Christianity in rural China is heavily influenced by concepts of Chinese folk religion and functions in many ways like a folk religion. This is due to the influence of traditional religious concepts and the limited education among most rural people. Folk concepts observed in rural Christianity include predilection for the mysterious including evidence of supernatural power, obsession with objects (the evil of unspiritual objects as well as the benefit of spiritual objects like pictures of Jesus or crosses), an intuitive desire for ritual to express one's faith and other aspects to be discussed below.
Mans Ramstad
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May 19, 2014
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Ideas
Why China's most privileged youth generation ever is still looking for more.
Brent Fulton
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Ideas
Geographic and cultural divides and differences understanding them and bridging them were common themes this week.
ChinaSource Team
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May 16, 2014
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Resources
It's been awhile since a new book has found it's way onto my must read list, but I suspect that a new one Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China by Evan Osnos is going to end up there.
Joann Pittman
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May 14, 2014
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Ideas
This is a picture of the skyline of Pudong, the glitzy business district of Shanghai. For a time, that tall building with the hole in the top was actually the world's tallest building. It was soon beat out by the Burj in Dubai, and, as you can see, by the new building going up right beside it.
Joann Pittman
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May 13, 2014
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Ideas
Statistics released by Beijing think tank in January reveal that emigration from China is at its highest level ever, with 9.34 million leaving the Mainland in 2013. China is the world's fourth largest country for emigration, coming behind, India, Mexico, and Russia.
Brent Fulton
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May 12, 2014
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Ideas
The website Xuanjiao Zhongguo (Missions China) recently ran a post written by a university student in China, sharing his/her reflections on faith in modern China.
ChinaSource Team
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Stories
If there were a theme to the three articles that we have chosen this week, it would be information.
ChinaSource Team
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May 9, 2014
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Resources
As with most questions of a linguistic nature, the answer is a bit complicated because in English the term "church" can refer to either a gathering of believers or a building where those believers gather. In other words, we can use the term "church" to call any and all gatherings of believers, regardless of the existence of a building. Generally speaking, we can infer from the context what is being discussed.
Joann Pittman
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May 8, 2014
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Ideas
The people of China have a history of being ambivalent toward knowledge and technology imported from the West. The ti-yong debates of the late-19th and early- 20th centuries highlighted their desire to enjoy the practical benefits (yong) of Western learning while maintaining the essence (ti) of Chinese culture. The rush toward Westernization that seemed to characterize the 1980s was subsequently replaced by the "China Can Say No" spirit of the 1990s. With China's rise in this century there is a new confidence in China's ability to chart its own unique course.
Brent Fulton
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May 6, 2014
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Ideas
I'm a documentary lover; given a choice between watching a movie, a TV program (drama or comedy), or a documentary, I will almost always choose the documentary.
Joann Pittman
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Resources
According to China Aid Association's 2013 Persecution Report, a total of 7,424 Christians were persecuted in China last year. This is not an insignificant number; 7,424 believers facing persecution is 7,424 too many. However, it is worth looking at this number a bit closer in order to put it into perspective.
Brent Fulton
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May 5, 2014
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Ideas