The History of Christian Missions in Guangxi, China


Book Description

The History of Christian Missions in Guangxi, China describes the fascinating history of Catholic and Protestant missions in bandit-infested Guangxi from the seventeenth century to the present. Included is an overview of Guangxi’s historical context and its development throughout the twentieth century. Particular attention is given to the missionaries through abundant quotations and several short biographies. Other chapters include: •an examination of the relationships between mission societies and the missionaries that served in Guangxi •a detailed history of outreach to Guangxi’s minorities, including the Zhuang, Yao, Dong, and Miao •an analysis of the missionary methods and ministries of compassion •a breakdown of the costs and challenges faced by the missionaries, including martyrdom and death •an evaluation of the receptivity levels and results in Guangxi over time The book ends with an appendix of missionary quotations on life in Guangxi, to which contemporary missionaries in South China could easily relate. Although this is a regional study, readers will gain a much clearer picture of nineteenth- and twentieth-century missions and be spurred on to sacrificially make Christ known in the least reached parts of the world.




The Church as Safe Haven


Book Description

The Church as Safe Haven conceptualizes the rise of Chinese Christianity as a new civilizational paradigm that encouraged individuals and communities to construct a sacred order for empowerment in modern China. Once Christianity enrooted itself in Chinese society as an indigenous religion, local congregations acquired much autonomy which enabled new religious institutions to take charge of community governance. Our contributors draw on newly-released archival sources, as well as on fieldwork observations investigating what Christianity meant to Chinese believers, how native actors built their churches and faith-based associations within the pre-existing social networks, and how they appropriated Christian resources in response to the fast-changing world. This book reconstructs the narratives of ordinary Christians, and places everyday faith experience at the center. Contributors are: Christie Chui-Shan Chow, Lydia Gerber, Melissa Inouye, Diana Junio, David Jong Hyuk Kang, Lars Peter Laamann, Joseph Tse-Hei Lee, George Kam Wah Mak, John R. Stanley, R. G. Tiedemann, Man-Shun Yeung.




Opening China


Book Description

Western evangelists have long been fascinated by China, a vast mission field with a unique language and culture. One of the most intrigued was also one of the most intriguing: Karl F. A. Gützlaff (1803-1851). In this erudite study Jessie Gregory Lutz chronicles Gützlaff's life from his youth in Germany to his conversion and subsequent turn to missions to his turbulent time in Asia. Lutz also includes a substantial bibliography consisting of (1) archival sources, (2) selected books, pamphlets, tracts, and translations by Gützlaff, and (3) books, periodicals, and articles. This is truly an important reference for any student of the history of China or missions.







Faith in African Lived Christianity


Book Description

Faith in African Lived Christianity – Bridging Anthropological and Theological Perspectives offers a comprehensive, empirically rich and interdisciplinary approach to the study of faith in African Christianity. The book brings together anthropology and theology in the study of how faith and religious experiences shape the understanding of social life in Africa. The volume is a collection of chapters by prominent Africanist theologians, anthropologists and social scientists, who take people’s faith as their starting point and analyze it in a contextually sensitive way. It covers discussions of positionality in the study of African Christianity, interdisciplinary methods and approaches and a number of case studies on political, social and ecological aspects of African Christian spirituality.




The Translation of the Bible into Chinese


Book Description

A history of the translation of the Bible into Chinese, this book tells a fascinating story beginning with Western missionaries working closely with Chinese assistants. They struggled for one hundred years to produce a version that would meet the needs of a growing Chinese church, succeeding in 1919 with publication of the Chinese Union Version (CUV). Celebrating the CUV's centennial, this volume explores the uniqueness and contemporary challenges in the context of the history of Chinese Bible translation, a topic that is attracting more and more attention. Peng's experiences give her a unique perspective and several advantages in conducting this research. Like the majority of readers of the CUV, she grew up in mainland China. When Chinese Christians went through severe political and economic ordeals, she was there to witness the CUV comforting those who were suffering under persecution. She has participated in Chinese Bible revision under the United Bible Societies. She was also director of the Commission on Bible Publication at the China Christian Council and chief editor of the CUV concise annotated version (1998).




Darkest before the Dawn


Book Description

The Christian church was always destined to find its way to China. Long before the birth of the church, China existed, coalescing around profound philosophical concepts and powerful cultural symbols. It developed into a dynamic and enduring civilization. In time, Christian missionaries arrived on its shores, driven to bring the gospel to this people. This book starts with the story of that journey: the arrival of the missionaries who planted the seeds of the gospel in Chinese soil. As the seeds sprouted and grew, a new story of a unique and distinct Chinese church began. The epic narrative opens from uncertain beginnings in darkness, passes through intense hardship and years of struggle, and culminates with the triumphal emergence of the Chinese church from the shadows into the light of the global stage.




The Registered Church in China


Book Description

In The Registered Church in China, Wayne Ten Harmsel pulls back for Western readers the shroud of mystery surrounding Chinese registered churches. Through interviews with Chinese pastors, evangelists, and lay Christians, he provides a rare view of what it means to live in the shadow of both the government and the well-known house churches. Registered churches have received criticism from both of these sources, as well as from many churches in other countries, particularly the United States. Ten Harmsel examines the charges leveled against registered churches and presents a balanced picture of the complexity of the church situation in China. (Such complexity arises, for instance, in the registered churches' struggle to respond to new religious regulations and the controversy over Sinicization.) China has become a major center of twenty-first-century Christianity, and, despite how little is known about registered churches in the West, these congregations play a significant role in shaping Chinese Christianity today.




Children of the Massacre


Book Description

Early morning on 1 August 1895, a group of armed insurgents attacked a remote mission station in China. An Irish couple, Robert and Louisa Stewart, and two of their young children were murdered. Three other children were wounded but escaped, while three older boys were away at school in England. From their early years, the six surviving Stewart children, most of whom were born in China, believed they had “unfinished business” there. One after another, each returned to their adopted country, where they founded and served schools, churches, student hostels, and hospitals. Their visionary contributions took place against the backdrop of the Nationalist Revolution, anti-Western demonstrations, and the Japanese invasion and occupation of China. More than seventy-five years ago, Bishop R. O. Hall of Hong Kong stated: “the story of the Stewart family needs to be told!” This thoroughly researched volume finally documents the lives and legacy of one of the most impressive families in missionary history.




Receptive Ecumenism and the Renewal of the Ecumenical Movement


Book Description

Receptive Ecumenism is a ground-breaking new ecumenical approach, widely regarded as having the potential to revitalise the Ecumenical Movement. But what is Receptive Ecumenism? Why is it important? In Receptive Ecumenism and the Renewal of the Ecumenical Movement, Antonia Pizzey offers a comprehensive, systematic analysis of Receptive Ecumenism. While still emerging, Receptive Ecumenism is highly promising because it prioritises the need for ecclesial conversion. Pizzey explores the scope and complexity of Receptive Ecumenism, providing much-needed clarity on its aim, key developmental influences and distinctiveness, as well as its virtuous character and relationship with Spiritual Ecumenism. The major implementations of Receptive Ecumenism to date are investigated, along with its significance for the future of ecumenism, especially regarding its engagement with contemporary challenges.