Sin and Punishment: The Art of Churches’ Domination and the Resistance of Apostates

ABSTRACT: This paper is a qualitative analysis of the life experiences of three female believers who were punished for their “sins” and eventually left the Church. It reveals how religious power manifests itself through the condemnation of “sins” such as “demonic possession,” “premarital sex,” and “adultery,” as well as the various kinds of resistance strategies among these “apostates.” I argue that fundamentalist Church doctrines are an essential part of the process of Sinicisation of Christianity, embedded as they are in the disciplinary structures of personal life in China, especially mother-daughter relationships, intimate partnerships, and acquaintance societies, which intensify constraints on individuals. In turn, discussions of moral taboos are themselves deeply involved in Chinese society and culture. KEYWORDS: sin, domination, resistance, apostates, female believers, Sinicisation.