當代上海地區海歸基督徒的身分認同探討

Abstract

根據中華人民共和國教育部統計，自1978年中國改革開放至2012年止，中國各類留學人員總數達264.47萬人，其中109.12萬人選擇歸國 。中國留學人員大多集中在基督教國家，因而創造了許多接觸基督信仰的機會，進而接受洗禮成為基督徒，並且帶著全新的身分認同回到中國，成為「海歸基督徒」。海歸基督徒不僅得面對重新適應中國環境的挑戰，也遭遇到中西教會文化差異的衝擊，在受限的中國宗教環境下，海歸基督徒必須學習中國基督教會的聚會文化，甚至其基督徒身分認同在中國的環境下，竟某種程度成為就業、職業發展，甚至婚姻對象選擇上的阻礙，因此，對於海歸基督徒來說，基督徒身分認同的維持也成為一大挑戰，於是部分海歸選擇了放棄，部分卻為了信仰堅持到底。對於海外信主的海歸基督徒而言，中國的宗教環境相對陌生，因而產生了許多不適應的情況，但該群體也因此為中國家庭教會帶來不同程度的挑戰。儘管如此，相對適應中國宗教環境的海歸基督徒群體在中國基督教發展中，逐漸展露頭角，以其多重認同展現了中外資源連結的跨界整合潛力，部分海歸個體甚至以其跨國人脈與資源，創造了許多嶄新的宗教事業表現形式，如：慈善福音事業、海歸事工、教會聯盟等，為中國基督教的發展注入新血。According to the statistic of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), from 1978 to 2012, approximately 2,644,700 Chinese studied abroad and 1,091,200 of them chose to return to China afterwards. The overseas Chinese students mainly studied in Christian countries and had more opportunities to contact with churches. Some of the Chinese students decided to be baptized and converted to Christianity. They then returned to PRC with a new identity--- Christian returnees. Christian returnees did not merely face to the challenges of re-adaptation to the Chinese environment, but also the culture difference between western and Chinese churches. Under the restricted religion policy of PRC, Christian returnees who were baptized abroad need to learn the Chinese culture of gathering, for instance, the mobile gathering in house churches. To some extent, returnees’ Christian identity has even become an obstacle to employment, career life and spouse selection. Therefore, it is now a challenge to maintain the Christian identity and many returnees just give it up. For those returnees who still hold on Christianity, they have on the other hand become the connection between western churches and China with their multi-identities and ability to integrate trans-boundary resources. For example, numerous new styles of Christian enterprise, such as charities, returnee ministry and church alliance, have been created by the returnees with their international network and resources.