The localization of Catholicism and a personal God-human relation in Chenwu, a Hakka village in South China

摘要

The author conducted field research on the religious practices and spiritual worlds of Hakka Catholics in Chenwu Village of Heping County, city of Heyuan. The findings show that these Chinese Catholics have localized their religion as influenced by their rural village context. These Catholics follow practices and ideas that are distinct from those of "orthodox" Catholics. An emphasis on a personal relation between God and humans lies at the core of these distinctions.