Appealing to "the chosen"

Some cult preachers told followers that the cult is only accessible to "the chosen," which is why many activities are underground. This boosts the mystical experience of the believers.

The cults also cater to their target audiences, who are mostly illiterate farmers, in their publications and choice of language. The most widely distributed book of Eastern Lightning, The Word Appears in the Flesh, for example, is published with pinyin and notes to help farmers understand the ideas in the book. Documents and announcements, on the other hand, are written in the language of political discourse to give off a sense of authority.

"For over two thousand years of feudal society in China, farmers were taught to be obedient and submissive. Today, even though there are no longer emperors, obedience is still embedded in the characters of the masses, including Christians, who reveres semi-gods, or people who appear to have magical powers," said Duan Qi, a researcher at the Institute of World Religions at the CASS.

The flourishing of cults can also be attributed to China's social reality in recent years.

Various social issues, such as injustice, fierce competition, corruption and environmental issues, have thrown many into despair. "People in the bottom stratum are those who suffer most from China's recent social transition. They have two hopes. One is to get more from society. The other is to vent their negative feelings, including hatred. The orthodox Christian church does not encourage people to do that," Lin said.

"The reason why Eastern Lightning is so popular is that it says Jesus has already returned and is carrying out the last judgement. This gives its believers consolation. This is very appealing for people who feel they have suffered," he said.

Many of the cults share doomsday beliefs, holding that Jesus has or will return soon to establish a new kingdom. This is based on premillennialism, the view that Christ will physically return to the earth, and the establishment of the new, millennial kingdom is to be preceded by a period known as the "Tribulation," when the Antichrist will walk the earth and God will loose his wrath on mankind.

It should be pointed out that premillennial beliefs are not necessarily heretical. Many mainstream Christian denominations believe in premillennialism.

Chinese farmers are not unfamiliar with the philosophy of premillennialism. "Many native Chinese religions are also millenarian, and many of China's historical farmers' rebellions resulted from the millenarianism of these religions. The White Lotus Society, the secret society that was responsible for many farmers' rebellions in the Qing dynasty, for example, was also a millenarian movement, dividing human history into three periods. Believers rebelled against the Qing government, believing that would lead them to the final period of bliss and eternal happiness," Duan said.

"Most people who believed in these native religions were poor. They hoped they could change their status in society through a revolution. Many farmers nowadays hope the same. This is why doomsday theory remains so popular among them," she said.

The Christian church now enjoys growing freedom compared to the previous century, when Christians were forced to meet in secret. But experts say public education is still lacking, making it difficult for the public to tell a cult from mainstream Christianity.

"People are unable to understand what is heresy and what is orthodox," Lin said.