Recasting the Image: Celso Costantini and the Role of Sacred Art and Architecture in the Indigenization of the Chinese Catholic Church, 1922–1933

Abstract

How can Christianity not be viewed as a foreign religion in China? It is not a new question: Celso Costantini (1876–1958), apostolic delegate to China, wrestled with the same question during the tumultuous 1920s. As a Roman Catholic, Costantini didn’t approach indigenization through the well-known Protestant “three-self” formula. Rather, he encouraged local artists to paint Christian themes using Chinese motifs. He promoted the use of Chinese architectural styles, rather than Western edifices, in Catholic buildings. Through the indigenization of sacred art and architecture, Costantini sought to recast the image of the Christian church in China.