Feeling the Pulse of China

ZGBriefs

ZGBriefs | June 14, 2018

How Bad Is Facebook’s New China Problem? (June 6, 2018, The Atlantic)
A Chinese tech giant with connections to the government appears to be among Facebook’s partners in a data-sharing program.

ZGBriefs

ZGBriefs | June 7, 2018

Tiananmen Square, A 'Watershed' For Chinese Conversions to Christianity (June 4, 2018, WBUR) It marked the beginning of "a quiet spiritual revolution" among many Chinese, who equated Christianity with modernity.

ZGBriefs

ZGBriefs | May 31, 2018

Will China finally end its one-child policy? (May 23, 2018, Lowy Institute)
Scrapping the one-child policy won’t undo the damage it’s caused over more than thirty years.

ZGBriefs

ZGBriefs | May 24, 2018

Baozi vs. Jiaozi (May 20, 2018, Transparent Language) Both are cheap, delicious little bundles of joy, so you really can’t go wrong either way.

China’s Next Big Thing

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.

Peace in Detention

An account in three points by a believer who was detained in Chengdu.

Denomination Names in Chinese

What, you might be wondering, are the Chinese names for some of the various denominations and sects in China?

Returnee Referral Systems

Connecting returnees—what are the critical success factors?

Looking at the Questions beneath the Surface

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.

Encouragement for the "Gaokao" and for Life

"Do not be afraid because God is with you! It is a joy to be tested because Jesus is in you!"

The Politics of Protestant Churches and the Party-State in China

A Book Review

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?

What is Chinese Christianity?

And who gets to decide?

For and Against Denominations in China

ChinaSource looks at denominationalism in China in the coming summer issue of ChinaSource Quarterly.

Audio Now Available for Chinese New Hymnal

The Yanjing Theological Seminary student choir singing the hymns of the New Hymnal—a resource for churches in China.

It’s All about Serving Well

A framework with which to process the complexities of China, as well as tools to navigate the myriad of cultural differences you will  experience in China.

The China Hustle

A Film Review

A documentary about financial fraud, but one that requires discernment.

The Challenge of Contextualization

Another Perspective

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.

Cults on Social Media

A warning against false teachings being spread on WeChat.

A "New" New Normal?

Management of religious affairs will be shifted from, SARA to the United Front Work Department—what questions should we be asking? 

Discipling Returnees

Returnees need an environment that will help them continue their journey of faith.