Christianity in Taiwan
According to figures given by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Christians which include Protestants, Catholics, Mormons, and non-denominational Christians make up a total of 4.5% of the population of Taiwan.[1] Presbyterianism has played an important role in Taiwan's politics, with the Presbyterian Church supporting Taiwan's democratization movement. And although Christianity is a minority religion in Taiwan, four of its five presidents since the ROC takeover have been Christian (Chiang Kai-shek,[2] Chiang Ching-kuo,[3] and Ma Ying-Jiu [4] and Lee Teng-hui[5][6]).
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History [edit]
Taiwan was not a Christian nation from the very beginning; it was the arrival of the Dutch East India Company in south of Taiwan in 1624 and the arrival of the Spanish forces in the north two years afterwards that first introduced the idea of Christianity to the island. However, this new concept did not take well with the locals as it was one of the first western or foreign concepts that they have encountered. By 1662, the Dutch missionaries were driven out of Taiwan by a Ming Dynasty general during the resistance against the Manchus. With the return of the Dominicans’ to the south of Taiwan in the 1800s, Taiwan saw the re-emergence of the Christian religion. And this time, Christianity started to take root in Taiwan, and gradually spread to the north of Taiwan.
An important key to the success of Christianity in Taiwan was due to the Presbyterian missionaries and their work in Taiwan during the 1860s. They slowly familiarise the local Taiwanese people by providing education and medical facilities.
The development of Christianity in Taiwan took a whole new turn after World War II. After the Chinese Nationalist government relocated to Taiwan in 1949, many Christian clergy and believers, both Protestant and Catholic followed the Chinese Nationalist party. It was due to the aftermaths of World War II, Taiwan was in need of assistance in order to survive the post war period; during this period, Protestants and Catholics were able to promote their beliefs amongst the people.
Presbyterian [edit]
The first Protestant mission started in 1865, with the arrival of the first missionary English Presbyterian Church in southern Taiwan and later Canadian Presbyterian missionary in the north in 1872. With the establishment of the Presbyterian Church by the USA in 1949, it joined these two Presbyterian groups together in service of the local people. Ever since the establishment of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, there had been strong missionary presence working in the evangelism, tribal work with aborigines, health care, university student ministry and theological education. The priorities of the Presbyterian Church include:
• Minister of aboriginal people • Peace, justice, security and self-determination • Aboriginal student work • Theological education and spiritual formation • Ministry of foreign migrant workers
Ever since the formation of the Presbyterian Church, there are many health public facilities established under their name.
• Hospitals (9) • Physical, Psychological Handicapped welfare Institute (29) • Home for the aged (9) • Health care related schools (6) • Health care related funds (13)
Eastern Orthodoxy in Taiwan [edit]
The Eastern Orthodoxy tradition of Christianity is present as a minor denomination in Taiwan. The Orthodox church was first established in 2003 when it registered with the government. The bishop of the church is Father Jonah George Mourtos. The establishment of the Orthodox Church was supported by sister churches in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. At this current state, the majority who came to this Church are foreigners of Orthodox origin and or background. That number of Church members which is of Taiwanese ethnicity is minimal due to the lack of knowledge to Orthodoxy among the general public in Taiwan and the dominance of Protestantism within the Christian community which taken up 3% of the population in Taiwan. In Taiping District, Taichung, there is also a house church which belongs to the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) which is not under the Orthodox Church in Taipei or the Orthodox Metropolitanate of Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.
Statistics and Current Issues [edit]
According to the official government statistics, only approximated 3.9 percent of the Taiwanese population of 23 million are Christian; and among the working classes, which is made up of 61.7 percent of the Taiwanese population, less than 0.5 percent are Christian. In 2001, the research organisation ‘Operation World’ says, Taiwan was “the only Han Chinese population in the world where the spiritual breakthrough has yet to come”.
Since the comment from ‘Operation World’, many churches and missionary agencies have put in more and more effort to reach the working class population of the Taiwanese population. And this time moving from the traditional western ways and turning towards the new cultural specific techniques.
There are currently two main issues surrounding the Taiwanese presidential campaigns, the Taiwanese economic downturn and the relationship with China. With the recent election in Taiwan (2012), it opened up a great opportunity to share the faith of Christianity in the mainland China.
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ CIA.gov
- ^ 蒋介石宋美龄结婚照入《上海大辞典》
- ^ The Generalissimo's Son: Chiang Ching-kuo and the Revolutions in China
- ^ President of Taiwan
- ^ 曹長青：李登輝的基督信仰
- ^ Kuo, Cheng-Tian (2008). Religion and Democracy in Taiwan. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-7914-7445-7. Zbl 1975.K84. "Li Deng-hui was a devoted Presbyterian, but he did not forget his duty as the national leader to pay regular visits to holy places of various religions."
