ZGBriefs – The Week’s Top Picks, September 11 Issue
Soft power, subways, and cell phones – our favorite stories of this week.
ChinaSource Team
Written, translated, or edited by members of the ChinaSource staff.
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Interview with a Reformed Church Pastor (1)
One of the interesting developments in the church in China over the past decade is growing popularity and influence of Reformed theology, particularly within urban house churches. This has come about as the Christians in China have had increasing opportunities to interact with the church outside of China, either directly, or via the Internet. Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion has been translated into Chinese, as have the writings of prominent voices in the “New Calvinism” movement in the United States, such as Tim Keller, D.A. Carson, and John Piper. Probably the most influential figure, however, is Rev. Stephen Tong, head of the Reformed Evangelical Church of Indonesia.
ZGBriefs – The Week’s Top Picks, September 4 Issue
Three articles – each looking at China-related migration of one sort or another. Take a look, you will surprised at what you learn.
House Churches and Anti-cult Campaigns
Last week five members of the Almighty God cult (formerly known as Eastern Lightning went on trial for brutally murdering a woman in a MacDonalds restaurant in Zhaoyuan, Shandong Province. The murder shocked the nation and prompted the government to launch a nationwide crackdown on illegal cults, or xie jiao (lit. evil religion).
Does China Need More Leadership Training? A Response
Our friends at Catalyst Services picked up on a recent ChinaSource blog by Brent Fulton that asked "Does China Need More Leadership Training?" To further the discussion they asked others who are involved in training leaders globally for their responses to the blog and included them in their monthly e-newsletter.
ZGBriefs The Weeks Top Picks, August 28 Issue
To celebrate the start of a new school year, two of our top picks this week have to do with language learning. The third one is a look at China's internet censorship regime.
Reflections on Worship
The piece translated below is from a post on the Weixin (WeChat) page of the Beijing Gospel Church, one of the citys more prominent house churches. The writer is sharing his thoughts on the nature of worship in the church.
ZGBriefs The Weeks Top Picks, August 21 Issue
Our top picks this week are all on the lighter side. We hope you find them as interesting as we did.
Protestantism and the Future of China
The article translated below is from a Chinese website called Urban Mission (jidutu123.com). In it the author ponders what role Protestantism can play in the future development of China. He begins by talking about the transitional nature of Chinas current social and political systems and where Chinas current reforms may or may not be headed. He then draws on the writings of German sociologist Max Weber to understand the current situation in China today, to the point of comparing contemporary Chinese society with the German Weimar Republic. Finally, he argues that the main contribution Protestantism can make to the development of China is constitutional government.
ZGBriefs The Weeks Top Picks, August 14 Issue
Two glimpses of China's past and the impending trial of a recent infamous murder top this week's list of items not to be missed.
Churches Respond to the Earthquake in Yunnan
On August 3, a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck a remote region of Yunnan Province, in China's southwest, killing more than 600 people. The Chinese government quickly launched rescue operations and continues to provide relief for those affected. But what about the churches in the area? A reporter from the mainland site Christian Times talked with a local pastor in the area about how the churches in the area are responding. The article is translated below.
ZGBriefs The Weeks Top Picks, August 8 Issue
The stories that captured our attention this week provide glimpses into religion in China, an arrest, and the Chinese student community in Los Angeles.