Chinese Christian Posters https://ccposters.com/en Fri, 11 Jul 2025 14:51:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.2 https://ccposters.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-ccp-icon-32x32.jpg Chinese Christian Posters https://ccposters.com/en 32 32 从中国基督教海报的视角看中国文化处境里无知财主的比喻 https://ccposters.com/en/%e4%bb%8e%e4%b8%ad%e5%9b%bd%e5%9f%ba%e7%9d%a3%e6%95%99%e6%b5%b7%e6%8a%a5%e7%9a%84%e8%a7%86%e8%a7%92%e7%9c%8b%e4%b8%ad%e5%9b%bd%e6%96%87%e5%8c%96%e5%a4%84%e5%a2%83%e9%87%8c%e6%97%a0%e7%9f%a5%e8%b4%a2/ https://ccposters.com/en/%e4%bb%8e%e4%b8%ad%e5%9b%bd%e5%9f%ba%e7%9d%a3%e6%95%99%e6%b5%b7%e6%8a%a5%e7%9a%84%e8%a7%86%e8%a7%92%e7%9c%8b%e4%b8%ad%e5%9b%bd%e6%96%87%e5%8c%96%e5%a4%84%e5%a2%83%e9%87%8c%e6%97%a0%e7%9f%a5%e8%b4%a2/#respond Thu, 10 Jul 2025 15:15:31 +0000 https://ccposters.com/?p=8766

Reading the Parable of the Rich Fool in the Context of Chinese Culture through the Lens of A Chinese Christian Poster (Simplified Chinese Version)

        本文提供了一个关于海报的说明性案例研究，展示了中国基督教海报如何帮助读者在中国处境里理解和教导圣经经文。这张海报以无知财主的比喻为主题，设计富有想象力，信息清晰直白，且包含出人意料的元素，使我们可以从全新的视角来阅读和诠释这一比喻。这张海报是由中国汉口和上海的中国基督圣教书会发行，现存放于伯明翰大学图书馆。

        西方对这个比喻的描述通常只展现一个角色——无知的财主。相比之下，这张中国海报把这位无知财主置于他的家庭和社区背景之下，以独特的方式讲述了这个故事。也许在西方处境里，人们很容易把这个财主想象成一个孤独吝啬的守财奴。然而，在中国的处境里，似乎更容易将其置于家庭和社区背景之中。在本案例研究的最后，我将回到这个观察，并反思它是如何帮助我们在中国的处境中向教会内外的人传达该比喻信息的。

        这张海报中，除了黑白色以外，就是既代表粮食又代表财富的金黄色。顶部首行标题是“谨慎自守免去一切贪心”，表明财主的行为是出于贪心和私利。左侧标注经文是路加福音十二章15节。此海报包含一组三张的图画，从上方到右下方再到左下方。每幅画都揭示了这位财主的特征和命运走向。

        首先，上方图一左侧的对应经文是路加福音十二章16-21节，描述财主为自己积攒财宝，但却失去生命不得享用。图一描绘了十二章16-19节，充分的展现了财主如何为自己积存财物。大部分中国人一眼就能分辨出图中的财主。他穿着绘有传统纹样“财”的金黄色衣服，头戴明显区别于普通工人的冠帽，身旁跟着扶手杖的仆人。虽然财主明显看起来年事已高，但脸上的笑容却生机勃勃，手眼所向，都是自己正在建造的更大仓库和其中几乎满溢的粮食。

       图一中有两个元素比较突出。首先是仓库的门从下至上标有从一到十的数字，帮助他去计算自己仓库的粮食。虽然仓内粮食几乎已经满了，但远处的船上和路上的人还是在源源不断地将粮食运到仓库之中，可见他的收入源源不绝。所以图中还有工人在为他修建更大的仓库。这第一个细节就很好地突出了许多中国人“算计”的能力。大部分中国人讲究的是“积谷防饥，未雨绸缪”，意思是在困境还没发生的时候就为之做好准备，所以财主的行为的确表明他是一个懂得筹算的人。这幅图里的第二个细节是：财主明显高于其他所有的人。当然这可能是因着图片里人物近大远小的视角，不过人物比例明显并不一致，所以财主的身高可能是有意为之。对大部分中国人而言，这一观察可能还有额外的含义。从事实层面来看，可以说只有财主才能保证足够的饮食营养，才会比众人高大；但也可以从寓意的角度理解，以财主的身高表达有钱的人“高人一等”。虽然看起来荒谬，但似乎在中国社会里，这才是很多人面对的生活常态，财主的富裕生活也恰恰是很多中国人所羡慕和追求的。

       右下角的第二幅图对应路加福音十二章20节。财主在今夜就被要了灵魂，他所预备的不知道要归给谁，这是一个彻底的悲剧和凄凉的结局。图中有一些有趣的细节：窗外的月亮和星星表明财主的死亡时间是晚上；年迈的财主躺在床上，双眼微睁，脸上不再满是笑容，而是紧皱眉头、异常虚弱、对于即将到来的死亡满是恐惧；旁边有看似他儿女的人为他哀哭；还有童仆在为他烧水或熬药。  

        虽然无知财主的比喻并没有像路加福音十六章22节的财主与拉撒路的比喻里那样提到了财主死后的埋葬，然而，海报左下角的最后第三幅图画却将这一标志性且至关重要的送葬场景呈现了出来。图三中包含了一些重要的细节。棺椁上有雕花刻字，应该也不是普通木材；至少有四人为其抬棺；旁边有打幡之人；有吹拉弹唱的乐队。这些细节都表明他死后也得到了大部分中国人所看重的“哀荣”和“厚葬”。但这也讽刺地突出了比喻的要点：无论财主为自己积攒多少财富，终究难逃一死。这是一个富人无法逃脱死亡的比喻。

        在海报底端有一些小字，除了左右的一些简单的出版社信息，中间还写着一句话“请到福音堂听道查经”。因此，这张海报至少部分是向教会外的人传讲信息，预备他们聆听福音的。这张海报曾用来向正面临动荡和危机的中国人分享福音和介绍耶稣。其实，这张无知财主的海报提供了一个与中国人谈论救恩重要而有效的方式。对大多数中国人来说，这位财主的一生或许可以被视作成功的，因为财富正是他们一生所看重和努力追求的。这位财主有众多为其效力且尊敬他的仆人，也有亲属为他的离世哀悼。但财主的死也让人们意识到，人是无法带走自己所积存的一切的。并且，大部分中国人对死后归宿也有各种看法。所以，这幅海报最后所追加的送葬画面，也给读者留下了一个开放的空间去反思：这位财主死后会去哪里呢？天堂还是地狱？

        此外，从中国文化的角度来看，这张海报对鼓励教会内部信徒正确使用财富也大有裨益。中国人积存财物的观念与他们强烈的“家庭观念”紧密相连，中国人对家庭有着非凡的奉献精神。海报本身突显了家庭背景。若从这样的背景出发，图中财主的行为反而可能更符合中国的传统文化，因为大部分中国人积攒财宝、修屋建库，不仅是为了自己，更是为了后代的延续和家族的昌盛。然而，这张海报仍将财主刻画为了贪婪和误入歧途的人。这也会使基督徒思考，在上帝面前富有到底意味着什么，尤其是在家庭责任方面。也许这张海报可以帮助中国基督徒反思如何扩展家庭的概念，包括亲情与经济关系，使其延伸至上帝的家。从而可能更乐意为上帝家的成长和兴旺贡献和委身。这张海报旨在帮助中国基督徒更好地理解和实践：如何将他们的储蓄对象从个人的小家转向上帝的大家庭。虽然不易，但希望中国基督徒一旦意识到他们应该用自己的财富来建立上帝的家，他们会利用自己善于积累财富的优势，为上帝国度的事工做出巨大的贡献。

        综上所述，作为一种诠释工具，这幅海报不仅是一件精美的艺术品，更是引导听众在中国文化处境里对比喻进行正确神学理解的途径。这幅海报对中国传统文化的关注不仅仅是一种艺术上的精致，还给了我们切实的解经洞见。西方释经者们侧重于个体，但这幅海报却揭示了在华人处境里为家庭储蓄的群体维度。通常，中国基督徒劳心的是为他们小家庭的利益而储存。但这幅海报却将比喻放在上帝的家和教会的使命这个更大的处境里，给了我们一个有益的全新视角——正如比喻所在的路加福音和使徒行传中所关注的教会使命这个更大的背景。这种洞见可以帮助牧者和教会领袖教导中国基督徒，运用自己的经济能力来创造财富，为福音的拓展而做出贡献。这一鼓励对于当下亚洲华人教会的处境而言，尤为切中时弊。

注脚：本文是笔者于2025年3月1日在泰国清迈举办的2025年灵风亚太学者研讨会上演讲的第二稿。第一稿精简版是为笔者与Daryl Ireland博士和Alex Mayfield博士的联合演讲《从中国基督教海报的视角看中国文化处境里无知财主的比喻》而写。这是为支持亚洲神学协会2024年神学研讨会而预先录制的视频，于2025年2月15日在亚协 YouTube上发布。中国基督教海报项目（https://ccposters.com）是一个研究亚洲基督教历史的重要数字资源。

吴米雪（Michelle Wu）是菲律滨圣经神学院（Biblical Seminary of the Philippines）的客座教授 。她是灵风学者（Langham Scholar），也是菲律宾亚洲神学研究院（Asia Graduate School of Theology-Philippines）圣经研究系（新约）的博士候选人。她还担任穷人的黎明机构（Bukang Liwayway-Dawn for the Poor Foundation Inc.）的动员者和志愿者宣教士。

]]> https://ccposters.com/en/%e4%bb%8e%e4%b8%ad%e5%9b%bd%e5%9f%ba%e7%9d%a3%e6%95%99%e6%b5%b7%e6%8a%a5%e7%9a%84%e8%a7%86%e8%a7%92%e7%9c%8b%e4%b8%ad%e5%9b%bd%e6%96%87%e5%8c%96%e5%a4%84%e5%a2%83%e9%87%8c%e6%97%a0%e7%9f%a5%e8%b4%a2/feed/ 0 Reading the Parable of the Rich Fool in the Context of Chinese Culture through the Lens of A Chinese Christian Poster https://ccposters.com/en/reading-the-parable-of-the-rich-fool-in-the-context-of-chinese-culture-through-the-lens-of-a-chinese-christian-poster/ https://ccposters.com/en/reading-the-parable-of-the-rich-fool-in-the-context-of-chinese-culture-through-the-lens-of-a-chinese-christian-poster/#respond Thu, 10 Jul 2025 14:39:03 +0000 https://ccposters.com/?p=8749

Reading the Parable of the Rich Fool in the Context of Chinese Culture through the Lens of A Chinese Christian Poster (English Version)

This essay provides an illustrative case study of one poster that demonstrates how Chinese Christian posters can help readers understand and teach biblical passages within the Chinese context. The poster of the parable of the rich fool is imaginatively designed, with a clear and direct message and surprising elements that allow us to read and interpret the parable through a new lens. It was published by Religious Tract Society, Hankow & Shanghai, China, and is now housed in the library of the University of Birmingham.

       Western depictions of this parable typically show only one character, the rich fool. In contrast, the Chinese poster tells the story in a way that distinctly places the rich fool in his familial and communal context. Perhaps in a Western context, it is easy to imagine the rich man as a lonely and miserly Scrooge. However, in a Chinese context, it seems easier to imagine the rich man within his familial and communal setting. At the end of this case study, I will return to this observation and reflect on how it may help to communicate the message of the parable within a Chinese context, both for those outside the church and for those within the church.

       In this poster, in addition to the black and white printing, there is gold, which represents both grain and wealth. The title of the first line at the top is “Watch out, and keep yourselves from all greed”, indicating that the rich man acts out of greed and self-interest. The verse referenced on the left is Luke 12:15. The poster includes a sequence of three pictures, moving from the top to the bottom right to the bottom left. Each picture provides insights into the character and fate of the rich man.

       First, the verses on the left side of the first picture at the top correspond to Luke 12:16–21, describing the rich man who stores up possessions for himself but loses his life and can not enjoy it. Picture 1 depicts 12:16–19, which shows how the rich man saves his wealth. Most Chinese people can easily distinguish the rich man. He wears gold clothes decorated with traditional embroidery that expresses the pattern of “wealth,” and he wears what looks like a special crown, a hat clearly different from those of ordinary workers, accompanied by a servant who helps to carry his cane. Although the rich man clearly looks old, the smile on his face displays him as full of life. His eyes and hands are pointing to the larger barns he is building, and the grain in them is almost overflowing.

       Two elements stand out in picture 1. First, the doors of the barn are marked from the bottom up with numbers from one to ten to help him count the grain in his barns. Although the barn is almost full of grain, the people in the distant boats and along the walkway are still bringing the grain into the barns in a steady stream. His income continues to flow. Therefore, in this picture, workers are busy building a bigger barn for him. This first element highlights many Chinese people’s ability to “calculate.” Most Chinese people pay attention to the advice to “store up food in anticipation of famine, to prepare for the rainy day” (积谷防饥，未雨绸缪), which means being prepared for adversity before it happens. So the behavior of the rich man shows that he is a person who knows how to plan and prepare. Here is a second element in the picture: the rich man is significantly taller than all the others. Of course, this may be due to the perspective of the picture with the larger characters standing closer and the smaller characters standing farther away. But it is clear that the sense of proportion is not entirely consistent, so that the height of the rich man may be intentional. However, for most Chinese people, this observation may carry extra meaning. It can be said that only the rich can ensure adequate diet and nutrition, and will be taller than everyone else. The picture can also be understood from a moral point of view, with the rich man’s taller height expressing his position as “superior to others” (高人一等). Although it seems absurd, this is the normal life faced by many people in Chinese society, and the wealthy life of the rich man is also the envy and pursuit of many Chinese people.

       Picture 2 in the bottom right corner corresponds to Luke 12:20. The rich man’s soul is required from him that very night, and he does not know who will receive what he has prepared. This is a complete tragedy and a sad ending. There are some interesting elements in the picture. The moon and stars outside the window indicate that the rich man died at night. The old rich man lay in bed, his eyes slightly open, his face no longer smiling but frowning, very weak, and full of fear of his impending death. Those who seem to be his son and daughter are weeping over him. There is a child servant boiling water or boiling medicine for him.

       The parable of the rich fool does not mention the burial of the rich man after his death, as the parable of the rich man and Lazarus does in Luke 16:22, but the final third picture in the bottom left corner of the poster shows this easily recognized and important event of a funeral procession. Picture 3 shows some vital elements. The rich man’s coffin is marked with engravings and inscriptions, which is superior to ordinary wood. At least four people carry his coffin. Others carry flags, while a band plays. All these elements show that after his death, he won the “mourning honor” and the “generous burial” valued by most Chinese people. Ironically, however, it also highlights the key point of the parable: no matter how much wealth the rich man accumulates for himself, he must eventually face death. This is a parable of a wealthy man who cannot escape death.

       In the bottom line of the poster, there are some small words. In addition to including some simple information about the press, the middle also contains a sentence that says, “Please go to a church to hear the gospel and study the Bible.” Therefore, the poster directs its message at least in part to those outside the church, preparing them to hear the gospel. This poster was used to share the gospel and introduce Jesus to Chinese people who were facing a time of turmoil and crisis. In fact, this poster of the rich fool provides a significant and effective way to talk about salvation with Chinese people. For most Chinese people, this rich man’s life may be considered a success, as wealth is also what they value and strive for in life. The rich man had many servants who worked for him and showed him respect. He had family members who mourned his death. However, the death of the rich man makes people realize that no one can take with them the things they have stored up. In addition, most Chinese people also have a variety of opinions on the final destination of people after death. Therefore, the funeral picture added at the end of this poster also leaves an open space for readers to reflect: where will the rich man go after death? Heaven or hell?

       In addition, from the point of view of Chinese culture, this poster is also helpful for encouraging believers within the church concerning the proper use of wealth. Chinese people’s concepts of hoarding wealth and possessions are closely combined with their strong “family concept,” and Chinese people have an extraordinary dedication to their families. The poster itself highlights the familial setting. From this background, the behavior of the rich man in the poster may be more consistent with traditional Chinese culture, since most Chinese people accumulate wealth and build houses, not entirely or mostly for themselves, but for the continuation of future generations and the prosperity of the family. Yet the poster still depicts the rich man as greedy and misguided in light of his imminent death. For Christians, this poses the question of what it means to be rich toward God, especially in light of family commitments. Perhaps the poster can help Chinese Christians to reflect on how to extend the concept of the family, ideas about  familial and economic relations, so that it includes the family of God. Then they may be more willing to contribute and commit more to the growth and flourishing of the family of God. This poster aims to help Chinese Christians better understand and practice how to change the object of their savings from a personal small family to God’s big family. Although it is not easy, once Chinese Christians realize that they should use their money to build God’s family, hopefully they will use their ability to accumulate wealth to make a tremendous contribution to the ministry of the Kingdom of God.

       In conclusion, as a hermeneutical tool, the poster functions not only as a beautiful piece of art but also as a guide for the viewer to arrive at a proper theological understanding of the parable within the context of Chinese culture. More than just an artistic nicety, this poster’s attention to traditional Chinese culture provides practical exegetical insights. While Western commentators focus on the individual, this poster reveals the communal dimensions of saving money for one’s family in the Chinese context. Often Chinese Christians are focused on financial savings for the benefit of their small family group. However, this poster offers a helpful re-framing by placing the parable in the wider context of God’s family and the mission of the Church, just as the parable appears in the wider context of Luke and Acts with its focus on the mission of the Church. This insight can aid pastors and church leaders as they teach Chinese Christians to use their economic ability to create wealth in order to contribute to the spread of the gospel. This encouragement is particularly relevant for the present Chinese Church context in Asia.

 

Footnote: This essay is my second version, which was presented on March 1, 2025, in Langham Asia-Pacific Scholars’ Consultation 2025, in Chiang Mai, Thailand. And the first brief version was written for my co-presentation project with Dr. Daryl Ireland and Dr. Alex Mayfield: “Reading the Parable of the Rich Fool in the Context of Chinese Culture through the Lens of Chinese Christian Posters.” It was a pre-recorded video for supporting ATA Theological Consultation 2024, and then it was published in ATA YouTube on February 15, 2025. The Chinese Christian Poster Project (https://ccposters.com) is an important digital resource for the study of Christian history in Asia.

Michelle Wu is an adjunct professor at Biblical Seminary of the Philippines. She is a Langham Scholar, and a PhD Candidate in the Biblical Studies Program (NT) at Asia Graduate School of Theology-Philippines. She also serves as a mobilizer and volunteer missionary at Bukang Liwayway-Dawn for the Poor Foundation Inc. 

]]> https://ccposters.com/en/reading-the-parable-of-the-rich-fool-in-the-context-of-chinese-culture-through-the-lens-of-a-chinese-christian-poster/feed/ 0 Nationalism, Christianity, and Communism https://ccposters.com/en/nationalism-christianity-and-communism/ https://ccposters.com/en/nationalism-christianity-and-communism/#respond Wed, 29 May 2024 04:13:14 +0000 https://ccposters.com/?p=8708

When I was first introduced to the Chinese Christian Posters, I was struck with how vibrant and lively the posters were. The first among them to ever take me aback was the “Preach Christ, Reform China” poster (Image on the left) from 1927. It features Jesus directing an army of evangelists against a retreating entourage of dark, ghostly figures. The white flags the evangelists carry have slogans such as “Justice”, “Humanity”, “Cooperation”, and “Equality”. The dark figures, on the other hand, have black flags that say “Laziness”, “Cruelty”, “Greed”, and “Social Class”. In addition to the white flags, the evangelists have Bibles in their hands. The most striking element of the poster is the figure of Jesus Christ looming over the wave of people below as he directs them forward. This poster exudes themes of Nationalism. As one would assume from the political climate in America today, to involve Christianity with nationalism is bold, and in some views, controversial. However, the creators of this poster, the National Christian Council, didn’t see it as controversial, but rather as an opportunity for Christianity. “The chair of the NCC Yu Rizahng […] believed that the strength and aspiration lease by nationalism—‘a popular movement of the people’—could be a powerful ally in Christianization of China” (Sun, 69).

Despite this advocation of nationalism among Chinese Christian organizations and the belief of self-determinism for China, Christianity in China had historical ties to the West, of which engaged in imperialism and colonialism in China. Because of this association, it was easy for rival organizations to use this as a talking point against Christianity. One such organization was the Communist Party of China. According to “The Communist Party propagated Christianity as a devil for Chinese people and reportedly condemned that ‘the progress of Christianity is due to the support it has given to imperialistic government methods,’ a prevent teaching that the Communists learned from Russia. From the Christian standpoint, however, these people who accepted the Communist accusation against Christianity of invading China were without historical knowledge. It was essential to advertise the positive image of Christianity among the Chinese and demonstrate that Christians had no reason to challenge the stability of China. Communists not only distributed literature condemning Christianity but also competed with Christianity in attracting China’s youth” (Liu, 2021). One such advertisement that embodied this rebuke against the accusations made of Christianity is “The Eighth National Convention of the Chinese YMCA” (see image on the right). The poster depicts an ocean of people looking at the logo for the Chinese YMCA, which replaces the sun. The red letters in the center say “Tomorrow’s China.” Using a mass of people in posters expresses a unified spirit of the collective and to create an atmosphere of grandness and importance, of which this poster used excellently. This poster expresses a severing of its western association and focuses on China and its future, expressing its spirit to become a part of it.

One could see the similarities between “Preach Christ, Reform China” and the later Chinese Communist posters featuring Mao (see image at the upper right). In this poster, Mao looms over an army of revolutionaries, directing them. The revolutionaries march with red flags and books, most likely the infamous “Little Red Book” of Mao’s sayings. Not only are there similarities in visual elements, but also, as one could claim, religious elements as well: Mao as the Messiah of Chinese Communism leading believers to the future as they carry flags of “values” and books of Mao’s words. The similarities of visual elements between this poster and the previous one come from similar interests, as “the Christian establishment and the revolutionary parties both agreed on one thing: the need for a strong China” (Sun, 69). I also believe that the previous poster and others like it (including those lost to history) were inspirations for the Chinese communist posters. When my class had the pleasure of talking with Daryl Ireland, he mentioned that the communists used woodcut techniques for their posters. Last I remembered, he shared that the woodcut style wasn’t as popular as the Christian posters, as people saw them as bland (see image to the bottom right). Over time, Chinese communist posters evolved and became less Chinese and became more westernized. While “before the communist takeover in 1949, most modern illustrators and designers were trained as commercial artists, using western styles [… and] Chinese art academies after 1949 were taught by Soviet artists employing the “socialist realism” practiced in the communist world” (Powell and Wong, 1997), I believe the artistic creativity of the Chinese Christian posters, and the people’s negative response to the Chinese communist, posters that the Chinese communist to reevaluate their propaganda production.

This poster, “All Believers Should Spread the Gospel” (see image on the right) would very easily be confused as an early prototype of communist posters. However, a cross can be seen on the clothing of the two youths. Their amazing grins with gazes looking up and away with optimism can be familiar to those we have seen communist posters before. Additionally, the text being used, “all believers should spread the gospel” uses a very similar tone that communists would use on their posters, creating a moral expectation of the viewer.  The use of youths is an expression by the creators that their organization and mission are still alive. Unfortunately, this poster was made after the revolution and was a level down of Christian expression as a result when large, red crosses were used. According to Ireland, commenting on the same poster, “Before 1949, the cross loomed over posters. Afterward, crosses still appeared, but in truncated form. Quietly the cross was drained of its power. The few crosses that appeared became little more than a shorthand for Christianity […] a sign that the building is a Christian structure rather than a particular theological statement. In a poster from the next year, two youths wear crosses on their clothes that sparkle. The crosses are meant to draw the eye and mark the energetic young workers as Christians, but again, it would be difficult to say much more. Crosses no longer have rich or layered meanings. They are just generic references to Christianity” (Ireland, 2022).

While most is lost history, a few posters have remain that still carry the nationalistic movements of the past.

 

 

Sun, Zexi. “Nationalism”. Ireland, Daryl R., ed. Visions of Salvation: Chinese Christian Posters in an Age of Revolution, pp. 53-73. Baylor University Press, 2023.

 

Powell, Patricia, and Joseph Wong. “Propaganda posters from the Chinese cultural revolution.” The Historian 59, no. 4 (1997): 777-794.

 

Liu, Lingshu. “Silent Messengers: Visualizing the Growth of Christianity in China by Chinese Christian Posters, 1927-1942.” Order No. 28318611, University of Washington, (2021).  http://proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/silent-messengers-visualizing-growth-christianity/docview/2522418325/se-2.

 

Ireland, Daryl R., and David Li. “Lift High the Cross: The Visual Message of Popular Chinese Christianity.” International Bulletin of Mission Research 46, no. 4 (2022): 474-491.

 

]]> https://ccposters.com/en/nationalism-christianity-and-communism/feed/ 0 Jesus in Posters https://ccposters.com/en/jesus-in-posters/ https://ccposters.com/en/jesus-in-posters/#respond Sat, 25 May 2024 03:54:57 +0000 https://ccposters.com/?p=8696

Jesus in Chinese Christian Posters as a Tool of Localizing Christianity

Christians in China had a vested interest in portraying Christianity as being both a local religion and as something that could mesh entirely with existing Chinese cultural norms. This was both due to the potentials of persecution and minoritization, but also due to the want to evangelize and spread the Christian faith. Portraying a prominent and emblematic figure within Christianity such as Jesus in more culturally Christian settings would not only help others outside the Christian faith view Christianity as a more local religion, but also to draw more empathy during times when ‘Western influences’ were being targeted and mitigated within China as a whole.

Christianity was by no means a recent import in the 1940s, but did not enjoy the same localization within public perception as Buddhism had in certain contexts. In order to maintain and grow, Christian missionary groups and organizations would use posters as a  way to connect further with Chinese cultural traditions and art forms. This would be shown in posters from that rough time period and the emulation of not only Chinese architecture and Daoist or other religious figures, but in employing the use of Chinese symbols- such as the use of clouds in “Mary holds infant Jesus”, which were often used in symbolism of Buddhist figures to represent distance from worldly objects.

The artstyle and integration of calligraphy within some of these paintings are also similar to those of Shan shui and Huaniaohua art traditions, which further ties the posters together with the existing art tradition. One aspect also of note in terms of similarity to Shan shui art is the way in which focus is portrayed within these paintings- in the one where Jesus is sitting within a building, “Jesus Amidst the Scribes”, he is not centered via the rule of thirds, but through the direction that every other figure within the painting is looking. In regards to integrating tenets from the Huaniaohua art tradition would be that of the great detail put towards both plants and animals within these paintings, and the use of symbolic plants seen in other Chinese paintings (which would often be intentionally chosen to evoke certain values or to communicate certain emotions through a cultural context).

Stephanie M. Wong also writes in her Visions of Salvation chapter on the use of other typical art forms and the rules thereof to further integrate and reintegrate Christianity into Chinese art tradition. Her focus circles in on the yuefenpai genre, and the similarities between her selection of posters and that of this popularized print style, particularly in her quote “these catechetical images evoke the yuefenpai that were popularized  in Shanghai” (Wong, pg. 192). This adaptation extends into the dress and instruments or tools that the figures are wearing and using within the selected posters, as well as their physical appearance.

The use of Chinese culture to make Christian images better adapted to local culture was also not only an intentional thing- it would be remiss not to recognize the number of local Chinese Christians whose art was influenced by their own surroundings, and the stories that they had grown up with of Christianity were therefore viewed through the lens of their local area. Jesus has been a figure often adapted to have features similar to the artist, or whose appearance is intentionally chosen to portray a certain message rather than based on the geographic location and what he may have historically looked like.

 

Works cited

Wong, Stephanie M. “Roman Catholicism: Painting, Printing, and Selling Morality in Modern China” from Visions of Salvation: Chinese Christian Posters in an Age of Revolution. Ed. Daryl R. Ireland. Waco: Baylor University Press. 2023.

Yee, Chiang. Chinese Calligraphy: An Introduction to Its Aesthetic and Technique. Cambridge, Massachusetts, London: Harvard University Press. 1973.

Crane, Louise. China in sign and Symbol. Shanghai: Kelly &Walsh, LTD. 1926.

]]> https://ccposters.com/en/jesus-in-posters/feed/ 0 Imagery in Posters https://ccposters.com/en/imagery-in-posters/ https://ccposters.com/en/imagery-in-posters/#respond Thu, 28 Mar 2024 23:48:41 +0000 https://ccposters.com/?p=8513

Symbolism, Metaphors and Direct

Chinese Christian posters would use varying degrees of symbolism and metaphors to display their ideas. In Daryl Irelands book Visions of Salvation he states that “Numerous posters illustrate scriptural verses in a metaphorical landscape, where text and a picture work closely to reinforce each other. In this exposition… The landscape is clearly labeled; there is no chance of misreading… the poster is clear but its metaphors are unusual.”1 Throughout these works, some may use more direct or ambiguous forms of metaphors to convey their message.

These two posters share a subject, the choice of sin and salvation but both commute the message similar yet different fashion. The poster on the left; Between Two Options; uses boats to represent the choice whereas the poster on the right; Beware; uses a very direct rock labeled as sin leading to a fiery hell off of a cliff side and on the other side of the poster a man praying infront of a cross; receiving mercy for their sins. On first appurtenance, they may look very different, one rather calm and one filled with action, yet they both reflect on the choice of sin or salvation and the vast majority of text in both are passages from the bible. Printed on both posters is the phrase “Please go to a church to hear the Gospel and to study the Bible.” Between Two Options hypothetical situation may appear calm but is well defined by the text on the poster; the bottom states “How long will you waver between two options” as one could not stand between two boats as the boat on the left is rowing to keep the option open, that the Christians are actively trying to help one chose the path of the righteous whereas the path of the wicked is there in the right boat putting no effort to lead one astray. Both posters use water or a cliff which is commonly used depict the incorrect path, those who oppose Christianity, sin and failure to convert which represented as a fall or drowning from being overwhelmed said forces. One notable feature in Beware is that the cross is plain wood. Most posters color the cross red which is mostly represented as a good color in Chinese culture for the luck and fortune it represents.

These two poster are sequential and display quotes from Matthew, yet they are different from the scripture. The left poster House Built on Rock displays two houses  prior to the storm and the right poster The Foolish Man Built His House on Sand displays them during a severe storm. The poster on the right quotes “But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” the poster does not follow the passage fully as it shows a great flooded island sweeping the house away and drowning its residents as opposed to a river instead of it falling. It also shows a thunderstorm striking the ‘foolish’ sand house residents  instead of great winds but this drives home the message of what happens to those who go against the scripture. 

This poster Bridge of Salvation shows many of the typical symbols that occurs in these posters. The common symbols include sun representing the ‘Light of God’, the red Cross, and a cliffside pit of sin. This poster show that without the ‘bridge of conversion’ you will not achieve ‘forgiveness and eternal life’ from being a good person alone as the planks display they will not bring you to the other side of the pit.

One thing of note about these common symbols through the posters is how they may go against how Wester Christians use them. Chole Starr nates that “The poster may be clear, but its metaphors are unusual, since a rock in Christian vocabulary is usually a place of safety, not a representation of sin, and waters are usually cleansing rather than the foaming wrath of God.”2 Some of the metaphors such as the aforementioned rock and water have quite different meanings and on the other hand; some such as the sun is used relatively similarly than how the west would use it; some such are the Cross are used in a positive tone yet they have a different aesthetic to them.

Though commonplace on these posters, symbolism was becoming a controversial topic as its role was debated  between fundamentalist and modernist. Chloe Bay explains that “These social and structural changes, added to the long-shouldering and growing divisions between, on the one hand, Biblical modernists trained in higher criticism of Scripture who downplayed the super-natural aspects of the faith and, on the other, adherents of traditional evangelical revivalism, brought the post-World War I “fundamentalist-modernist” controversy to China.”2 There was quite a debate whether the acts of God were real events or a merely a tool to help explain the religion.  One heated fundamentalist fed up  with modernist argued stated “All is gone! The Virgin Birth of Jesus is an ‘allegory’ Jesus’ redemptive sacrifice – there is no such thing, only a ‘demonstration of the power of God’s love!’ Belief in the physical Resurrection has ‘no vital importance for Christians faith!’ Genesis in not credible, the prophets are not to be believed, nor the Gospels, nor the Epistles, not the witness of the apostles, nor even the words of Jesus himself! Thus all essential doctrines of the Bible are denied by these modernists; they are completely overturned. What, I ask, is left? What is left?”3 If one says that these symbols, allegories and metaphors are simply meant to help people understand and convert, they diminish the Bible.

 

Footnotes

1. Starr, Chloe, 2023, Visons of Salvation, Ch 7, editor Ireland, Daryl, Pg. 105. Baylor University Press

2 .Starr, Chloe, 2023, Visons of Salvation, Ch 7, editor Ireland, Daryl, Pg. 106. Baylor University Press

3.Bays, Daniel, Handbook of Christianity in China, Volume Two: 1800-present, editor Tiedemann Gary, Ch 4.1, Pg 670, Brill

4. Mingdao, Wang, Documents of the Three-self movement: source materials for the study of the Protestant church in Communist China, Y.T. Wu, Wang Ning-tao – We, Because of Faith Pg. 103

 

]]> https://ccposters.com/en/imagery-in-posters/feed/ 0 Adaption and Adoption https://ccposters.com/en/adaption-and-adoption/ https://ccposters.com/en/adaption-and-adoption/#respond Thu, 28 Mar 2024 14:57:45 +0000 https://ccposters.com/?p=8596
"An angel announces the birth of Jesus to shepherds" by (Luke) Chen Yuandu
"No room at the inn" by Lu Hongnian (Lu Hung-nien)
"Birth of Jesus" by Lu Hongnian (Lu Hung-nien)
"Baby Moses is Rescued"
"Let the Little Children Come" by Yu Molin
"How Christians Become Sons and Daughters of the Lord"

            China, more than many cultures, holds tightly to traditions of imagery and iconography, even with adopted ideas and practices. In Christianity, this practice is just as visible. In chapter 10 of Daryl R. Irelands compendium Visions of Salvation, it is noted that Chinese posters promoting Christianity and conveying its stories, visual artifacts not yet lost to time and “echoing the logic of “the Word made flesh””, show “more than mere combinations of images and texts” the simple stories and bright coloring on their surface level, but upon more deep examinations deliberate decision making on how to translate into their culture foreign ideas and parables1. Of all of the subtle decisions made, I aim to discuss the choice on whether to Adapt the core figures of biblical stories by Sinicizing them, or to Adopt them as is with little to no change.

            The first three posters I have chosen above all show a decision to portray the stories of the bible in a more Chinese visual space and style. In An angel announces the birth of Jesus to the shepherds by (Luke) Chen Yuandu, not only have the shepherds and angel been drawn to represent Chinese people likely to aid in self-identification for the viewers, but the more arid and warm vistas of the middle east have been completely altered to a more snowy scape. So too are No room at the inn and Birth of Jesus (by Lu Hongnian) drawn, in which Jospeh unsuccessfully seeks shelter in a snow storm at the nominal inn, and then finds it in a cave, outside of which we see the blustering snow. Though far different than the actual location of Christ’s birth, the snow matted world, closed gates, frozen river, and shear mountains in the distance all lend to the inhospitable environ, and certainly to a way largely more recognizable to most who would see the images.

However, amazingly, “While non-Chinese saw the paintings as a tremendously effective instructional tool because of the concept of self-identification” there was a “general lack of support among contemporary native clergy” who, along with many native scholars preferred “historically accurate imagery” and considered all else improper2. This strange disjoining of local preference from the perceived preference Missionaries and their far off directors’ assumed likely started in the early days of mission work, and the false belief self-perpetuated. After all, one of the first steps in preaching a foreign belief system or doctrine, as found effective by early Nestorian and Protestant monks, is the “market[ing] of their religion” requiring “knowledge of the market itself” to target the “customers” to be3. If monks, preachers, and missionaries early on found success in comparing their messages with local accepted beliefs or stories, that such a practice encouraged the beginning stages of conversion, then they would be hard pressed to risk losing said progress by pushing stories and images of alien foreigners to their flock: so thus preferring a strategy of “transplantation…and transformation.”3

But, as above, this view was not held by the actual (albeit few) non-foreign clergy2, 3. Showing the actual preference for accuracy, posters four and six show depictions of Biblical stories with more classic depictions and imagery, and poster five is a blend. Starting with said poster, Let the Little Children Come by Yu Molin, we see Matthew 19:14 represented with a traditional portrayal of Jesus calling children to show His affection for purity and innocence. Interestingly, this poster shows Jesus in China, both demonstrating the total reach of His message, and presumably, His Grace. This style of depiction would both lend homage to the desired historical accuracy, and the present power of the Word.

In true displays of Biblical stories set in their actual locations, Baby Moses is Rescued and How Christians Become Sons and Daughters of the Lord both show purely ‘western’ characters, or at least western by the Chinese perspective. Similarly, both accurately show the middle east as it would have been in climate, attire, and construction, including such details as ‘INRI’ on the cross, and (though exaggerated) hieroglyphs on the buildings of Egypt. These styles of posters, more representative of the wider Christian faith, have been argued to have “helped invite Chinese Christians to join in an inclusive world Christian community,” but nevertheless they remained the less common style, “…illustrating the life of Jesus grounded on a Palestinian stye [was] a rare phenomenon in Christian missions in China.”4

            Perhaps in a more exceptional idea, this idea to portray a foreign core of the religion was an idea that paid off in another way. In their Lift High the Cross: The Visual Message of Popular Chinese Christianity, Ireland and Li argue that in the early 20th Century an oft-defeated China sought change and that like a new preference for foreign, distinguished clothing “…the imported cut was a way for the wearer to visibly express his commitment to be different, his belief that China had to be made new”5, change was needed elsewhere as well. Maybe in Religion as well, something not Sino-centric was for the better.

            It might be best to end with the beginning of Vision of Salvation, it is emphasized that these very mass-produced posters, whether they are as I have phrased adaptive or adoptive, “were not for use in Sunday schools, to decorate a sanctuary, or hang in a private home” and carried “very clear instructions: “Please post in public places.””1 Whether trying to unite the people to appreciate themselves, to emphasize the traditions of China and her history, or to usher in new change and a respect for historical accuracy, these pieces of religious propaganda aimed to foster faith. The message was common, just the presentation differed.

 

1. Ireland, Daryl R., and Peter Gue Zarrow. Visions of salvation: Chinese Christian posters in an age of revolution. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2023.

2. Lawton, Mary S. “A Unique Style in China: Chinese Christian Painting in Beijing.” Monumenta Serica 43, no. 1 (January 1995): 469–89. https://doi.org/10.1080/02549948.1995.11731282.

3. Zheng, Yangwen. Sinicizing Christianity. Leiden: Brill, 2017.

4. Liu, Lingshu, and Madeleine Yue Dong. “Silent Messengers: Visualizing the Growth of Christianity in China by Chinese Christian Posters, 1927-1942.” Silent Messengers: Visualizing the Growth of Christianity in China by Chinese Christian Posters, 1927-1942, 2021.

5. Ireland, Daryl R., and David Li. “Lift High the Cross: The Visual Message of Popular Chinese Christianity.” International Bulletin of Mission Research 46, no. 4 (August 18, 2022): 474–91. https://doi.org/10.1177/23969393221097624.

 

 

 

Ireland, Daryl R., and David Li. “Lift High the Cross: The Visual Message of Popular Chinese Christianity.” International Bulletin of Mission Research 46, no. 4 (August 18, 2022): 474–91. https://doi.org/10.1177/23969393221097624.

Ireland, Daryl R., and Peter Gue Zarrow. Visions of salvation: Chinese Christian posters in an age of revolution. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2023.

Lawton, Mary S. “A Unique Style in China: Chinese Christian Painting in Beijing.” Monumenta Serica 43, no. 1 (January 1995): 469–89. https://doi.org/10.1080/02549948.1995.11731282.

Liu, Lingshu, and Madeleine Yue Dong. “Silent Messengers: Visualizing the Growth of Christianity in China by Chinese Christian Posters, 1927-1942.” Silent Messengers: Visualizing the Growth of Christianity in China by Chinese Christian Posters, 1927-1942, 2021.

Zheng, Yangwen. Sinicizing Christianity. Leiden: Brill, 2017.

 

]]> https://ccposters.com/en/adaption-and-adoption/feed/ 0 (简体中文) 除四病，来自基督教的人格救国 https://ccposters.com/en/%e7%ae%80%e4%bd%93%e4%b8%ad%e6%96%87-%e9%99%a4%e5%9b%9b%e7%97%85%ef%bc%8c%e6%9d%a5%e8%87%aa%e5%9f%ba%e7%9d%a3%e6%95%99%e7%9a%84%e4%ba%ba%e6%a0%bc%e6%95%91%e5%9b%bd/ https://ccposters.com/en/%e7%ae%80%e4%bd%93%e4%b8%ad%e6%96%87-%e9%99%a4%e5%9b%9b%e7%97%85%ef%bc%8c%e6%9d%a5%e8%87%aa%e5%9f%ba%e7%9d%a3%e6%95%99%e7%9a%84%e4%ba%ba%e6%a0%bc%e6%95%91%e5%9b%bd/#respond Tue, 26 Mar 2024 23:17:12 +0000 https://ccposters.com/?p=8515

    Although money does not solve all problems, it is indeed a basic need for survival in today’s society. The knowledge that money cannot buy directly was what the Chinese people needed most at that time. By converting to Christianity and receiving the education it provided, people not only learned to read but also received basic medical help. In the second chapter of the book “Visions of Redemption, Social Reform: The Role of Christianity”, Peter mentioned the social chaos and difficulties in progress caused by the four traditional Chinese diseases (poverty, disease, violence, and illiteracy).[4] The Chinese have realized that traditional Chinese culture cannot save this terminally ill country, and the social order has been chaotic and collapsed. At this time, we must learn from developed Western culture. Introducing more complete Christian teachings through the YMCA to promote social reform and promote literacy among all people will effectively eliminate these four diseases and rejuvenate Chinese society through “Saving the Nation through Character Development.”[3]

    The sentence on the poster comes from Proverbs, Chapter 3, verses 13-15 of the Bible. The original text is: “Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.”[2]

     The “wisdom” mentioned here is described as something more precious than material wealth, which is intended to emphasize that the value of wisdom and moral character far exceeds money and material wealth. From the perspective of the Chinese society described by Peter, it means the ability to read and write.[3] For the more traditional Chinese, nothing is more important than money. The Chinese at that time did not realize the importance of studying (not only do you have to pay to study, but you also have to spend time studying. With this time, you can already support your family by becoming a farmer or worker). But this poster likens the ability to read and write to “spiritual wealth,” which can encourage people to pursue wisdom. This kind of wealth can guide people to the right path in life and bring true satisfaction and peace, which is incomparable with money and material things.

     Therefore, the metaphor “胜于千，万金银” is used to express the supreme value of wisdom and remind people that they should prioritize the pursuit of spiritual and moral growth in life, not just material accumulation. This is a high-level guide to life values and goals, encouraging people to pursue deeper satisfaction and happiness.

     Of course, another understanding is that through literacy and reading, you can also make money in the future. The Christian church provides the correct learning path to help civilians learn. This is an opportunity to become literate and make money.

    Just like the picture on the left describes. China’s literate population is far smaller than Japan’s. Because of the ignorance of the Chinese people, various kinds of loss of power, humiliation and invasion were caused from the end of the Qing Dynasty to 1949. Literacy is also mentioned in Peter’s ideas for social reform as a key driver of money making and social development, as it opens the door to knowledge and information and promotes innovation and economic activity. For example, Peter mentioned Li Dazhao, one of the founders of Chinese Marxism.[4] At the same time, he was also the spiritual mentor who truly inspired Mao Zedong. He said in the article 读书求真知 务实求真理published in the Study Times: “Knowledge is the candle that guides the light and true realm of life, and ignorance is the obstacle to reaching the light and true realm, which is life.”[1] When more people master reading and writing skills, the overall economic productivity and efficiency of society can be improved, thus accelerating the development process of society.

    At the same time, it is crucial to promote “civic training for everyone” because this training not only covers basic literacy education, but also includes the knowledge to understand and perform civic responsibilities, such as legal awareness and social participation, which are essential for maintaining society. It is vital to maintain order, promote fairness and justice, and ensure the healthy functioning of democratic institutions. When everyone has basic “quality”, the four diseases will become farther and farther away from people.

    In China at the end of the Qing Dynasty, poverty, disease, violence, and illiteracy led to widespread social problems. These posters bring a very good solution to the audience: converting to Christianity can receive help and solve these problems. In Liang Jialin’s lecture, he mentioned that Christian churches help reduce illiteracy rates and improve people’s life skills and economic independence by providing education. They also established Western-style hospitals and clinics to combat disease and improve public health. By spreading the teachings of love and peace, Christian organizations not only gain followers but also help reduce social violence (education reducing illiteracy also helps reduce violence). In addition, they help alleviate poverty and enhance social welfare through education and charity work.[3]

    It was still Liang’s lecture. He mentioned the reasons why the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) borrowed ideas from the Christian Church: First, Christianity was popular as a “foreign religion.” At that time, the Chinese believed that Christianity and Western culture had the same root. When their own culture was weak, it was very necessary to learn from developed Western culture. At the same time, the Christian Church, like the Chinese people at that time, had the same expectations for Western culture. They were eager to guide China to a way out and plan to save the country by introducing foreign doctrines and culture.[3]

    Just like the poster below, “Saving the Nation through Character Development” comes from the Christian spirit of fraternity, justice, and peace. Because the Chinese people already believe that the moral spirit of traditional China has deteriorated and are eager to make comprehensive reforms. The spirit of Christ is just right for the psychological construction of Chinese people. It can promote social reform and meet China’s needs.

Work Cited:

[1] Feng, Bin, and Zihao Fan. “李大钊：读书求真知务实求真理 – 党史.” 中国共产党新闻网, 2019. http://dangshi.people.com.cn/n1/2019/0911/c85037-31347726.html.

[2] Proverbs,  3: 13-15, The holy bible: Containing the old and new testaments ; translated out of the original tongues and with the former translations diligently compared and revised. New York: American Bible Society, 1986.

[3] Liang, Jialin. “梁家麟 《中国教会史十讲》七、全面西化下的基督教.” 中国教会史(180): 梁家麟 《中国教会史十讲》七、全面西化下的基督教. Accessed March 26, 2024. https://study.christianleaders.org/mod/page/view.php?id=56322&forceview=1.

[4] Zarrow, Peter. “ Social Reform: The Role of Christianity.” In “Visions of Salvation”. ed. Daryl R. Ireland , 33–51. Waco, Texas: Baylor University Press, 2022.

 
]]> https://ccposters.com/en/%e7%ae%80%e4%bd%93%e4%b8%ad%e6%96%87-%e9%99%a4%e5%9b%9b%e7%97%85%ef%bc%8c%e6%9d%a5%e8%87%aa%e5%9f%ba%e7%9d%a3%e6%95%99%e7%9a%84%e4%ba%ba%e6%a0%bc%e6%95%91%e5%9b%bd/feed/ 0 Chinese Lifestyles: Tutorials on How to Live a Clean and Virtuous Life in China https://ccposters.com/en/chinese-lifestyles-tutorials-and-step-by-step-instructions-on-how-to-live-in-china/ https://ccposters.com/en/chinese-lifestyles-tutorials-and-step-by-step-instructions-on-how-to-live-in-china/#respond Tue, 26 Mar 2024 20:48:55 +0000 https://ccposters.com/?p=8504

What strategies did the Christians employ on teaching cleanliness, and why were they effective?

Since foreign Christian missionaries first came to China, their main goals were to impart their religious and cultural beliefs onto their converts. As such, it is no surprise that the western Christians also tried to enforce their narratives and ideas of western medicine and habits of cleanliness as well. In this exhibit, I will be going through four posters created by Christians in China that are either explicit step-by-step guides, or an informational that display how to conduct oneself as a productive member of society. I will be exploring why these posters were effective as well as what tactics the Chinese Christians used to reach their audiences. 

How to Kill Flies

How to Kill Flies was originally used in a Sunday school to teach children habits of cleanliness. This poster is quite unique as it depicts the life cycle of a fly, where they congregate, and how to best get rid of them. When I first looked at this poster, I thought it was odd that someone would need to show a guide on how to kill flies. However, in actuality, it makes a lot of sense why one might teach it because as “children were already in a position of receiving instruction, Sunday school posters could include lessons on the lifecycle of the fly and depict children actively killing flies to prevent the spread of disease” (Mih Tillman 98). Children are at an age where they are most susceptible to influence, and will usually follow what an authority figure will say. In order to change the cleanliness habits of the population, you must first target the demographic most willing to do what someone says. This is why in later years, the Communist Party would target children to aid in the 4 pests campaign. In western cultures, flies were representative of death and plague, so it is easy to understand why people who subscribed to a western faith would adopt those same ideologies around killing flies. 

Four Diseases of the Chinese

This is the only poster in this exhibit that is not directly being taught to children. However, this informational is still included because it teaches the public about the wrongdoings of society. Going top to bottom, left to right, each corner illustrates the the four evils of the world: poverty, sickness, ignorance, and disorder. Poverty is a hard issue to tackle because in any given society, there will always be poor people. Even so, as a public, there can be social reforms to improve the state of poverty people are living in. Sickness during this time period was one of the most impactful issues in Chinese society. Anyone could get sick, and anyone could die. With the introduction to western medicine and the spread of vaccinations, people were able to live more fulfilling lives. Next, with ignorance, I will focus more on the grievances people had around superstitions. At the time, many people were wary of western medicine and the Christian ideas being presented. To be Christian was to be well educated, so it makes sense as to why at Chinese Christians were so opposed to being uneducated or ignorant. Finally, disorder can be a broad term, but I will stick with the idea of disorder among the people. In Christianity, it is imperative to “love thy neighbor as yourself” so when Chinese Christians would see the strife and hatred between people, it makes sense as to why they would condemn fighting and disorder between people. One key point of interest is that in this poster, in the very center you can see Jesus looking at Zacchaeus in a tree. This is a great analogy that they are making because in the bible, Zacchaeus was looked down upon because he was a tax collector, yet Jesus wanted to meet with him because he was still a follower of Christ. The connection the illustrator was trying to make is that anyone can come to the word of Jesus, regardless of background or social standing, and that Christ will look past your sins or living conditions, which would be favorable to the masses as most people fit into one of these categories. 

Children's Health

This third poster follows the same structure as the Four Diseases of the Chinese, and was made by the same illustrator as well. To jump right in, this poster relays the exact opposite information as the previous poster. While the Four Diseases focuses on the wrongs of society, Children’s Health focuses on how to keep your body clean and hygienic. Healthy habits always start from a young age, the older you get, the harder it is to enforce new habits. Subsequently, the Chinese Christians targeted children for this teaching, as it would likely have been taught or hung in a Sunday school. The pictures go as follows, washing your body in a clean tub, brushing your teeth, spitting in a basin and not on the floor, washing clothes in warm water, and in the center, eating a balanced and nutritious meal. Disease was the leading cause of death in China, so it is no surprise why Chinese Christians were pushing for healthier people. It can also be noted that this would have also had an impact on the parents and families of the children who would practice healthy habits. Hearing that your child had a better chance of survival because of having them take care of their bodies would increase the chances that the whole family would start practicing these routines as well. Changes to taking care of ones body was effective as “the cause-of-death data available for Beijing in the early part of the [20th] century confirms the impression that the reductions in mortality occurred as the result of local public health interventions” (Campbell 201). As a result, many people’s standard of living improved as they were healthier, less likely to get sick, and in the eyes of the Chinese Christians, were being better followers of Christ. 

Mind Your Nose

This final poster is Mind Your Nose, created by Beatrice Kitchen who’s specialty is in creating illustrations of Chinese Christian children. The poster shows a class learning from their teacher on how to use a handkerchief and reads “Small Little Child, Mind Your Nose; Whenever You Sneeze, Always Cover It with a Handkerchief”. At the bottom of the poster, the text denotes that this was lesson 40, which means that there were many more small teachings like similar to this poster. I would say that this poster is particularly effective for a couple reasons. The first being that it most likely would have been taught in a class. Like the majority of the other posters in this exhibit, this poster is targeted towards children, I feel that I would be beating a dead horse if I kept reiterating why that was effective, so I will move on to my next point. The classroom is depicted as entirely Chinese, with a Chinese teacher and Chinese students. This kind of poster, I feel, would be much better accepted by Christians and non-Christians alike because it is more relatable. Having a Chinese teacher rather than a westerner teaching these things would have a huge impact on how people responded to this. Having comfort in familiarity would make it easier for the public at large to trust what this poster is saying. When western medicine first came into China it is noted “that foreign medicine is
sometimes described as dangerous medicine” (Xu 3). Foreign things are often perceived as dangerous, because you might not be familiar with it, so it makes sense why Chinese society would be wary of these new ideas and techniques. However, since it is being led by a Chinese citizen, it can be viewed as more trustworthy and inherently safe. Even something as simple as blowing your nose into a handkerchief could be a new thing to learn, and what better way to do it from someone you can trust?

Works Cited

Campbell, Cameron. “Public Health Efforts in China before 1949 and Their Effects on Mortality: The Case of Beijing.” Social Science History 21, no. 2 (1997): 179–218. 

Mih Tillman, Margaret. “Childhood: The Foundation for True Health.” Essay. In Visions of Salvation, 89–109. ed. Ireland, Daryl. Waco, Texas: Baylor University Press, 2023. 

Xu, Yufan. “Boundaries and Classification: The Cultural Logic of Treating Foreign Medicine.” Humanities & Social Sciences Communications, 2024: 1–7

]]> https://ccposters.com/en/chinese-lifestyles-tutorials-and-step-by-step-instructions-on-how-to-live-in-china/feed/ 0 Evanlegism Captured within Christian Posters https://ccposters.com/en/evanlegism-captured-within-christian-posters/ https://ccposters.com/en/evanlegism-captured-within-christian-posters/#respond Tue, 26 Mar 2024 13:56:33 +0000 https://ccposters.com/?p=8469

How Evangelism Is Captured in time on Christian Posters

The Christian denomination, Evangelism, has taken on many different forms throughout its complex history and existence within China. In the Chinese Christian community, visual mediums such as posters play a significant role in conveying messages of faith and salvation. These posters ranged in visual appearances. From vibrant colors to incorporating other religions and addressing social issues. Thanks to these posters, exposure to Evangelism was possible. 

The ultimate goal and purpose of these Christian posters were to allure people in. These posters had to catch the attention of the Chinese in a way that not only they could easy see what was depicted but would also cause them to walk away with questions. Hanging the gospel posters was the start of conversation. From these posters also came the combination of house visits, book purchases, singing, and the room for people to travel and share their own personal testimonies (Ireland 2023). When evangelist traveled to towns in groups they would all be delegated a different task. One may sing or play an instrument, one would hang the posters using paste and the crowds would soon come in to listen, from there came the opportunity to talk about christ. 

The posters opened the space for the presence of evangelical Christianity. Once people had decided that they wanted to follow in this religion, these posters were hung inside people’s homes and businesses. They were essentially used as testimonies and as public witnesses to their faith and a symbol of communal solidarity (Ireland 121). When people saw the posters they knew that they were in the presence of Christians. For missionaries, these posters were another stratgey to spread the gospel. It was not their first and primary tool. Missionaries studied the Chinese culture in order to create the best ideas to help spread the gospel. ithin the city, town neighborhood, village, or rural distict was where the actual, hardcore contact between missionaries, non-Christians, and Christians took place (Bays1996,24). With missionaries educating themselves they craeted the posters to display what they had learned. With missionaries and Chinese christians putting up the poster’s anti-christian posters soon became the compeition. Christians were threatened to be killed for keeping the posters up and it soon turned into a competions of the Communist tearing down the posters and Christians putting them back up. Even with the hardships, the existence of these visual representations never died out. 

The visual aspects of these posters continued to develop and thrive. The posters went from black and while to color and containing large amounts of intricate details. One thing that is very prominent and mostly seen on the posters was the Cross. As seen on the poster that is located on the far left titled “God Is Light.”  The cross was used to represent God, salvation, Christ, and was ultimately the symbol of Christianity. With cross being red falls under the fact that these posters used a wide range of colors. A lot, or if not most of the colors had their own meanings. For example, the second poster, which is titled “Sin, Blood, Righteousness, Glory.” This poster displays the colors gold, black, red, and white. These colors represents God’s plan of redemption: black for sin; red for Jesus’ sacrifice, gold for heaven, and white for sanctification (Ireland 2023). The use of these colors contributed to the easy interpretation. 

Not only was color and detail drawings introduced to these posters, but so was the introdcution of other languages and religions. The third poster, titled “Messiah Is the Lamb” depicts the four colors, the top color is actually gold. It also has Chinese written characters, and Arabic. This poster makes refences to the bible sections of Revelations, John, Jeremiah, and Ephesians. There were posters created that had infused other languages. As people started to obtain knowlege in other languages and religions, such as George K. Harris. This opened to the door to the combination of mutliple langauges being put on the posters.  One time Harris got into a dispute with man about the topic of sin. With his combined knowledge on the Bible and the Qur’an, Harris won a dispute he was engaged in with another man on the topic of sin and enticed an audience and explained the path to salvation (Ireland 2023). The most intriguing these posters got, the room qutions, debates, and interest in other language came about. 

The posters not only addressed Christianity but many of them also combated social issues. The last poster on the far right tited “Journeying Heavenward” by Charlotte F. Tippet is the the second part of the entire two poster pair. In this one there can been seen a women who is carrying one child and has another one standign at her feet. Her mother has her hand on the women’s shoulder, she is essentially holding the women back. Attached to the women is rope and at the ends of the rope is a red chest, a bag od money, a baby cow, a tea pot, a chicken, a broom, and a spade. All these items represent this womens burden. One way that social issue made the cover of these posters was due to women missionaries. Women missionaries initiated cultural exchange and promoted mutual understanding between Western and Chinese cultures. Because western missionary women had taken notice of the social issues in China that this opened the door them to establishing their own schools and created the right atmosphers to have cross-culture dialogue. For example, at St. Hilda’s school for girls, the western women missionaries were unbinding the feet of Christian girls because they were in protest against a cruel and heathenish practice (Liu 2011,83). This poster connects to the idea of what christ and salvation can offer women while bringing attention to social issues. Social issues were used in these posters as a way to express sin and give the idea of how Christ can take the burdens from social issues away from individuals, specifically women. 

I find beauty, fascination, and meaning within all of these posters. I am fascinated by how colors were not only at some point added to the posters but how these colors still held meaning to the Chinese culture and stood for different aspects of Christianity. It created a set standard for these posters. When people saw these colors they knew that these posters address salvation, god, glory, sacrifice, and sin. These colors definitely aided in the level of understanding for those who were illiterate. I find beauty in the detail of these posters, from the writing strokes of the written characters to the small details in the shape of the bodies and the face expressions. It fascinates me to to know that multiple of one poster were created but still with the same details. I think that taking the risk of adding in another language and religion is also a beautiful thing. It definitely stresses the topic of religion but also presents it in such a fascinating way that it makes it hard for one to not compare or come to conclusions. I think that the posters definitely hit the mark of catching attention while also addressing Christianity the appropriate light. 

In conclusions, Evangelism was displayed strongly through the creative, immensely detailed, and religious focused Christianity posters. The posters addressed social issues, tempaption, other religious and made it all work to properly address Christianity and helped with the number of converts in China. 

 Dana L. Robert.2023. Visions of Salvation Chinese Christian Poster in an Age of Revolution, Evangelism, ed. Daryl Ireland, Baylor University press, 114-117 

Dana L. Robert. 2023. Visions of Salvation Chinese Christian Poster in an Age of Revolution, Evangelism, ed. Darly Ireland, Baylor University press, 121

Dana L. Robert. 2023. Visions of Salvation Chinese Christian Poster in an Age of Revolution, Evangelism, ed. Darly Ireland, Baylor University press, 124 

Dana L. Robert. 2023. Visions of Salvation Chinese Christian Poster in an Age of Revolution, Evangelism, ed. Darly Ireland, Baylor University press, 128-129 

Alan Richard Sweeten. 1996. Christianity in China: From the Eighteenth Century to the Present, Catholic Converts in Jiangxi Province: Conflict and Accommodation, ed. Daniel H. Bays, Stanford University press, 24

Judith Liu. 2011. Foreign Exchange: Counterculture behind the Walls of St. Hilda’s School for Girls, St. Hilda’s School for Girls, Lehigh University press, 83

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]]> https://ccposters.com/en/evanlegism-captured-within-christian-posters/feed/ 0 Christianizing the Chinese Family https://ccposters.com/en/christianizing-the-chinese-family/ https://ccposters.com/en/christianizing-the-chinese-family/#respond Tue, 19 Mar 2024 20:32:40 +0000 https://ccposters.com/?p=8296

With the use of Christian Posters, multiple organizations attempted to Christianize the Chinese families who might be interested in them. In this case, the Christianization of a family is when a Christian group attempts to have the average Chinese family take on values and practices they find more desirable. While Christianization occurred in every place where Christianity spread, it was particularly prominent in China, as there were many values and practices Christian organizations wanted families to do, and some they wanted to change. The posters shown below are some of the ways many Christian organizations try and Christianize families, from changing how families act to changing cultural traditions. 

The poster to the right, titled “The Secret of a Christian Family Lies in Behavior,” shows a Chinese family becoming Christianized through their practices. It highlights the idea of filial piety and family. The top left image depicts a family discussing marriage with their child, which represents the role parents often have with their children’s marriage. The discussion in this image says that marriage will be influenced by the partner’s character and personality, implying Christian influence. This poster shows viewers that marriage will be done through love and respect, and for no other reason that could cause a marriage. It is important to know that we see depiction of children playing and respecting their seniors, which is a way to show that many cultural beliefs of the Chinese, such as the reverence one should have towards family, should not change.

We can see similar Christianization in the Nujiang Valley, looking at the Lisu. In chapter 3 of The Songs of Lisu, Arrington says that “The Lisu Christians had already done away with the custom of the bride price, but other matters relating to marriage had yet to be worked out” (Arrington 2020, 72). This excerpt exemplifies how a Christian family uses more Christian beliefs while abandoning their old ones, as the Lisu, and the family seen in this poster, focus less on what marriage could bring oneself and how they used to engage in marriage, and more on what the contemporary, Christian definition of marriage is. This altering of a process that has been done in China for so long represents the Christianization the posters display.

The poster to the right, titled “Indispensable Spirit for Christianizing the Family,” depicts a family acting in different ways a Christian family would. For example, we see a picture in the top right that depicts “holy marriage,” and the words in this picture say that they should love each other, get old together, and die together. The images in this poster show families engaged in entertainment and prayer. In the bottom left of this poster is a depiction of a family donating, showing how one should “help the poor.” 

Jonathan Chao, President of the China Ministries International in Taiwan, said, “One of the central features of Chinese culture is the centrality of the family. Within the family there is responsibility and care. In this sense there is a kind of community of love based on family relations. However, that love is graded love based on relations, and hence limited. There is no commitment of love outside the family or the guild or a special association” (Chao 2000, 103). Chao tries to make it clear that outside of the traditional Chinese view of family, the love one has for others is less than if they were Christian. While familial love and respect will continue to stay in the family regardless of religion, as it is fundamentally Chinese, helping others and loving thy neighbor is not as incentivized if a family is not Christian. Thus, the poster above makes it clear that being Christian and Christianizing one’s family would involve not only loving thy family but loving and helping everyone.

The poster to the right, titled “Christianize the Family Song,” describes methods of Christianizing the family in the form of a song. In the song, it says one should be monogamous and love and respect thy wife, children should have filial piety, masters and servants are equal under god, families should have good hygiene, one should love thy neighbor, but most importantly, families need to worship.

In this song, all these tenets are social reforms that many Christian missionaries try and perpetuate in new Christian families. Peter Zarrow, in his chapter “Social Reform: The Role of Christianity,” said that “Many missionary criticisms of Chinese culture were adopted as Chinese self-criticisms. Both Christian and non-Christian elites believed that public morality rested on improving individual private morality” (Zarrow 2023, 51). Zarrow and this poster show that a family does not need to change much in order to Christianize. Even improving private morality, with actions such as filial piety and good hygiene, are ways to do this, and could even improve one’s public morality. These changes are rooted in Christianity as, according to Connie Shemo, the connection between Christianity, health, and hygiene has roots in Western medicine (Shemo 2023, 79).

 

This poster, titled “Christianize Our Family,” is clear in its intention towards the reader. It shows a family all praying, thinking about god together at one time. The way they pray is by holding their hands together and closing their eyes. The room they pray in is important because of what it lacks – it lacks any idols, or any ancestral tablets. What it does have is the family all thinking at once, and based on the time, before bed. This is similar to what any Christian family across the world would feel and shows that if one were to Christianize a Chinese family, they are no different from any other Christian family.  

Jonathan Chao claimed, in his article, “But most importantly, Christian thinking needs to be practiced between husband and wife and in relation to the children, in fact in the way they conduct their lives. Christian values will then be transmitted to the children” (Chao 2000, 101). Arguably the simplest way to Christianize the family is to have them worship together, as stated above. This idea is clearly shown in this poster, with the children all thinking the same prayer as the adult in the room, showing that once the parents Christianize themselves, the children will inevitably follow suit.

In the poster to the left titled “Christmas at Home,” it shows a family that has been Christianized. They are celebrating Christmas, which is an effect of Christianity. Also, instead of an ancestral tablet or idol, there is a painting of an angel revealing itself to people. The nearby banners praise God, showing who the family prays to and how, but still showing facets of traditional Chinese culture in its design and how the family worships together, with the eldest leading the guiding the rest.

Multiple posters above show children engaging in activities and entertainment above. This poster shows them worshipping with their family, which was asserted to be a good method of Christianization. Margaret Mih Tillman made the assertion that by engaging in play, children gain good moral behavior, such as “attending a church drama rather than resorting to alternatives from the non-Christian dominant culture” (Tillman 2023, 97). Looking at this poster, it becomes clear that this family is engaging in Christian festivities and worship rather than any alternative festivals or plays that could be taking place, showing Christianization.

Overall, its clear that Christianizing the family is caused by no single change in culture or tradition, but rather many small and significant changes. This could involve changing how one engages with marriage, ridding one’s household of ancestral tablets, or simply worshipping Jesus and taking care of oneself. These posters showed what it would look like if a Chinese family were to Christianize.

The Secret of Christianizing the Family Lies in Behavior

Indispensable Spirit for Christianizing the Family, National Christian Council of China

Christianize the Family Song

Christianize Our Family

Christmas at Home

Arrington, Aminta. “The Evangelization of the Nujiang Valley.” Songs of the Lisu Hills: Practicing Christianity in Southwest China. University Park: Penn State University Press, 2020, 65-92.


Chao, Jonathan. “Christianization of Chinese Culture: An Evangelical Approach.” Transformation 17, no. 3, Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2000, 98–104. 

 

Shemo, Connie. “Women: Public Health, Hygiene, and Nurses.” Visions of Salvation: Chinese Christian Posters in an Age of Revolution, ed by Daryl Ireland. Waco: Baylor University Press, 2023, 75-88.

 

Tillman, Margaret Mih.  “Childhood: The Foundation for True Health.” Visions of Salvation: Chinese Christian Posters in an Age of Revolution, ed. by Daryl Ireland. Waco: Baylor University Press, 2023, 89-109.

 

Zarrow, Peter. “Social Reform: The Role of Christianity.” Visions of Salvation: Chinese Christian Posters in an Age of Revolution, ed. by Daryl Ireland. Waco: Baylor University Press, 2023, 33-51.

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