Communist Public Theology? How Early CCP Revolutionaries Appropriated and then Condemned Christianity for National Salvation

This paper examines the early Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) ideological evolution, highlighting its strategic appropriation and subsequent rejection of Christian elements in the pursuit of national salvation. Building on the framework of Goossaert and Palmer, it interprets the CCP’s inception as a religious endeavor, where Christianity initially served as a model for moral and social reform. Through a detailed analysis of Chen Duxiu and Yun Daiying’s transformations—from viewing Christianity as a valuable source of sacredness to denouncing it in favor of Communism’s promises of social overhaul and enhanced organizational cohesion—the study illustrates the CCP’s shift towards positioning Communism as the ultimate sacred narrative. This exploration into the complex interplay between religious faith and political ideology helps illuminate the forces shaping modern China’s religio-political landscape and the role of sacredness in its nationalist and revolutionary discourses.