China is complicated. Good questions about China beget more questions. Sorting out the complexity is not easy, but for someone wanting to get a handle on the key trends shaping China and impacting China’s church, this podcast is a great place to start.
Connecting returnees—what are the critical success factors?
Swirling beneath the surface discussion of denominations—how they are defined, their relationship to the indigenous Chinese church, and whether or not they are needed—are some core questions regarding the fundamental nature of Christian community.
In a society where religious life is tightly proscribed and managed by the Party-State, how is it that so many independent (“illegal, but free”) churches have sprung up and not only survived, but thrived?
And who gets to decide?
ChinaSource looks at denominationalism in China in the coming summer issue of ChinaSource Quarterly.
In an atmosphere of increased social tightening, some younger Christians are asking whether some current expressions of the church might actually stand in the way of an effectively contextualized message that resonates with today’s urban Chinese.
Management of religious affairs will be shifted from, SARA to the United Front Work Department—what questions should we be asking?
Returnees need an environment that will help them continue their journey of faith.
A brief but instructive history from the Oxford Research Encyclopedia.
Guidelines for pastors and church staff on how the church should respond to government intervention, including what to do when the police come knocking at your door.
In short, a strong parallel is evident in the many aspects of Confucius’ teachings and the redemptive gospel in addressing the inadequacy of the human condition. However, what has fallen short in Confucius’ solution was his optimism in the very nature of humanity that needs restoration.