A new paper available in ResearchShare on calling, vocation, and spiritual formation as it relates to Chinese Christians in mission service and the churches that send them.
Keep ReadingChanges in China over the past ten years are dictating changes for the church in China. Kim reviews the main areas of change and the ways these have affected the churches. Then he looks at new roles for both workers from overseas and China’s churches.
Xi and Putin pledge to shape a new world order as the Chinese leader leaves Russia with no peace in sight for Ukraine (March 22, 2023, NBC News) As Xi departed he told Putin: “Now there are changes that haven’t happened in 100 years. When we are together, we drive these changes.”
China reopening borders to foreign tourists for first time since Covid erupted (March 14, 2023, BBC) From 15 March, foreign offices can process applications for Chinese visas. Visa-free entry will also resume in Hainan Island and Shanghai for cruise ships. Tour groups from Hong Kong and Macau will also regain their visa-free privilege. In addition, valid visas issued before China closed to the world on 28 March 2020 will be honoured again.
Xi Jinping Says He Wants to Spread China’s Wealth More Equitably. How Likely Is That to Actually Happen? (March 3, 2023, China File) After Xi began invoking “common prosperity” in 2021, a rash of new regulations and fines on private capital and technology companies suggested that rhetoric was translating quickly into action. But in the 18 months since, even as it continues to be invoked, common prosperity has seemed to play a much more minor role in policymaking.
Fragmenting network protocols – China and the end of the web as we know it (February 24, 2023, MERICS) China is rolling out a new internet protocol (IP) that threatens the fair and equal treatment of traffic on the internet, also known as net neutrality. IPv6+ is a routing system for internet data that allows senders to specify to the network provider the type of content in a data packet and the route it should take.
A new paper available in ResearchShare on calling, vocation, and spiritual formation as it relates to Chinese Christians in mission service and the churches that send them.
When we celebrate with our Hui friends, let us not treat remembrances of either our God or theirs as quaint cultural relics, but as points of connection to God and his gospel. These are powerful gospel prompts.
Rather than skirting uncomfortable China conversations, leaning into the narratives by which evangelicals seek to make sense of China and its church can uncover the biases and cultural assumptions standing in the way of a more authentic understanding of what it means to be citizens of God’s kingdom.
A few years ago when we were living in China, I “accidentally” ended up having an interfaith discussion with two imams which was actually very helpful. Here’s the story of one of those discussions.
There is no question that we are in a new era. To understand the recent National People’s Congress and National People’s Consultative Conference, read Joann Pittman’s roundup of news and analysis.
Pursuing heart-level reconciliation can be hard, humbling work. A labor of love. Yet when our love is infused with God’s love—our source of strength to reconcile—we can persevere in the process.
An interview with a Christian family navigating the changes and challenges of China today.
Poetry is not only a form of cultural exegesis, but also a mode of common theology enriching conversations and reflections. When poetry is spiritually impregnated, it becomes a form of doxology, which I regard as the ground of all theology and missiology.
The 2023 spring issue of the ChinaSource Quarterly comes out next week. Here’s a sneak peek from the guest editor.
Join us in April for a fascinating lecture on “Christian Posters in the Early 20th Century China.”
This little analogy from the retail world breaks down easily. But it does make me stop and think. Am I one of the “half-hearted creatures…fooling about when infinite joy is offered?”
I suspect that many…have narrowed decisions about the future to one of two possible options: stay in China or return to one’s home country…. I see a compelling third option: relocate to an area outside of China to serve diaspora Chinese or train Chinese missionaries (or both).
Legislation may technically render a host of Christian activities illegal, but these activities do not suddenly cease. While we may hear that “China” is clamping down on unregistered meetings or websites or online gatherings, the reality on the ground may tell a different story.
When pressure comes, Christians generally respond in one of three ways: fight, flight, or somewhere in the middle…. When praying for the Chinese church, we must not fail to pray...for the unity of Christians under pressure.
As Christians in China study biblical peacemaking, many have had personal aha moments…they now see that conflict starts in the heart and that avoiding addressing the root heart issues in order to “avoid conflict,” only results in the heart conflict remaining.
Like so many others who have wondered the past few years if returning to China might ever be possible again, the news that travel restrictions were being lifted gave me a glimmer of hope that it might actually be doable.