英文摘要 |
The Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CPA 中國天主教愛國會) was a significant result of the socialist transformation of the Catholic Church by the government in China. In this post-agreement era, the path that the CPA will take is a question worth consideration. This article introduces the “Four-Horse Team Carriage” (四駕馬車) model developed by Bishop Aloysius Jin Luxian (金魯賢) of the Shanghai Diocese and his efforts to rectify the name of CPA, as well as his move to pursue dialogue in place of antagonism. this article addresses the failed attempt by K.H. Ting (丁光訓), a Christian leader in the Chinese Protestant Church, at transforming a similar institution, the Christian Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee (基督教三自愛國運動委員會), to serve as a foil and point of reflection. I argue that Bishop Jin's attempt is a special instance; the effectiveness of the mechanism of such a transformation depends on the personal charisma of the leading advocate in such efforts. If the CPA is a social organization that cannot be removed in the context of particular political system during a certain period, then the Church should explore its own alternative modes and principles through dialogue or other approaches. From the perspective of a government religious administration, the transformation of a social organization, compelled by its national leader, should also be directed at a “new generation” of deepening institutional reforms. |