Christianity in China has grown at an almost exponential rate since 1950. After Protestant missionaries began their work in the early 1800s, progress was slow, though steady. When the Communists established a new government in 1949, there were about one million Protestant Christians. At the present time, though reliable figures are impossible to ascertain, estimates of active adherents to Protestant churches range from a low of 60 million to over 100 million.

This phenomenal increase in numbers has occurred within a variety of shifting contexts. We must have some knowledge of these if we are to understand both the history and the current situation of Protestant Christianity in China.

The following articles and book reviews briefly explore three such contexts: History, Culture, and Society. Composed over a period about fifteen years, they reflect my knowledge at the time of composition and my analysis and evaluation of some important books on these subjects.

Although much has changed since 2018, the facts of history do not change (though our understanding may), and the basic contours of Chinese culture remain constant. Modern Chinese society has also developed along the lines already described in these books and articles.

For those reasons, I believe that what you will find in these pages retains its original value for placing Chinese Christianity into its historical, cultural, and societal contexts.

This collection is intended as a companion to two other similar volumes: Chinese Christianity: An Introduction to the Literature, and The Missionary Movement in China: An Introduction to the Literature. Like the others, it is a work in progress, as I hope to add new material in coming months and years.

Title:

Chinese Christianity in Context: History, Culture, Society

Snapshot:

A compilation of articles and book reviews providing the contexts of history, culture, and society for the growth of Christianity in China.

Pages: 163

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Chinese Christianity in Context