Kevin Xiyi Yao
An expert on the history of Christianity in China, Kevin Yao, ThD, is Associate Professor of World Christianity and Asian Studies at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
Supporting Article
Reflections on the ChinaSource Quarterly
First of two essays by China Source Quarterly readers who tell us why they take the time to read the Quarterly and the reasons they find it valuable.
Lead Article
A Century Later, Still Dominant
The Chinese Union Version of the Bible, published in 1919, remains the most dominant and popular translation used in China today. Here are some reasons why.
Book Reviews
Ecclesiology, History, and the Identity of the Chinese Church
A Book Review
Using a historical approach, this book looks at the early stages of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) and Chinese Protestant Christians’ responses to changing church-state relations from 1949-1958. The author proposes that to understand the conflicts between the early stages of TSPM and the Chinese church leaders, theology and Christian identity are significant factors. This work provides valuable insights to keep in mind while studying the history of Chinese Christianity.
A Sociological or Theological Reading of Christianity?
The Case of the Chinese Church
Common sense would tell us that what stands at the core of Christianity is its theology, polity, and mission. But when we come to Christianity in China, it is Chinese Christianity’s social impact and its implications for issues such as human rights and China’s international relations, rather than its pastoral and theological developments and challenges, that have received disproportionately large attention in the Western press in the recent decades.
Lead Article
Contemporary Confucian Revival and Its Interactions with Christianity in China
Chinese society today has turned fairly religious with Protestant Christianity and Confucianism experiencing the most growth in recent decades. As these two traditions interact more and more, the tension and rivalry between them intensifies. Dr. Yao looks at the roles that each plays in today's China along with the place of the so-called New Confucian Movement. As the current Confucian revival represents an attempt to regain Confucian dominance in Chinese society, what is the response of Christianity?