The China Church Narrative, and Why It Matters
What are the real challenges facing the church in China today?
Ideas
Editorial reflection and analysis on issues shaping Chinese Christianity.
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A Sociological or Theological Reading of Christianity?
Common sense would tell us that what stands at the core of Christianity is its theology, polity, and mission. But when we come to Christianity in China, it is Chinese Christianity’s social impact and its implications for issues such as human rights and China’s international relations, rather than its pastoral and theological developments and challenges, that have received disproportionately large attention in the Western press in the recent decades.
Above or Below the Line
A look at possible responses to the new NGO law.
The Cultural Revolution at 50
This month marks the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Proletariat Cultural Revolution, a political campaign launched by Chairman Mao. The purpose was supposedly to give a new generation the experience of revolution; however, it was actually an outcome of a power struggle between Mao and the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party.
Business as Mission or Business as Blessing?
Are you looking to start a business to fulfill a mission or to bless a community? The latest ChinaSource Conversations podcast, “Businesses that Bless,” seeks to answer that and other questions related to doing business in China.
The New Normal for Faith-Based, Foreign NGOs in China
The Law on the Management of Foreign Non-Governmental Organizations' Activities within Mainland China was passed on April 28, 2016 and will take effect January 1, 2017.
Businesses that Bless
Brent Fulton, president of ChinaSource talks to Gary Hopwood, chief global officer for David C. Cook, and Nora Hughes, the founder of Business4Blessing about doing business in China to bless the people and the community. They distinguish the business-as-blessing concept from other ways of viewing using business to bring the gospel to a community, including characteristics of a business that blesses a community and how to get started in this kind of business.
4 Takeaways from Xi’s Speech on Religion
At a long-awaited national conference on religion, held in Beijing April 22-23, CPC General Secretary Xi Jinping outlined his vision for “helping religions adapt to the socialist society” under the direction of the Party. Here are a few prominent themes from Xi’s speech.
Foreign NGO Management Law
Earlier this month a spokesman for China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) announced that the NPC Standing Committee is scheduled to review the draft law governing foreign NGOs operating in China.
Financial Management in Chinese Churches
In March China Christian Daily published an interview with a pastor from Dalian about the importance of properly managing church finances in Chinese churches. He highlights some of the difficulties that churches in China have in this area and some suggestions for improvement.
3 Questions: Dr. Brent Fulton
A ChinaSource 3 Questions interview with Dr. Brent Fulton, author of China's Urban Christians: A Light That Cannot Be Hidden and president of ChinaSource.
Tearing Down the Walls
If you’ve been to China you have probably noticed that it is a society of walls. There are walls around schools, factories, and housing estates. Sometimes the entities within these walls are huge, covering many city blocks. In an attempt to alleviate congestion and open up more through ways through the cities, the Chinese government in February issued a new regulation calling for walled communities to open up their roads and streets to through passage. In other words, they want the walls to come down. In this article, originally published in the mainland online journal Territory, the writer uses this new regulation as a starting point for a discussion of the walls that we build in our hearts and how only through the cross can we tear them down.