Christian professors from all over the country were summoned to the capital to attend a mandatory course on Marxism and Xi Jinping thought.
by Zhang Chunhua
The Central Institute of Socialism was founded in 1956 by Chairman Mao to educate to Marxism those who were not members of the Chinese Communist Party. It has become the main educational institution of the United Front.
Its ideological orthodoxy is guaranteed by the fact that it operates “under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party.” The current dean is Hao Mingjin, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. The Institute has trained more than 100,000 students, often through short courses and seminars.
On June 2, a “Training Course for Key Teachers of Christian Theological Schools” was completed at the Central Institute of Socialism. Christian professors had been summoned from all over the country to learn about the core Marxist principles, the 20th National Congress of CCP, and Xi Jinping’s thought on a “new era of Socialism.”
Pastor Lin Manhong, Deputy Director-General of the China Christian Council and Director of the Theological Education Department, presided at the closing ceremony and explained that the course helped teachers to acquire the needed “advanced Socialist culture.” He also reported on the fact that Christian seminaries affiliated with the Three-Self Church are instituting “ideological and political teaching and research groups” with experienced professors as leaders.
Lin also said that “Sinicization of Christianity” implies that teachers and students in Bible colleges should improve their “political awareness” and diligently study the documents of the CCP, particularly those of the 20th National Congress.
