World Religions in Taiwan

8/14/2019 World Religions in Taiwan

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World Religionsin Taiwan:Buddhism

IslamCatholicism

Joe LandgrebeLouis LiaoTim Hogan

An oral presentation for

Cultural and Ethnic

Structure of Taiwan

Instructor: Prof. David Blundell, Ph.D.

International Masters

Program in Taiwan

Studies 2008

National ChengchiUniversity, Taiwan


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Questions to consider

What significance does religion have in

Taiwanese culture?

What particular Taiwanese characteristicsdo religions take on in Taiwan?

What are the functions of holy places?


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Taiwans Greatest Cultural Export

Can you guess?

The Buddhist Compassion Relief TzuChi Association (BCRTCA) or

Fojiao Ciji Gongde Hui

Different Niche
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tzu_Chi.jpg


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Background

Zhengyan

Born in 1937

Taichung County

Prone to visionary

experiences

Ill mother

Helped with herfathers business


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Early Religious Experience

Ciyuan Temple in

Fengyuan

Dissatisfied with

funeral Buddhism Live by Baizhang

Huaihais dictum

A day without work is

a day without food.

Became an ordained

nun at the age of 26


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Early Vows

Not to accept alms

Not to perform funerals

Not to put on dharma meetings Not to seek donations


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The Seeds of BCRTCA

1966

Hospitals refusal togive care to a

miscarriage Conversation with

Catholic nuns

Dedicated herself to

charity Thirty followers put

her plan into action


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Founding of the Hualien Hospital

Lack of modern

facilities

Dependent on local

inadequate facilities Forced to send

patients to Christian

missionary hospitals
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tzu_Chi_Hospital_Taiwan_Mosaic.JPG


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BCRTCAs Appeal in Taiwan

Use of Hokkien dialect

Grassroot support from native Taiwanese

and Hakka population

Dispense of foreign aid in favor of self-

help

Charismatic leadership Engages primarily in medical and social

welfare

Blend of Confucianism and Buddhism


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Womens Religious Phenomenon

Gives women meaningful work

Mens auxiliary

Abide by traditional roles: caring,compassion, humility, gentleness, and

harmony


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Interesting Facts

Taiwans largest

recycler

5000 recycling centers

Worlds largest non-

government database

of bone marrow

donors


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Relief Efforts

2001 El Salvador

Earthquake

2004 Tsunami

2005 Hurricane

Katrina

2008 Sichuanearthquake


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Modern Day

Most effective aidagencies in the region

Controls an enormous

amount of wealth 10 million members

worldwide

Women-80% volunteers

20% of Taiwanspopulation

Taiwans Greatest CulturalExport
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tzu_chi_temple_side.jpg


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Catholicism

The fourth or fifth largest religion inTaiwan

Approximately 300,000 followers in 2007 Organized into 7 diocese Hierarchical structure directed by a local

bishop, serves under cardinals and thePope

793 churches


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1624Catholicism arrives innorthern Taiwan, Spanishpriests convert 4,000

1642Priests expelled by theDutch

1859Return to Taiwan, church

established in southernTaiwan, Wanjin church(basilica) established 1863

1945End of Japanese era,

7-10,000 followers, 52churches

1949Missionaries arrive from

China with the KMT1953-63Followers increase

from 23,000 to 300,000

1968Followers reach 400,000,3.5% of population

2007Followers number

300,000, 1.7% of population,793 churches

Timeline:Catholicism in Taiwan


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Growth of Christianity in Taiwan

0

100000

200000

300000

400000

500000

600000

700000

1895 1945 1948 1953 1963 1968 1990 1999 2007

Catholics Protestants


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Education and Social Work

Schools Fu Jen Catholic University Cardinal Tien School of Nursing & Midwifery

Blessed Imelda's School Kuang Jen Middle School Kuang Jen Primary School Providence University Taichung Viator High School Wenzao Ursuline College of Modern Languages

Social work

Built and operates clinics and hospitals Provides social services for children, women, elderly, handicapped,

foreign laborers Cited as an influence by Zheng Yan, founder of Ciji Foundation Established mutual aid credit cooperatives to help indigenous people

build homes


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Conservatism

Failed to carry out post-Vatican II socialteachings that called for clergy and laityto cooperate to reform oppressivesocial structures and work for peace,social justice, and human rights

Why? Young, small church, needed to focus on

evangelization (official church view) Associated with mainlander population, and

having a transitional mindset of being inTaiwan temporarily Predominance of foreign priests and nuns Non-participation in democratization

movement Laity was subordinate to the authority of the

clergy


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Catholic Church and Taiwans

Indigenous People Presence of churches in nearly

all indigenous communities

Foreign priests, local laymembers

Mass in Mandarin andindigenous languages

Incorporation of reminders ofindigenous peoples culture inchurch

Operation of pre-schools andyouth groups

Participation of priest incommunity life


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The Church and the Youth


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Blending of Atayal belief

and Catholicism

Home shrines Atayal village in Taian Township, Miaoli

County Home of Catholic Tang family, where

ancestral tablet is worshipped alongsidecrucifix and image of Jesus Christ and the

Virgin Mary Combination of Han ancestor-worship,

Roman Catholicism, and Atayal (utux) beliefsystems

Tang said priest counseled that one shouldnot forget the ancestors, and that thegovernment also supported a similar belief.

Priest had warned that tablet could beworshipped, but that it should be placedacross the room

May Bo Qing, Naming and identity amongthe Atayal, In Search of the Hunters andTheir Tribes: Studies in the History andCulture of the Taiwan Indigenous People,2001


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Ancestor worship

Uvung/Maho at the end of summer Blend of indigenous and imported belief Atayal practice of leaving offerings of food on bamboo sticks set into

the ground alongside roads which the spirits or ancestors were saidto pass

When uvung/maho held on Sunday, the priest cancels church andattends celebration Held at cemetery, people burn incense, light candles, and leave

offerings of food, ask ancestors for protection Later, people return home to feast, drink, sing, and dance Going to graves of ancestors is a recent development

Collective worship was previously practiced, utux was general notparticular

Catholic and Protestant Atayal celebrate Uvung/maho on differentdates


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Mukiraki / Syakalu / Shilu


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1912-1992 1915-1998 1929-2004


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Questions to consider

What significance does religion have in

Taiwanese culture?

What particular Taiwanese characteristics

do religions take on in Taiwan?

What are the functions of holy places?

Documents

World Religions in Taiwan