Where are the Churches?
A Weibo map of church locations in China.
Ideas
Editorial reflection and analysis on issues shaping Chinese Christianity.
Latest
How Many Christians in China? And Does It Make a Difference?
At the end of 2011 the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released the latest edition of their statistical report "Global Christianity" detailing the size and distribution of the Christian Church around the globe. Regardless of how one might regard their conclusions, you cannot help but conclude the church in China is growing. But, is the more important issue behind these figures whether this growing Christian this growing Christian population having a growing influence on Chinese society?
Are You “Among the People”
The following is a quotation from James Hudson Taylor, speaking to a gathering of field workers Pingyang, Shanxi in 1886.
Hold to the Tension
Cross-cultural work is all about living between two poles and keeping them in juxtaposition. The problem is that modernity - our western Enlightenment culture - drives us to resolve that tension.
Policy, Implementation, and Shifting Official Perceptions of the Church in China
Persistent reports of Christians in China being harassed, fined, detained and oppressed through discriminatory policies often lead outside observers to conclude that the Chinese government is pursuing a concerted and consistent policy to restrict Christian activity and stem the growth of Christianity. While these troubling incidents remain a reality of life in China, a survey of the larger picture suggests that they are the exception rather than the rule, and that there may be room for cautious optimism concerning future policy toward China's Christians.
The Coming Third Anti-Christian Movement?
China has always been an anomaly. She is open to the gospel, she is resistant to the gospel. She is hungry for things modern and Western, she is stubbornly proud of things traditional and Chinese. How do we make sense of all this? More importantly, how do we gauge the mindset of China's intellectuals and leaders? How do they view Christianity as a religion, as a Western cultural construct, as a world and life view?
Venturing a Glimpse into 21st Century China
What will the future of China look like in the areas of politics, economics, education, society and culture? Here are some possible scenarios.