In his reflection on cultural heritage, Rev. Chow acknowledges that while no one has physically seen a dragon, it stands as a potent spiritual symbol for the Chinese, embodying a complex and profound mix of emotions—a reverence filled with honor and dignity. Rather than dismissing the dragon for its mythical nature, Rev. Chow proposes that we "value it doubly, as an integral part of our treasured traditions."
Chinese Christians are not only receivers of traditional culture but also reformers of contemporary culture and creators of emerging culture. When reflecting on the complex relationship between the gospel and culture, we need a grand and holistic Christian worldview, capable of carrying the gospel’s tolerance of, challenge for, and renewal of culture.
The Bible presents us with good reasons both for celebrating dragons and for slaying them. Insofar as they represent those unfallen throne guardians of heaven, they should be duly revered; and insofar as they represent that fallen seraph Satan, they should be crushed underfoot.
In honor of women’s month, we’ve highlighted the experiences of women in China ministry on the blog. Today, we’re expanding our lens to look back at articles published on how Chinese women’s lives have changed in the past century, how they are working in the church, and their triumphs and struggles.
Today it is difficult to talk about the church in China without referencing China’s church outside China. Many leaders operate with one foot on Chinese soil and the other abroad, either by virtue of their frequent international travel or via offshore organizations through which their voices are amplified, making them spokespersons for a movement that transcends China’s borders.
Let us pray for those who are still living in darkness and feel so stuck in the massage parlor in the urban villages. Let us pray for workers to reach them, for alternative jobs and safe houses to provide a way out, and for proper trauma counseling to help them process their past.
I was blessed to have lived and worked in China for much of my adulthood and be able to hold up my part of the sky. Does this contradict the point I made above about being limited by my gender? Life is more nuanced than blanket statements. Both are true for me, at times I felt limited by my gender and at times I felt not limited by it.
「沒有宗教信仰」，就代表對基督教沒有興趣嗎？一項英國華人研究發現，許多非基督徒願意從社會議題、文化與人際關係出發，探索基督信仰。
What is needed is people who know Jesus and love Tibetans enough to find ways to engage them personally, enough to walk with them through faltering steps of faith, and enough to endure long enough in the field that seeds sown find their way to good soil, hearts God has already prepared.
Expectations for new missionaries as well as for their sending bodies should include a long-term developmental perspective that recognizes on-field difficulties as expected and as the normative shaping events God intentionally uses to develop cross-cultural ministry capacity.
Understanding both the registered and unregistered aspects of the church in China provides a more comprehensive picture of the dynamic interplay within the Christian sphere, shedding light on the various challenges and opportunities that each sector encounters.
作為惠頓學院全球散居研究中心（Global Diaspora Institute）的主任，我們很高興能再次擔任《華源期刊》有關華人散居議題的客座編輯。這本期刊誕生於惠頓學院葛理翰中心，而我們也曾於2020年12月編輯過一期《華源期刊》。感謝各位讀者對那一期的回饋，我們盼望「散居」議題今後能持續成為《華源期刊》的固定主題之一。在本期出版過程中，我們也特別感謝Jeanne Wu博士與我們緊密合作，共同完成這一期。 當代的華人散居群體規模龐大且分布廣泛，橫跨各大洲，呈現多重樣貌與形態。海外華人群體高度多元，他們交織出一幅由複雜移民歷史與定居模式所構成的豐富織錦。而這些遷徙並定居於世界各地的華人，其信仰與生活實踐更呈現多重交織的特色。數個世紀以來，不同時期的移民潮前往不同目的地，逐漸形成全球華人散居群體之間錯綜複雜的關係網絡。不同的祖籍來源，以及多個世代與在地文化的互動，使各地華人社群形成了多元且各具特色的傳統、靈性與風俗。他們在各個領域皆有卓越表現，一方面為所定居的國家作出重要貢獻，同時也持續與中國及世界各地的華人保持聯繫。如今華人的足跡已遍布全球，甚至可以像昔日的大英帝國一樣宣稱：在華人散居群體的地圖上，太陽永不落。 在可預見的未來，華人散居群體的人口仍將持續增長，而其中所蘊含的宣教意義極其深遠。近年來，基督教在中國的增長，加上該國政局的動盪，正推動創紀錄數量的人口移居海外。許多人在離開祖先故土後，獲得新的自由，並在異地文化與社會環境中接受基督信仰。他們不僅在世界各大城市建立充滿活力的基督教會，更在定居地及其他族群與國家中，成為一股重要的宣教力量。本期《華源期刊》春季號收錄多篇深具洞見的文章，詳盡記錄了這ㄧ現象如何在全球不同處境中展開。 Jeanne Wu博士為全球華人散居群體提供了一幅宏觀的概覽。Henry Lu牧師則探討近期香港移民湧向英國的趨勢，並詳述向這群散居者展開的宣教事工。與此相似，David Ng博士反思來自中國大陸與香港的移民大量湧入澳洲的現象，指出這既為向未曾進入教會的人傳福音帶來契機，也因著大量基督徒的加入而為當地教會注入活力。 Francis Tam牧師則回顧在加拿大透過散居群體展開的宣教工作，特別是華人基督徒向穆斯林傳福音的事工。而Luke Zheng博士在分析歐洲當前迫切處境時指出，當地急需更多華人宣教工人。最後，在本期書評部分，我們選擇Jeanne Wu博士近期出版的著作，該書改編自她針對美國華人群體所撰寫的博士論文。 本文原以英文撰寫，中文譯稿由華源協作翻譯刊載。