Being Chinese Christian in the Totok Chinese Churches in Surabaya: Continuity and Change of Identities

Linda Bustan, Fatimah Husein, Paulus Sugeng Widjaja

Abstract

This article explores the identities of Chinese Christians in the totok Chinese churches in Surabaya. The Chinese Christians refer to those who arrived in Surabaya from mainland China as Protestant Christians in the 1900s. They established the first Chinese church - the Tiong Hoa Kie Tok Kauw Hwee (THKTKH) in Surabaya. The THKTKH has become two independent synods, namely Gereja Kristus Tuhan (GKT, or the Church of Christ the Lord) and Gereja Kristen Abdiel (GKA, or the Abdiel Christian Church). The totok Chinese churches refer to churches that conduct the church services in the Chinese language or Mandarin (Guoyu). The article examines the culture, language, and origin of the Chinese Christians. After almost a century in Surabaya, there is some continuity and change of the Chinese Christian identity. They still regard themselves as totok, but the meaning of totok has changed. They embrace not only Chinese culture; but also mixed Chinese culture with Western culture and Indonesian culture, which results in the so-called hybrid culture. Mandarin is used in church services, whereas Indonesian language and English are also employed. The originality of the congregations is no longer mono-ethnic, which is Chinese. The Chinese churches have become multi-ethnic churches consisting of various ethnicities in Indonesia.

Keywords

Protestant Christianity; totok Chinese; social identity; Chinese Christian

Full Text:

PDF

References

Arifin, E. N., Hasbullah, M. S., & Pramono, A. (2017). Chinese Indonesians: how many, who and where? Asian Ethnicity, 18(3), 310–329.

Basundoro, P. (2009). Dua kota tiga zaman: Surabaya dan Malang sejak kolonial sampai kemerdekaan. Malang: Penerbit Ombak.

Bhabha, H. K. (1994). The Location of Culture (Routledge Classics). New York: Routledge.

Chong, T. (2019). Independent Churches in Indonesia: Challenges and Innovations. Perspective, 8, 1–7.

Chong, W.L. (2016). Rethinking the Position of Ethnic Chinese Indonesians. Sejarah, 25, 96-108.

Cooley, F.L. (1977). The Church in Indonesia. Occasional Bulletin, 1(4).

Daulay, R. M. (1996). Kekristenan dan Kebangsaan. Yogyakarta: Taman Pustaka Kristen.

Dawa, M. D. (2014). Gereja Kristus Tuhan dari Masa ke Masa: dari THKTKH Classic Oost-Java Menjadi GKT. Malang: Sinode Gereja Kristus Tuhan.

Dawa, M. D. (2017). Kebijakan Asimilasi Pemerintah Orde Baru dan Orang-Orang Tionghoa Kristen di Gereja Kristus Tuhan 1968-1998. Malang: Media Nusa Creative.

Elyonpedia Magazine. (2017). Surabaya: GKA Elyon.

Gunawan, P. W. 1989). Benih Yang Tumbuh 14: Gereja Kristen Indonesia Jawa Timur. Surabaya: Sinode GKI Jatim dan Balitbang PGI.

Oei, H. K. & Sari, D. P. T. (2012). Soekarno’s Dentist: A Journey through Three Cultures. Singapore: Straits Times Press.

Wu, D. Y. & Ngo, P. (2015). Menembus Badai. Yogyakarta: Galang Pustaka.

Handinoto. (2015). Komunitas Cina dan Perkembangan Kota Surabaya. Yogyakarta: Penerbit Ombak.

Hoon, C. Y. (2016). Mapping Chineseness on the landscape of Christian churches in Indonesia. Asian Ethnicity, 17(2), 228–247.

-------. (2013). "By race, I am Chinese; and by grace, I am Christian": negotiating Chineseness and Christianity in Indonesia. In S.M, Sai & C.Y., Hoon (Eds.), Chinese Indonesians Reassessed: History, religion and belonging USA: Routledge, pp. 159-177.

-------. (2006). Assimilation, Multiculturalism, Hybridity: The Dilemmas of Ethnic Chinese in Post-Suharto Indonesia. Asian Ethnicity, 7(2), 149-166.

Husein, F. (2005). Muslim-Christian Relations in the New Order Indonesia. Bandung: Mizan.

Jenkins, R. (2008). Social Identity (Third). New York: Routledge.

Kim, R.Y. (2011). Religion and Ethnicity: Theoretical Connections. Religions, 2, 312-329.

Koentjoro, S. (2013). Sinode Gereja Kristen Abdiel dalam Lintasan Sejarah. Surabaya: Sinode Gereja Kristen Abdiel.

Koning, J. (2011). Business, Belief, and Belonging: Small Business Owners and Conversion to Charismatic Christianity Business. In J. Koning, M. Dieleman & P. Post (Eds.), Chinese Indonesians and Regime Change (pp. 23-46). Leiden: Brill.

Kuntjara, E., & Hoon, C. Y. (2020). Reassessing Chinese Indonesian stereotypes: two decades after Reformasi. South East Asia Research, 28(2), 199–216.

Lawler, S. (2014). Identity: Sociological Perspectives. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Nio, J.L. (1961). Peradaban Tionghoa Selajang Pandang. Jakarta: Keng Po.

Mujiburrahman. (2006). Feeling Threatened: Muslim-Christian Relations in Indonesia’s New Order. Amsterdam University.

Ong, H. H. (2017). Migrasi Cina, Kapitalisme Cina dan Anti Cina. Yogyakarta: Komunitas Bambu.

Ong, S. (2008). Ethnic Chinese religions: Some recent developments. Ethnic Chinese in Contemporary Indonesia, pp. 97–116.

Parekh, Bhikhu. (2008). A New Politics of Identity. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Pitcher, P. W. (1893). A History of the Amoy Mission, China. Board of Publication of the Reformed Church in America.

Sai, S. M. (2016). Mandarin lessons: modernity, colonialism and Chinese cultural nationalism in the Dutch East Indies, c.1900s. Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, 17(3), 375-394.

Salmon, C. (2009). The Chinese Community of Surabaya, from its Origins to the 1930s Crisis. Chinese Southern Diaspora Studies, 3, 22-60.

Setiabudi, N. (1994). Christian Chinese Minority in Indonesia, with Special Reference to the Gereja Kristen Indonesia: A Sociological and Theological Analysis. Boston College.

Setijadi, C. (2017). Chinese Indonesians in the Eyes of the Pribumi Public. Perspective, 73, 1-12.

Skinner, G. W. (1979). Golongan Minoritas Tionghoa. In M. G. Tan (Ed.), Golongan Etnis Tionghoa di Indonesia: Suatu Masalah Pembinaan Kesatuan Bangsa. Jakarta: Gramedi, pp. 1–29.

Soleiman, Y., & Steenbrink, K. (2008). Chinese Christian Communities in Indonesia. In J. S. Aritonang & K. Steenbrink (Eds.), A History of Christianity in Indonesia (pp. 903–924). Brill.

Sung, J. (2012). The Diary of John Sung. Singapore: Genesis Books.

Suryadinata, L. (2005). Pribumi Indonesians, the Chinese Minority and China. Marshall Cavendish.

Widjaja, P. S. (2010). Character Formation and Social Transformation: An Appeal to the Indonesian Churches Amidst the So-called Chinese Problem. VDM Verlag Dr. Müller.

Yang, F. (1999). Chinese Christians in America: Conversion, Assimilation, and Adhesive Identities. Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press.

-------. (1998). Chinese Conversion to Evangelical Christianity: The Importance of Social and Cultural Contexts. Sociology of Religion, 59 (3), 237-257.

Website:

http://www.reformed-crs.org

Article Metrics

Abstract views: 2428 PDF views: 970
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24260/alalbab.v9i2.1828


Bookmark and Share