Chinese Heaven as the Christian God: An Analysis of the Notion of Tian in the Taiping Rebellion

This article explores a pivotal concept in China: Tian (heaven), specifically examining its relevance during the nineteenth-century Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864). While prior studies focused on the connection between the Taiping high deity and Shangdi in ancient Chinese texts, this article posits that the Taiping adoption of Tian reflected their perception of the Christian God. In the negotiation between Chinese cultures and Christianity, Tian underwent reconstruction, evolving into a deity with novel imagery. Chinese heaven is often portrayed as non-anthropomorphic and non-transcendent; however, this article contends that the transcendency and anthropomorphism of Tian are on spectrums. Throughout Chinese history, varying perspectives on Tian exhibited different manifestations and levels of anthropomorphic characteristics and transcendence. A constant attribute was Tian's status as the supreme force. Building on this premise, it argues that the Taipings not only adopted the language, employing Tian to reference God, but also perceived the Christian God as Tian in Chinese traditions.