Journal for the Study of Religion and History (ISSN: 3068-4803)

No. 4 (2026): Advance Online Publication: JSRH
Articles

Understanding the Catholic Church in China under Interwoven Discourse: Starting with a Reflection on the Different Paradigms of Commemorating the Shanghai Council

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  • Rachel Xiaohong ZHU

Published 2026-11-12

Keywords

  • Primum Concilium Sinense, Inculturation, Cultural Aggression, Cultural Exchange, Modernization, Nationalism
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Understanding the Catholic Church in China under Interwoven Discourse: Starting with a Reflection on the Different Paradigms of Commemorating the Shanghai Council. (2026). Journal for the Study of Religion and History (ISSN: 3068-4803), 4, 134–152. https://doi.org/10.30250/

Abstract

The year 2024 marked the 100th anniversary of the Primum Concilium Sinense, also known as the Shanghai Council. Despite a limited number of publicly available articles for this centenary, two classic narrative paradigms—inculturation and cultural aggression—have reemerged. The first paradigm highlights the Church’s dedication to spreading the Gospel and establishing a native Church during the Council, rather than engaging in colonization as suggested by the latter. This paper analyzes the historical facts and viewpoints emphasized under these two paradigms concerning the Shanghai Council, noting that in the actual cultural and societal realm, the paradigm of cultural exchange has become the foundation for dialogue between these two conflicting discourses. The author argues that the significance of the Shanghai Council has been underestimated and calls for multi-perspectival analyses. Just as the existing inculturation and cultural exchange paradigms have shaped our understanding, alternative frameworks, such as modernization or nationalism, can also yield distinct and novel interpretations of this pivotal event.

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