Dr. G. Wright Doyle

Senior Associate

Dr. G. Wright Doyle received a B.A. with Honors in Latin from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (1966); an M.Div. with Honors from the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria (1969); and a Ph.D. in Classics from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, with a dissertation on St. Augustine (1975); he studied Chinese at the Taipei Language Institute full-time for two years (1976-1978) and part-time for another two years (1980-82). From 1980 to 1988, Dr. Doyle served on the faculty of China Evangelical Seminary, Taipei, Taiwan , eventually as Associate Professor of New Testament and Greek. He is currently an adjunct faculty member of that institution, teaching courses in New Testament and in Systematic Theology.

Dr. Doyle is editor of the Greek-Chinese Lexicon of the New Testament and of the Chinese abridgment of Carl Henry's God, Revelation, & Authority. Several volumes composed in English have been published in Chinese, including New Testament Reference Works; Confucius and Christ; a commentary on Paul's letter to the Ephesians; and Hope Deferred: Studies in Christianity and American Society. Dr. Doyle has also authored numerous reviews of books about Christianity and/or Chinese culture.

Global China Center in Charlottesville, Virginia, of which Wright Doyle is Director, was organized in 2004 to further the study of social change in modern China, and particularly the role of religion in Chinese society.

Dr. Doyle and his wife Dori have a grown daughter, Sarah.

works by Dr. G. Wright Doyle

Is Christianity a "Chinese" Religion?

“No” – The traditional view The answer to this question would seem to be obvious, at least to some. Almost all books on Chinese religion discuss Daoism (Taoism), Buddhism, Chinese popular religions, Islam and – as a belief system that...

A Reader on China: An introduction to China’s history, culture and civilization

A Reader on China expresses much that is lovely and winsome in Chinese civilization, as well as not a little that is annoying and even scary. First, the pretty part: The book itself serves as a showpiece of Chinese visual...

Traditional Chinese Culture

I like this book. Of the several on traditional Chinese culture that I have read, it seems to be both the most comprehensive and the most balanced. On the one hand, the writers and editor display great appreciation for...

Chinese Christians and the Government

The purpose of this brief paper is to explain the existence of the Three Self-Patriotic Movement/China Christian Council and the resistance of the government to unregistered house churches.

Changing China and You

In 1962, China had just stunned the world by testing its first atomic bomb. Its ruler Mao Zedong had not yet launched the Great Cultural Revolution, but would soon unleash millions of young people upon China to smash all that...

A History of Christianity in Asia. Volume I: Beginnings to 1500

Like the previous review of Volume II, this one will focus on the sections dealing with Christianity in China. At the outset, we should note Moffett’s the fluent, almost racy, style that makes the book hard to put down, even...

CHINDIA: How China and India Are Revolutionizing Global Business

China’s growth and manufacturing dominance are two of the biggest global trends of the last ten years. India’s technology, service, and outsourcing industries make it a valued partner [to American business], as well as a formidable competitor. “The stunning rise...

Faith of Our Fathers: God in Ancient China

This well-written, beautifully-produced volume represents many years of painstaking study, a firm conviction that the Bible is God’s special revelation, and a profound love for the best in Chinese civilization. As a result, it possesses many strengths and will be...

Cultural Factors Affecting Chinese Church Leaders

By common consent, development of leaders is the most urgent need for the Chinese church. With explosive growth over the past few decades, there are not enough shepherds for the flock.

Modern China: A Guide to a Century of Change

Hutchings focuses on the “politics, society and economy, and the impact on them of individuals, places, organizations, and ideas ”of modern – that is, 20th century – China.

A History of Christianity in Asia: Volume II 1500-1900

Only the sections on the growth Christianity among the Chinese will be discussed. Samuel Moffett has presented us with a work that is comprehensive, yet concise; lucid, yet lively; balanced and yet not totally without an occasional, but mostly-controlled, bias;...

Jesus Never Left China: The Rest of the Story

Burklin's book possesses much value as a description of legal Christian activity in China, and as a general overview of some aspects of Chinese Christian history.

God and Caesar in China: Policy Implications of Church-State Tensions

Though its title, and especially the sub-title, would lead you to think that God and Caesar in China deals mostly with church-state tensions, this tightly-edited book really represents one of the best overviews of Christianity in modern China.

True Son of Heaven: How Jesus fulfills the Chinese Culture

Marshall’s thesis is that “God’s fingerprints are all over Chinese culture. He has, you might even say, prepared China for the news of Jesus Christ.” Thus, Jesus does not “come as a stranger to the Chinese people” but, in the word’s of the book’s subtitle, “fulfills the Chinese culture.”

The Chinese Church in Context: Crisis and Opportunity

In the vast hinterland where 800 million peasants dwell, isolated, tiny meetings in humble homes have multiplied into mighty networks with thousands of churches and millions of members governed by widely-networked leaders.

The Shaping of Modern China: Hudson Taylor’s Life and Legacy

Broomhall chronicles the life of Taylor and the growth of the China Inland Mission in meticulous detail, drawing upon archives and previously-unused letters, as well as standard histories.

Acquainted with Grief: Wang Mingdao’s Stand for the Persecuted Church in China

Thomas Harvey traces the conflict of Wang Mingdao and K.H. Ting, and the movements they represent, from the first days of the communist victory in 1949 to the beginning of the 21st century.

A Stone Made Smooth

This autobiographical account of the great Chinese pastor, Wong Ming-Dao, follows the first forty or so years of his life. The book demonstrates the deep and life-changing effects of Christianity on this man, as well as his distinctive Chineseness. Wong tells the story of his ministry, beginning in his early twenties and ending the account right before World War II.

The Chinese

Becker’s journalistic skill is on display throughout this fact-filled work, with its combination of specific details, stories of representative individuals, and well-supported generalizations, always founded on a concise historical survey in each chapter. He reports on the vast changes that have taken place in China, especially since 1978, and notes progress made in a number of areas, especially the economy.

China and Christianity: Burdened Past, Hopeful Future

This substantial volume includes eighteen papers from a conference on its title theme held in San Francisco under the sponsorship of the Ricci Institute for Chinese-Western Cultural History and the Center for the Pacific Rim of the University of San Francisco in 1999.

Gender Imbalance in the Chinese Church: Causes, Consequences, and Possible Cures

Almost all observers agree that there is a serious gender imbalance in the Chinese church. David Aikman, in Jesus In Beijing, states that the average ratio is 60-80% women in churches on the Mainland. In Taiwan and elsewhere, the ratio may be less extreme, but there are usually many more women than men attending church on any Sunday morning. The proportion of women serving in the church may be even greater.

Patriots or Traitors: A History of American-Educated Chinese Students

This superb piece of historical writing traces the careers of seventeen Chinese who studied in America and then returned to serve their country. More than that, however, the book ranges widely over the course of China’s history from the late nineteenth century up to the present. Thus, each individual story fits into a coherent narrative, illustrating general trends and finding significance from the overall picture.

God’s Chinese Son: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan

“The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom” only lasted about 14 years (1850-1864), but by the time of its demise, much of China had been ravaged, almost 20 million people had perished, the Manchu (Qing) Dynasty had nearly been toppled, and “one of China’s most remarkable megalomaniacs” had tarnished the name of Christ almost beyond repair.

Chinese Awakenings

This book takes a vertical slice out of different sub-groups of China’s population by following the lives of nine different people and their families. By tracing their careers over several decades, the authors expose us to the vicissitudes of China’s tumultuous history since the Communist victory in 1949.

The Sinister Way: The Divine and the Demonic in Chinese Religious Culture

Despite its foreboding title and evident academic audience, von Glahn’s treatment of Chinese religion offers a wealth of information and insight to students of Chinese culture.

China Remembers

This collection of first-hand accounts of aspects of China’s history from 1949-1999 provides rare personal glimpses of political and historical movements and trends.

Chinese Popular Religion

Chinese religion today defies neat categories. Though the government recognizes Buddhism, Daoism, Islam, and Christianity (both Protestant and Roman Catholic), actual practice often blurs these boundaries.

Taiwan: Nation-State or Province?

At each step, Cooper seeks to fulfill the promise of the title, showing how a case can be made either for Taiwan as a nation-state or as a province of China. Given the incendiary nature of this subject, he has achieved remarkable success in maintaining a balanced and neutral approach.

Christianity in China: From the Eighteenth Century to the Present

The twenty chapters in this collection of essays fall into four sections, entitled: “Christianity and the Dynamics of Qing Society”; “Christianity and Ethnicity”; “Christianity and Chinese Women”; and “The Rise of an Indigenous Chinese Christianity.”

Jesus in Beijing: How Christianity is transforming China and Changing the Global Balance of Power

David Aikman has given us perhaps the most controversial introduction to the explosive increase and growing influence of Christianity in China. According to Aikman, we are talking not just about an incredible increase in the number of Chinese Christians in the past fifty years (from one or two million to more than 70 million), but what might become a fundamental shift in world power alignments.

To Change China: Western Advisers in China

In this fast-paced volume, China history expert Jonathan Spence studies the lives of sixteen Western advisors of various sorts who went to China to make a difference in that great nation.