| Despite renewed interest in the Chinese Church, few, if any, academic studies thoroughly document the life of a single Chinese Christian community in all of its permutations, during its entire history. Certainly, the process by which a Christian community survived (or ceased to survive) after the forced expulsion of Western missionaries has not been thoroughly studied. And the local church in post-Maoist China---arguably the period of greatest interest to academics because of Protestantism's enormous growth rate and spread---has received scant attention insofar as this community of faith is conditioned by its past.; This dissertation examines the history and development of Protestant Christianity in Anqing, Anhui Province, with particular attention to local Church leadership in the post-Mao era. I contend that individuals and interpersonal relationships assume greater priority than ecclesiastical structures or carefully defined hierarchies of power. As a result, the patron-client relationship has become the predominant means by which the leadership of the local Church has developed and by which the mantle of power is transferred. This system, in which guanxi (connections or relations) takes precedence over institutions, can pose many problems for Protestantism: informal ties can circumnavigate clear chains of command, and personality conflicts can assume disproportionate influence on church affairs.; Certainly, the presence of guanxi and other clientelist ties is not always detrimental to the health of the local Church. In fact, it can sometimes be quite useful. Personal ties with government officials play an essential role in maintaining good relationships with the various state bureaucracies. These relationships have even allowed church leaders to call upon "friendly" officials for preferential treatment or for the speedy resolution of conflict with other agencies. In light of these developments, it is essential for the pastor and other leaders of the official church to enter into a carefully constructed relationship with the state. Though positive ties with the state can produce short-term gains for official church leaders, they can also produce long-term problems of legitimacy and compromise. |
