Rickshaw Taxis

Christianity in China

(41 entries)

Article Review of “Mission, Millennium, and Politics: A Continuation of the History of Salvation from the East”

Review by Dr. G. Wright Doyle March 2, 2010
From his position on the faculty of the Divinity School of Chung Chi College, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Tobias Brandner has access to nearly first-hand sources from which to construct a critical analysis of a key component of the “Back to Jerusalem [BTJ] Movement.”

Article Review of The Chinese Face of Jesus Christ

Review by Dr. G. Wright Doyle January 28, 2010
Because of the length and cost of these two scholarly volumes, making them inaccessible to all but a few, we are greatly indebted to this fine review by Joseph Lee. The first volume studies the perception of the Jesus by...

John Song: Bringing Peace Amidst Chaos

By Dr. G. Wright Doyle January 24, 2010
From this brief examination of the life and ministry of John Song, we see how he, along with many other Chinese Protestants in the same era, brought peace, calm, and even joy and hope, in a world wracked by chaos and suffering.

How History Haunts Us

Review by Dr. G. Wright Doyle November 1, 2009
Who said history wasn’t relevant? Though at first glance a biography of a largely-discredited independent German missionary who was born almost two centuries ago might seem to have little to do with our current situation, Jessie Lutz’ masterful narrative and analysis of the life and times of Karl Gutzlaff provokes the question, Has anything changed?

Witnesses to Power: Stories of God’s Quiet Work in a Changing China

Review by Dr. G. Wright Doyle September 26, 2009
The stories in this volume come from one end of China to the other. They speak of rural and urban evangelism; healing and exorcism, compassionate care for needy children, community life of the Jesus family, church planting and growth in remote areas not penetrated by outside Christian witness, and the impact of the gospel to produce economic prosperity.

Laying the Foundation: A review of Robert Morrison and the Birth of Chinese Protestantism

Review by Dr. G. Wright Doyle September 3, 2009
As the first Protestant missionary to China, Robert Morrison laid a foundation for what would become the imposing edifice of today’s Chinese church. Morrison was quite conscious of his role, and worked deliberately to prepare for others, Chinese and Western,...

U.S.-China Relations and the Church

By Dr. Carol Lee Hamrin August 25, 2009
There has always been a close correlation between the state of U.S.-China governmental relations, and Chinese official attitudes toward Christianity and the treatment of the Chinese church. A brief historical review illustrates this.

Christians in China: A.D. 600 to 2000

Review by Dr. G. Wright Doyle August 6, 2009
This is a marvelous book, and represents the learned Sinology of a long line of French Roman Catholic scholars, going back for hundreds of years. Though he devotes most of his attention to the story of Roman Catholicism, the author does give fair and generous summaries of important aspects of Protestantism in China.

Between Two Worlds: J. Hudson Taylor and the Clash between British and Chinese Customs, Cultures, and Laws

By Dr. G. Wright Doyle July 20, 2009
Hudson Taylor believed not only in the theological truth of Christ's incarnation, but also in its missiological necessity and the numerous practical advantages which flowed from following the example of Christ.

Culture and Religion: How “Chinese” Is Protestantism in China?

By Dr. G. Wright Doyle March 14, 2009
That Protestantism has become a Chinese religion is demonstrated by its history; indigenous leadership; contextualized literature; rapid growth; geographical distribution; numerical strength; social impact; self-propagation; and official status. I shall expand on this statement briefly before talking about just how culturally “Chinese” this relatively new faith in China is.

Chinese Biblical Studies: Issues in understanding and interpretation

By Dr. G. Wright Doyle February 5, 2009
A colloquium on Chinese biblical studies sponsored by the Center for the Study of Christianity in China, King’s College, London, was held January 17th-21st. This symposium showcased some of the fine scholarship being done by Chinese around the world. One of the largest such gatherings in recent decades, it both marked the progress of biblical studies by Chinese and advanced the conversation in a number of key areas

Confronting Confucian Understandings of the Christian Doctrine of Salvation

Review by Dr. G. Wright Doyle January 4, 2009
Confronting Confucian Understandings of the Christian Doctrine of Salvation will now be required reading for anyone seeking to understand why Chinese intellectuals have accepted, rejected, or modified the Christian message since the time of Matteo Ricci. Paulos Huang has given us a fine, clearly-organized study with a great deal of thought-provoking findings and suggestions.

The Chinese Puzzle: Putting the pieces together for a deeper understanding of China and her Church

Review by Dr. G. Wright Doyle December 13, 2008
Though certain to stir up controversy, this book contains a message which should be pondered by Western, especially American, Christians with a burden for China. Falkenstine seeks to “clarify perceptions of China and her church,” so that Western Christians may understand the current situation and serve more effectively.

Christianity Fever

By Dr. Carol Lee Hamrin and Jan Stacey Bieler October 8, 2008
Through a century of political turmoil and disillusionment, waves of Chinese intellectuals have come to Christ.

Reading Christian Scriptures in China

Review by Dr. G. Wright Doyle September 4, 2008
Since the Bible serves as the main source of Christian doctrine, the nature of its reception, interpretation and influence must be understood in order for us to comprehend the varying streams of Chinese Christian faith and practice and the different responses to Christianity among non-Christians.

Is Christianity a "Chinese" Religion?

By Dr. G. Wright Doyle June 19, 2008
“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...

China's Protestants: a Mustard Seed for Moral Renewal?

By Dr. Carol Lee Hamrin June 3, 2008
The number of religious believers in China continues to grow almost exponentially, far outpacing population growth.(1) Meanwhile, vague and unchanging official estimates, which since 1994 have reported “over 100 million faithful” in the country, reflect the government’s tendency to mask...

Christianity in China 1900-1950: The History that Shaped the Present

By Daniel H. Bays April 22, 2008
Today’s Chinese Christians have roots that go back over 200 years for Protestants and 400 years for Catholics. In my view a grasp of the essentials of that history, at least for the 20th century, is crucial for us to understand the Chinese church under Communist rule.

Greater China's Great Transformation

By Dr. Carol Lee Hamrin March 19, 2008
Let me start by explaining the choice of terms used in my title: “Greater China” refers to the Chinese diaspora of traders, emigrants and political exiles from the coastal provinces – including many Christians --who played a very important role...

Chinese Christians and the Government

By Dr. G. Wright Doyle September 6, 2007
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.

China’s Millions: The China Inland Mission and late Qing Society, 1832-1905

Review by Dr. G. Wright Doyle June 6, 2007
China’s Millions contains much information that could be used for a concise, objective, and accurate history of the CIM under the leadership of Hudson Taylor. Alas, that book remains to be written.

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

Review by Dr. G. Wright Doyle April 5, 2007
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...

Faith of Our Fathers: God in Ancient China

Review by Dr. G. Wright Doyle March 20, 2007
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...

Christian Identity and Chinese Nationalism: The Impact of the May Thirtieth Incident on China’s Christian Colleges

By John Barwick March 2, 2007
The establishment of Christian colleges in China by Protestant missionaries was one of the most significant aspects of the Sino-Western cultural engagement in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These schools were first started as a way of training...

More Than Martyrs

Review by Dr. Carol Lee Hamrin February 1, 2007
While doing justice to those who still suffer for their faith, Americans need to ensure that our activism supports, rather than hinders, China’s next generation as they seek to add to their hard-won freedoms.

Cultural Factors Affecting Chinese Church Leaders

By Dr. G. Wright Doyle October 7, 2006
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.

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

Review by Dr. G. Wright Doyle October 6, 2006
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

Review by Dr. G. Wright Doyle October 6, 2006
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

Review by Dr. G. Wright Doyle September 19, 2006
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

Review by Dr. G. Wright Doyle August 13, 2006
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

By Dr. G. Wright Doyle June 28, 2006
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

Review by Dr. G. Wright Doyle June 28, 2006
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.

The Legacy of Chinese Christianity and China's Identity Crisis

By Dr. Carol Lee Hamrin March 10, 2006
I would like to begin with a review of the history of God’s interaction with the Chinese people, including the centuries-long efforts to bring the Gospel to China since most Americans, even most Chinese people, are very unaware of the long legacy of Christianity in China.

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

Review by Dr. G. Wright Doyle February 19, 2006
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

Review by Dr. G. Wright Doyle February 19, 2006
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.

China and Christianity: Burdened Past, Hopeful Future

Review by Dr. G. Wright Doyle January 31, 2006
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

By Dr. G. Wright Doyle October 19, 2005
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.

Soul Searching: Chinese Intellectuals on Faith and Society

Review by  September 6, 2005
Soul Searching, a collection of essays written by Chinese Christian intellectuals, gives a fascinating glimpse inside the Chinese mind and heart. Issues like democracy, culture, and the arts are examined with honesty and clarity.

The Cross: Jesus in China

Review by  August 25, 2005
The Cross: Jesus in China is a 4-DVD set of documentaries exploring the church in China. Each disc examines a slightly different aspect of the church, covering personal testimonies of conversion, the ministries of several of the leaders of the Chinese house churches, the lives of laymen in the churches, and a collection of hymns that are widely used in the churches of China.

Christianity in China: From the Eighteenth Century to the Present

Review by Dr. G. Wright Doyle May 19, 2003
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

Review by Dr. G. Wright Doyle February 19, 2003
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.