Lead Article

The War against Cults in China

Lambert writes: “China has been experiencing a major revival of religious faith…at the same time there has been an upsurge in cults, many of them quite bizarre.” He traces a brief history of China’s cults and then deals with how a cult is defined in China. He goes on to look at the difficulties that emerge when applying unclear and subjective definitions of what constitutes a cult and concludes with an overview of Eastern Lightning.

Lead Article

Religious Statistics in China

Current evidence is that religion is flourishing in China. However, practical problems make statistical statements for the number of religious believers in China quite hazardous. The author cautiously examines the evidence that exists for each of the five, major, officially-recognized religious faiths in China.

Book Reviews

The Church in Henan

Henan: The Galilee of China (Volume 2 of the "Fire & Blood" series) by Paul Hattaway

Reviewed by Tony Lambert

Supporting Article

A History of “Back to Jerusalem”

A Moving History

The "Back to Jerusalem" movement can be traced back to a vision for evangelism which God gave to several different indigenous Chinese Christian mission movements in the 1940s.

Book Reviews

Roots of China’s Current Christian Revival

Fierce the Conflict by Norman H. Cliff.  

A Review by Tony Lambert

Supporting Article

Sweet and Sour Lessons from Chinese History

Essential lessons from history for today's cross-cultural workers.

Supporting Article

The Roots of Bishop K.H. Ting’s Theology

The 1930s up to the Cultural Revolution

The last year has seen the promotion by Bishop K. H. Ting (Ding Guangxin), former head of both the China Christian Council (CCC) and the Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), of a campaign for “theological construction” that is “compatible with socialism.” To understand this current movement we look back at Bishop Ting's early life and work.

Lead Article

The Changing Face of China’s Church

The church in China does not exist in a vacuum. Rather, it is experiencing unprecedented change that mirrors the rapid pace of change in society at large. Caught up in this vortex, the question is, “Can the church keep up and adapt itself for effective witness in 21st century China?”

Supporting Article

Western images in a Chinese mirror

Lessons from history for those seeking to serve in China.

Book Reviews

Counterfeits and Kings

God’s Chinese Son, The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong  Xiuquan, by Jonathan D. Spence, 

Reviewed by Tony Lambert