Religion and Hegemony - 中欧社会论坛 - China Europa Forum

Religion and Hegemony

Authors: Tobias Brandner

Date: 2007

Published by Chung Chi Divinity School of Theology, Chinese University of Hong Kong

The paper gives a short overview over some church-state configurations through the history of Europe. It uses the concept of hegemony as introduced by Gramsci to point at attempts from church and state to claim leadership and to find public consent for its goals. The reflections show how some 20th century experiences quite radically changed the awareness of the churches.

Church-state relationships in China after 1949 can equally be viewed under the concept of hegemony. We can thus understand ‘harmonious society’ as a hegemonial discourse that has important bridging and healing function in the context of the radical changes happening in China.

A final paragraph discusses the role of Christianity in the process of modernity. The growth of Christianity is both, an expression and side-product of this growth, as also a response that tries to heal the wounds of a process that has fundamentally changed the whole of Chinese society. A decisive question will be whether Christianity can have an impact on the increasingly destructive run of modernization in China and the tremendous ecological disaster that takes place.

This document in different languages