Rice Christians

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

Converts to Christianity for worldly benefits, such as a supply of rice to

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “Rice Christians” mean?

Converts to Christianity for worldly benefits, such as a supply of rice to

Is “Rice Christians” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.