The Inculturation in the Scheut Missions in Inner Mongolia from 1865 to 1949

Abstract

The Scheut missionaries in Inner Mongolia concentrated their evangelical efforts on Han immigrants who were more open to the Christian message. We study the face of Chinese Catholicism formulated in two ways: the gospel transmitted by the missionaries to the Chinese people and the expression the latter adopted for their faith under the influence of Chinese traditions. The issue is significant as long as the Chinese believers were prohibited from paying tribute to their ancestors or deceased persons until the resolution of the Chinese Rites Controversy on December 9, 1939. This study deals with the topic of inculturation through liturgy, architecture, and catechism.