (1998). Chinese conversion to evangelical Christianity: the importance of social and cultural contexts. Sociology of Religion, 59 (3). 237-257.