The Confucian church ( or ) is a Confucianism religious and social institution of the congregational type. It was first proposed by Kang Youwei (1858–1927) near the end of the 19th century, as a state religion of Qing dynasty following a European model.Ya-pei Kuo, 2010.
The "Confucian church" model was later replicated by overseas Chinese communities,Yong Chen, 2012. p. 174 who established independent Confucian churches active at the local level, especially in Indonesia and the United States.
There has been a New Confucianism in contemporary China since around 2000, which has triggered the proliferation of Confucian academies (); the opening and reopening of temples of Confucius; the new phenomenon of grassroots Confucian communities or congregations (); and renewed talks about a national "Confucian church".Billioud, 2010. p. 201
Kang Youwei's national Confucian Church
The large community of Confucian literati—who were left without an organization or an outlet for their rituals, values, and identity after the dissolution of state Confucianism, supported such projects. Similar models were also adopted by various newly created Confucian folk religious sects, such as the Xixinshe, the Daode Xueshe, and the Wanguo Daodehui.
The Confucian Church was founded in 1912 by a disciple of Kang, Chen Huanzhang, and within a few years it established 132 branches in China.Billioud, 2010. p. 207 From 1913 to 1916, an important debate took place about whether Confucianism should become the state religion ( guo jiao) and thus be inscribed in the constitution of China. This did not occur and anti-religious campaigns in the 1920s led to a full dissolution of the Confucian church.
Modern churches and congregations
In contemporary China, the Confucian revival of the 21st century has developed a variety of interrelated ways: the proliferation of Confucian academies, the resurgence of Confucian rites,Yong Chen, 2012. p. 175 and the birth of new forms of Confucian activity on the local level, such as Confucian communities. Some scholars consider the reconstruction of Chinese lineage associations and their , as well as cults and temples worshiping natural and national gods from other Chinese traditional religions, as part of the revival of Confucianism.Fan, Chen. 2015. (a). p. 7
Other groups associated with the revival include folk religionsBillioud, 2010. p. 203 or salvationist religionsBillioud, 2010. p. 214 that have a Confucian focus. Confucian churches, for example the labels=no (一耽学堂) in Beijing,Billioud, 2010. p. 219 the labels=no (孟母堂) of Shanghai,Fan, Chen. 2015. p. 29 the Way of the Gods according to the Confucian Tradition, Phoenix Churches,Fan, Chen. 2015. p. 34 and the Confucian Fellowship (labels=no) in northern Fujian have spread rapidly over the years since their foundation. Ancestral shrines of the Kong family have also reopened, as well as Confucian-teaching churches.
The Hong Kong Confucian Academy has expanded its activities to the mainland, constructing statues of Confucius, Confucian hospitals, restoring temples and sponsoring other activities. In 2009, Zhou Beichen founded the Holy Hall of Confucius (labels=no) in Shenzhen, inspired by Kang Youwei's idea of the Confucian Church. It is also affiliated with the Federation of Confucian Culture in Qufu, a nationwide movement of congregations and civil organisations that was unified in 2015 as the Kongshenghui (labels=no).
Chinese folk religion's temples and kinship ancestral shrines sometimes choose Confucian liturgy during special occasions (that is called 儒 labels=no, or sometimes 正统 labels=no), led by Confucian ritual masters (labels=no) who worship the gods enshrined, instead of Taoist or other popular rituals.Clart, 2003. pp. 3-5 "Confucian businessmen" (l=learned businessman) is a recently revived term to identify people among the entrepreneurial or economic elite who recognize their social responsibilities and therefore apply Confucian cultural practices to their business.Billioud, 2010. p. 204
Contemporary New Confucianism scholars Jiang Qing and Kang Xiaoguang are among the most influential supporters behind the campaign to establish a national "Confucian Church".Angle, 2012. § Ritual, Education, and the State. Jiang Qing is the current spiritual leader of the Church of Confucius.
In Japan, Confucian Shinto is organised as part of Sect Shinto. Similar Confucian-focused sects also exist in South Korea.
List of churches
- Confucian Fellowship (p=Rújiào Dàotán)
- Daode Xueshe (links=no)
- Kongshenghui (links=no)
- Kongdaoshe (links=no)Tay Wei Leong. SAVING THE CHINESE NATION AND THE WORLD: RELIGION AND CONFUCIAN REFORMATION, 1880s-1937. National University of Singapore, 2012. p. 60
- Kong Meng Xuehui (links=no)Clart, Jones. 2003. p. 71
- Kong Meng Shengdao Hui (links=no)
- Mengmutang (links=no)
- Ruists' Society (links=no) and Ruist Masters' Society (links=no), two modern networks of Confucians in mainland China
- Ruzong Luandao (links=no), phoenix churchesClart, Jones. 2003. p. 72
- Shengdao (links=no), a Xiantiandao branch best known by its corporate name of Tongshanshe (links=no)D. Palmer. Redemptive Societies as Confucian NRMs?. Journal of Chinese Theatre, Ritual and Folklore / Minsu Quyi, 172 (2011): 1-12. Line 172: «Tongshanshe emphasized that it was “primarily Confucian” 以儒家為主».
- Shenglishe (links=no)Clart, Jones. 2003. p. 73
- Wanguo Daodehui (links=no)
- Jiushi teaching (links=no), also known by its corporate name Wushanshe (links=no)
- Xin Rujiao Hui (links=no)
- Xixinshe (links=no)
- Xuanyuanism (links=no)
- Yidan xuetang (links=no)
- Zongsheng Hui (links=no)
See also
- Boston Confucians
- Chinese folk religion
- Confucian Academy
- Holy Confucian Church
- Kokugaku
- Supreme Council for the Confucian Religion in Indonesia
- Religious Confucianism
- Nanyang Confucian Association
Sources
-
Sebastien; Joel Thoraval Billioud (2025). 9780190258146, Oxford University Press. . ISBN 9780190258146
-
Vincent; David Palmer Goossaert (2025). 9780226005331, University of Chicago Press. . ISBN 9780226005331
- Clart, Philip. Confucius and the Mediums: Is There a "Popular Confucianism"?. On: T'uong Pao LXXXIX. Brill, Leiden, 2003.
- Fan Lizhu, Chen Na. Revival of Confucianism and Reconstruction of Chinese Identity. Paper presented at: The Presence and Future of Humanity in the Cosmos, ICU, Tokyo, 18–23 March 2015. (a)
- Fan Lizhu, Chen Na. The Religiousness of "Confucianism" and the Revival of Confucian Religion in China Today. On: Cultural Diversity in China 1: 27–43. De Gruyter Open, 2015. ISSN 2353-7795, DOI: 10.1515/cdc-2015-0005
- Payette, Alex. Shenzhen's Kongshengtang: Religious Confucianism and Local Moral Governance. Part of: Role of Religion in Political Life, Panel RC43, 23rd World Congress of Political Science, 19–24 July 2014.
- Stephen C. Angle. Contemporary Confucian Political Philosophy. Polity, 2012.
- Sébastien Billioud. Carrying the Confucian Torch to the Masses: The Challenge of Structuring the Confucian Revival in the People's Republic of China. On: OE 49 (2010)
- Yong Chen. Confucianism as Religion: Controversies and Consequences. BRILL, 2012.
- Ya-pei Kuo. "Christian Civilization" and the Confucian Church: The Origin of Secularist Politics in Modern China. On: Past and Present (2013) 218 (1): 235–264. DOI: 10.1093/pastj/gts030
- Philip Clart, Charles B. Jones. Religion in Modern Taiwan: Tradition and Innovation in a Changing Society. University of Hawaii Press, 2003. .
External links
- China Confucian Philosophy
- China Confucian Religion
- China Confucian Temples
- China Kongzi Network
- Ruist Masters' Society
- Yidan xuetang of Beijing
- Articles
- Confucius Church Celebrates Historic Election. KCRA News service about the Confucius Church of Sacramento.
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