Is Christianity good for the world? Obviously Christians would agree that it is, but even China believes that there is some good that has come into the world from Christianity. A recent article in the Christian Post Reporter reports that atheistic China sees a link between the Christian faith and economic success. The Reporter article focuses on a presentation from Dr. William Jeynes entitled, “God, China & Capitalism: Is Christianity in China the Key Ingredient for Economic Success?” In his presentation, Jeynes claims, “China believes that Christianity is responsible for much of the historic success of Western Europe and the United States.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time that Christianity has been linked with economic success. Max Weber famously linked capitalism with Calvinism in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Interestingly, however, is the point made in the article that many American scholars do not see this link in the same way as even the Chinese do. Recalling a time when Chinese scholars asked Harvard scholars about Christianity and the economic success of the United States, Jeynes claims that the Harvard scholars were “baffled, and did not know how to respond.”
Of course China is no fan of Christianity. China fears that Christianity could overthrow the government if left unchecked, and also recognizes that with too much oppression, Christianity could explode onto the scene. China wants the benefits of Christianity (economic prosperity and morality), but they want it on their terms and under their control.
Regardless of the desire for control of the church by the Chinese government, Christians must see some hope in the fact that China at least respect’s the merits of Christianity enough to want some aspects of Christianity at the table in China’s future. Jeynes goes so far as to claim that “Many in the Chinese government believe that Christianity might be China’s best hope to establish morality as well as economic prosperity.”
Certainly, their motives for Christian influence in China are not pure, but even the Atheist government of the world’s largest country recognizes that Christian ethic leads to economic prosperity and promotes a level of morality that makes such prosperity sustainable. Christians should capitalize on this belief. Christianity is not merely one religion or world-view among equals in the world. In addition to being the only faith that leads to eternity with Christ, Christianity is also the vehicle that has propelled the West into its great prosperity. The evidence of the West’s prosperity should serve as a positive apologetic for the superiority of Christianity against other religious systems and worldviews.
American scholars are not ready to give Christianity the credit for western affluence, but the utilitarian Chinese government readily recognizes the close relationship. Of course, China would have to value the prosperity of their people over control before they would allow Christianity to thrive, but the fact that the government is even speaking positively about Christianity at all is an encouragement.
