Jesus Family
Encyclopedia
The Jesus Family was a unique Pentecostal communitarian church first established in rural Shandong
Province in a village called Mazhuang, in Taian County
about 1927. In later years, other Jesus Family churches were established in North and Central China, many of them in Shandong but others as far south as the regions of Wuhan
and Nanjing
. They were all in rural or semirural areas, and were formed into small communities of up to a few hundred, with the believers working and living together, and holding property in common, under the direction of the "family head" (家長).
Though it is hard to be exact, it seems that there were well over one hundred of these Jesus Family communities in 1949, with a total of several thousand members. All were run entirely by Chinese, under the overall leader Jing Dianying
(敬奠瀛). The Jesus Family was strongly millenarian, anticipating the imminent return of Christ
, and it is very Pentecostal, basing its worship and behaviour on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, including tongues, and also on the believers' receiving divine revelations through messages obtained while in a trance. All the Jesus Family believers were disbanded in 1953, but even today many former adherents are active members and leaders in the Chinese christian community .
In the late 1980s
, some Jesus Family groups reappeared, but they are technically illegal and subject to persecution by the authorities. Unlike the True Jesus Church
and the Church Assembly Hall, the Jesus Family did not move outside China
.
and thirty nine new ones during the Chinese Civil War
. It is clear that the sufferings during the two wars helped in the Development of the Jesus Family . The total number of families reached 127 in 1952, spread over northwest, east, and south China
. At first, most of the families were in rural areas, but small families began in cities such as Nanjing
, Wuhan
and Shanghai
. The total population of all the families grew from around a dozen Christians in the Mazhuang family to about ten thousand members in 1948 .
Compared with the surrounding society, the social life of the Family exhibited many distinctive utopian characteristics. First, it adopted the communitarian principle and denied private ownership. The family initially copied the idea from the Home of Onesiphorus, and even its first three loom
s were bought from that institution. However he encountered many problems as soon as he convened his followers to live together as the Home of Onesiphorus did. The most important thing was that he had no funds to support his small community and often lacked enough food and appropriate shelter for his followers. He could not pay them anything for their labours, as the missionary Anglin
had done. In this way, Jing's group adopted utopianism at the beginning of its history. Like all Christian utopians, he advocated that the true Christian should follow what Jesus
asked the young man to do in Matthew 19:16, and he called on members to follow the mode of life of the primitive Christian community in the 1st century (Acts
2:43). This meant no private property
, the sharing of all goods, and not paying much attention to one's family ties or material
concerns. The Family was, Jing said, the best life a Christian
should practice. The communitarian system naturally led to an egalitarian way of life. Adult members of the Family shared the same standards in food
and dress
and all lived in the same rooms except for babies and older people who received some special treatment.
Secondly, the Jesus Family established socially isolated but economically self-sufficient communities governed by specific rules based on scriptural patterns. It was believed that such separation, a most important requirement of communitarian life, would not only protect community members from persecution
but also from enticements to deviate from the founder's prescriptions for the true way of life. Most of the Jesus Families were located in the countryside or in the suburbs of cities with no close neighbours. Based on economic functionalism, all the Jesus Families relied on farming and industry
, which made them self-sufficient. Production was efficient as a result of a planned division of labour
. The foundation was agriculture
, and upon this were built various enterprises and departments, which in the Mazhuang family were baking
, cooking
, carpentry
, a machine
shop and electrical department, stonemasonry
, operation of a smithy
, school
s and a kindergarten
, a finance
department, printing
, an outside relations
department and the list goes on.
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
Province in a village called Mazhuang, in Taian County
Tai'an
Tai'an is a prefecture-level city in western Shandong province, People's Republic of China.Centered around Mount Tai, the city borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the north, Laiwu to the northeast, Zibo to the east, Linyi to the southeast, Liaocheng to the extreme west and Jining to the south...
about 1927. In later years, other Jesus Family churches were established in North and Central China, many of them in Shandong but others as far south as the regions of Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
and Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
. They were all in rural or semirural areas, and were formed into small communities of up to a few hundred, with the believers working and living together, and holding property in common, under the direction of the "family head" (家長).
Though it is hard to be exact, it seems that there were well over one hundred of these Jesus Family communities in 1949, with a total of several thousand members. All were run entirely by Chinese, under the overall leader Jing Dianying
Jing Dianying
Jing Dianying was the founder of the second largest Chinese Pentecostal church movement known as the Jesus Family. Jing was born in Mazhuang of China's Shandong province, the fifth child of an impoverished landlord named Jing Chuanji . His family possessed of fertile land and scores of...
(敬奠瀛). The Jesus Family was strongly millenarian, anticipating the imminent return of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
, and it is very Pentecostal, basing its worship and behaviour on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, including tongues, and also on the believers' receiving divine revelations through messages obtained while in a trance. All the Jesus Family believers were disbanded in 1953, but even today many former adherents are active members and leaders in the Chinese christian community .
In the late 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
, some Jesus Family groups reappeared, but they are technically illegal and subject to persecution by the authorities. Unlike the True Jesus Church
True Jesus Church
The True Jesus Church is a non-denominational Christian church that originated in Beijing, China, in 1917. The current elected chairman of the TJC International Assembly is Preacher Yong-Ji Lin. Today, there are approximately 2.5 million members in fifty three countries and six continents...
and the Church Assembly Hall, the Jesus Family did not move outside China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Early Development
The Jesus Family gradually developed after 1927. In addition to the family in Mazhuang, which was called the "old family". Jing began to build "small families" along the lines of the old family from that year. The pattern of the development of the small families was uneven. He and his followers established only eleven small families between 1927 and 1937, but they founded sixty three during the Sino-Japanese WarSecond Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
and thirty nine new ones during the Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
. It is clear that the sufferings during the two wars helped in the Development of the Jesus Family . The total number of families reached 127 in 1952, spread over northwest, east, and south China
Northern and southern China
Northern China and southern China are two approximate regions within China. The exact boundary between these two regions has never been precisely defined...
. At first, most of the families were in rural areas, but small families began in cities such as Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
, Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
and Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. The total population of all the families grew from around a dozen Christians in the Mazhuang family to about ten thousand members in 1948 .
Compared with the surrounding society, the social life of the Family exhibited many distinctive utopian characteristics. First, it adopted the communitarian principle and denied private ownership. The family initially copied the idea from the Home of Onesiphorus, and even its first three loom
Loom
A loom is a device used to weave cloth. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads...
s were bought from that institution. However he encountered many problems as soon as he convened his followers to live together as the Home of Onesiphorus did. The most important thing was that he had no funds to support his small community and often lacked enough food and appropriate shelter for his followers. He could not pay them anything for their labours, as the missionary Anglin
Anglin
The Anglin is a long river in the Creuse, Indre and Vienne départements in central France. Its source is near Azerables. It flows generally northwest...
had done. In this way, Jing's group adopted utopianism at the beginning of its history. Like all Christian utopians, he advocated that the true Christian should follow what Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
asked the young man to do in Matthew 19:16, and he called on members to follow the mode of life of the primitive Christian community in the 1st century (Acts
Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of the Apostles , usually referred to simply as Acts, is the fifth book of the New Testament; Acts outlines the history of the Apostolic Age...
2:43). This meant no private property
Private property
Private property is the right of persons and firms to obtain, own, control, employ, dispose of, and bequeath land, capital, and other forms of property. Private property is distinguishable from public property, which refers to assets owned by a state, community or government rather than by...
, the sharing of all goods, and not paying much attention to one's family ties or material
Materialism
In philosophy, the theory of materialism holds that the only thing that exists is matter; that all things are composed of material and all phenomena are the result of material interactions. In other words, matter is the only substance...
concerns. The Family was, Jing said, the best life a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
should practice. The communitarian system naturally led to an egalitarian way of life. Adult members of the Family shared the same standards in food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
and dress
Dress
A dress is a garment consisting of a skirt with an attached bodice or with a matching bodice giving the effect of a one-piece garment.Dress may also refer to:*Clothing in general*Costume, fancy dress...
and all lived in the same rooms except for babies and older people who received some special treatment.
Secondly, the Jesus Family established socially isolated but economically self-sufficient communities governed by specific rules based on scriptural patterns. It was believed that such separation, a most important requirement of communitarian life, would not only protect community members from persecution
Persecution
Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another group. The most common forms are religious persecution, ethnic persecution, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these terms. The inflicting of suffering, harassment, isolation,...
but also from enticements to deviate from the founder's prescriptions for the true way of life. Most of the Jesus Families were located in the countryside or in the suburbs of cities with no close neighbours. Based on economic functionalism, all the Jesus Families relied on farming and industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
, which made them self-sufficient. Production was efficient as a result of a planned division of labour
Division of labour
Division of labour is the specialisation of cooperative labour in specific, circumscribed tasks and likeroles. Historically an increasingly complex division of labour is closely associated with the growth of total output and trade, the rise of capitalism, and of the complexity of industrialisation...
. The foundation was agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, and upon this were built various enterprises and departments, which in the Mazhuang family were baking
Baking
Baking is the technique of prolonged cooking of food by dry heat acting by convection, and not by radiation, normally in an oven, but also in hot ashes, or on hot stones. It is primarily used for the preparation of bread, cakes, pastries and pies, tarts, quiches, cookies and crackers. Such items...
, cooking
Cooking
Cooking is the process of preparing food by use of heat. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training...
, carpentry
Carpentry
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
, a machine
Machine
A machine manages power to accomplish a task, examples include, a mechanical system, a computing system, an electronic system, and a molecular machine. In common usage, the meaning is that of a device having parts that perform or assist in performing any type of work...
shop and electrical department, stonemasonry
Stonemasonry
The craft of stonemasonry has existed since the dawn of civilization - creating buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone from the earth. These materials have been used to construct many of the long-lasting, ancient monuments, artifacts, cathedrals, and cities in a wide variety of cultures...
, operation of a smithy
Forge
A forge is a hearth used for forging. The term "forge" can also refer to the workplace of a smith or a blacksmith, although the term smithy is then more commonly used.The basic smithy contains a forge, also known as a hearth, for heating metals...
, school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
s and a kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
, a finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
department, printing
Printing
Printing is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
, an outside relations
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
department and the list goes on.