“Gospel According to the Party”: Beijing Attempts to Rewrite Christianity with Communist Ideology

The “Sinicization of Christianity” campaign in China has entered a new and controversial phase; a phase that critics say aims not merely at controlling churches, but at directly altering biblical teachings and replacing the authority of Christ with the ideology of the Communist Party. International reports show that in recent years, the Chinese government has attempted to transform Christianity into a tool serving “socialist values” by removing sections of the “Ten Commandments,” replacing them with Xi Jinping quotations in churches, rewriting biblical stories, and expanding security surveillance over places of worship.

A review of reports published by media outlets and religious freedom monitoring organizations shows that the “Sinicization of Christianity” project pursued by Xi Jinping has not remained limited to restricting house church activities, but has now extended to altering the content of sacred texts.

According to reports published from Henan Province, Chinese authorities in some state-affiliated churches have removed the “Ten Commandments” and replaced them with quotations from Xi Jinping. One of the quotes used included passages from the Chinese president’s statements about the necessity of adapting religions to “socialist values” and countering “Western ideological infiltration.”

In one report, a Chinese priest warned: “The ultimate goal of the Communist Party is to become God itself.” This statement received widespread coverage in Christian media and religious freedom advocacy organizations.

Simultaneously, the publication of a state textbook in China sparked a new wave of criticism. In this textbook, the famous biblical narrative from the Gospel of John about the adulterous woman has been altered. In the original version, Jesus Christ forgives the woman and prevents her from being stoned, but in the version published in China, the narrative ends differently with Jesus himself stoning the woman. Critics argue that this change has transformed the biblical message of mercy and forgiveness into one of absolute obedience to law and government authority.

China experts believe the Communist Party views Christianity as a potential threat to its ideological authority due to its historical ties to the Western world and the rapid growth of independent churches. For this reason, Beijing, alongside security pressure on underground churches, is attempting to present a “government” version of Christian faith that does not contradict Party policies.

In recent years, religious restrictions in China have increased significantly. Reports indicate the installation of surveillance cameras in churches, control over sermon content, detention of independent church leaders, prohibition of people under 18 years old from attending religious services, and the replacement of crosses with images of Xi Jinping.

Despite these pressures, Christianity continues to grow in China. Some estimates suggest that the number of Chinese Christians has reached tens of millions, with a significant portion worshipping in house churches and underground congregations—communities operating outside direct government control.

In response to these developments, religious freedom advocacy groups and some Western politicians have called for increased pressure on Beijing. Proposals for imposing human rights sanctions and visa restrictions against officials involved in the suppression and forced alteration of Christian teachings are among the requests that have been raised in recent years.