In order to understand China today, it's helpful to understand this simple rule: nothing is as it seems. In fact, I would say this rule applies when observing and analyzing nearly all segments of life in China: politics, economy, social relationships and even religion. To put it another way, whatever China seems to be at any given moment, it is in fact, the opposite. This can be difficult for Westerners because we tend to be dichotomist in our thinking, wanting something to be either this or that. We don't do well with this and that.
Joann Pittman
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September 6, 2012
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Ideas
Facts about the church in China may be more readily available than they were 10 or 15 years ago. But more information does not necessarily produce greater clarity. Often the opposite results.
Brent Fulton
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September 5, 2012
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Ideas
This anonymous post, on the popular Christian site Living Water, warns Christians to guard against complacency in their relationships, ministry, and pursuit of Christ.
ChinaSource Team
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August 16, 2012
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Ideas
"Faith is not just a beautiful adornment added to our lives; it encompasses our entire lives. Truth is not a set of ideas or theories, but personal realities for which one can live and die." This article presents a detailed analysis of the challenges facing the church in todays society. It was originally posted on the Sina blog of Xing Pinghuang, and later re-posted on the Gospel Times website.
ChinaSource Team
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August 9, 2012
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Ideas
From the opening chapter of his work on the proper method of mission practice (Nevius was at least partly inspired by Timothy Richard's work in Shandong), the following quote is a reminder for those of us who have found what we believe to be a better method for working in China to keep a proper perspective:
Swells in the Middle Kingdom
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August 8, 2012
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Ideas
In addition to Christian websites and periodicals in China, there are also academic sites which are writing on issues related to religion, law, and society. One such site is Pacific Institute of Social Science, which aggregates scholarly articles published throughout China. They recently posted a translation of an article titled "The Achilles Heel of Chinas Rise: Faith" by Liu Peng, a senior fellow at the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
ChinaSource Team
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July 5, 2012
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Ideas
This sermon was delivered at the Beijing Gangwashi Christian Church on May 22, 2011. Gangwashi Church is one of largest Three-Self Churches in Beijing. Established in 1863 by the London Missionary Society, it is also the oldest Protestant Church in the city.
ChinaSource Team
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June 25, 2012
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Ideas
As the new year began in China, the Mayan prediction that the world will end in 2012 was a hot topic of conversation, for both Christians and non-Christians alike. This article, published in the Gospel Times on January 6, 2012 addressed the question from a Biblical perspective.
ChinaSource Team
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June 21, 2012
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Ideas
A Weibo map of church locations in China.
ChinaSource Team
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June 18, 2012
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Ideas
At the end of 2011 the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released the latest edition of their statistical report "Global Christianity" detailing the size and distribution of the Christian Church around the globe. Regardless of how one might regard their conclusions, you cannot help but conclude the church in China is growing. But, is the more important issue behind these figures whether this growing Christian this growing Christian population having a growing influence on Chinese society?
Andrew T. Kaiser
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June 8, 2012
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Ideas
The following is a quotation from James Hudson Taylor, speaking to a gathering of field workers Pingyang, Shanxi in 1886.
Swells in the Middle Kingdom
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December 20, 2011
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Ideas
Cross-cultural work is all about living between two poles and keeping them in juxtaposition. The problem is that modernity - our western Enlightenment culture - drives us to resolve that tension.
Swells in the Middle Kingdom
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November 16, 2011
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Ideas