Sam Ren is a scholar whose research focuses on Christian history, ethics, and contemporary Chinese Christianity. He holds a PhD in philosophy from Renmin University of China and a Master of Theological Studies from Calvin Theological Seminary. He previously taught for many years at a public university in China.
His publications include a study of Reinhold Niebuhr’s Christian realism and a coauthored history of Christianity in the United States. He also translated Mark A. Noll’s The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind into Chinese.
If Chinese Christians can develop robust local sources of information and reflection, they can move away from a “nervous” existence and learn to navigate risks, mitigate pressures, and live out their faith meaningfully within the land they inhabit.
The Sinicization of Christianity is not merely a passing campaign, but a long-term issue that will continue to shape the church in China.
In the face of uncertainty and anxiety about the future, Christians must return to the essence of the gospel. While the gospel has the power to transform society, societal change has never been the primary focus of Christian faith. The gospel transforms society by bringing hope to individuals and inspiring moral renewal. The gradual transformation of individual lives collectively fosters societal progress.
Without a thorough understanding of American evangelicalism and how it was conceived within a specific historical context, Chinese Christianity could be prone to "imitating blindly," which could lead to "maladjustment" and "malnutrition," hindering its healthy growth and development in the future.