Rice Christian

A rice Christian is someone who has formally declared himself/herself a Christian for material benefits. It is usually not for religious reasons. The term is often used pejoratively. The related phrase rice Bible is also used to describe the type of mission.

The term comes from Asian countries, such as India, in which local populations suffering economically under Western colonialism and unequal treaties nominally converted to Christianity in hopes of getting food from Christian missionaries. Concerns have been expressed both by Christian missionaries and by those opposed to Christian missions that people in these situations are nominally converting to Christianity in order to receive charity or material advancements.