Random Observations Following a Two-Week Visit to Beijing
Earlier this month I got to spend two weeks back in Beijing, my former “home town.”
Wenzhou
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What Caught the Attention of Chinese Christians Last Year?
If a Christian from the West were asked what the biggest Christian news story out of China was in 2014, no doubt the answer would be the campaign to demolish church crosses in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. In fact, for many in the West, that might be the only Christian-related news story out of China they are aware of.
Beyond the Crosses
The forced removal of crosses from literally hundreds of churches in the Wenzhou area during the past year has called attention not only to the local government’s heavy-handed approach toward the church, but also to the phenomenon of the church buildings themselves.
Resistance, not Revolution:
In Mobilized Merchants - Patriotic Martyrs, Dr. Timothy Conkling sheds much-needed light on the relationship between China's unregistered church and the Chinese Party-State. The dissertation research that forms the basis for the book set out to answer the question of why Chinese Christians are persecuted and how they respond to this persecution.
Ten Quotes from “The Economist” Article on Christianity in China
On November 1, 2014, The Economist published an excellent article about the church in China, titled "Cracks in the Atheist Edifice." Written by veteran correspondent Rob Gifford (author of China Road), the article gives an overview of how the church (and individual Christians) in China are stepping out of the shadows, and the various ways in which the government is being forced to deal with this growing and more visible church.
Another Perspective on the Wenzhou Crackdown
With literally hundreds of crosses falling prey to overzealous local officials in Wenzhou and neighboring cities, the region once seen as a bastion of extraordinary religious freedom is now the subject of worldwide attention due to an equally extraordinary crackdown on its churches.
The Wenzhou Church Reborn from the Ashes
This year’s attacks on church buildings in Wenzhou have been the subject of much analysis, the majority focusing on the relationship between church and government in Wenzhou. The following blog post, written by a Christian in China, and published in the mainland Christian Times, takes a closer look at the impact on the Wenzhou church itself.
Demolish! It’s Just a Building!
In the week since the Sanjiang Church was demolished, netizens in China (both Christian and non-Christian) have taken to social media to comment on the incident.
“In the Cross, In the Cross”
In response to the situation at the Sanjiang Church in Wenzhou, a Chinese believer posted an open letter to Christians world-wide to pray for the Church in China.
The Sanjiang Church Incident
On April 4, the western press began reporting on a church in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province that was surrounded by thousands of parishioners who were blocking a crew sent to demolish the church. As reported, local officials had initially ordered that the cross be removed from the church, and later said the church was built illegally and had ordered its destruction. The story was a hot topic both inside and outside of China, and has come to be known as The Sanjiang Church Incident.
The Grand Opening of China’s Largest Church
This article, translated from the Mainland website Christian Times is a report of the grand opening of LiuShui Church, which now lays claim to being China's largest church.
Constructing China’s Jerusalem
Nanlai Cao, a research assistant professor at the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, gives us a unique and comprehensive analysis of the Wenzhou revival. His study pursuits in both China and Western metropolises, as well as his intimate connection with Wenzhou (native family connections through his mother and grandparents) offers him a perspective not otherwise readily possible.