Neither Church nor Sect
For more than a century, scholars have often used the terms “church” and “sect” to describe different kinds of Christian communities. The distinction is…
ZGBriefs
ZGBriefs | October 29, 2026
Swallowing the Dictionary: Bao, Boba, and the English Appetite for Chinese Words (October 22, 2026, The World of Chinese)
ZGBriefs | October 22, 2026
Saunas and Scuba Diving: Inside China’s Unconventional 24/7 Mega Spas (October 18, 2026, CNN) Across China, people like Wang are visiting expansive, multistory, 24-hour facilities that combine spa amenities with entertainment of every sort.
ZGBriefs | October 15, 2026
There Is No Such Thing as Chinese Food (October 9, 2026, Numb and Spicy, via Substack) I had the banquet-hall dim sum experience for the first time in Maryland.
ZGBriefs | October 8, 2026
Pastor Ezra Jin: ‘God Poured Words’ Sustained Me Through 266 Days in a Chinese Cell (October 2, 2026, The Christian Post)
More Articles
Staying, Leaving, and Finding a Way Forward
Following the first installment in our Stories from Inside the Church in China series, “The Pressure of Ordinary Faith”, these three stories circle around a question facing some Chinese Christians today.
Born to Not Fit In
Through my many travels and encounters, I have discovered that the non-fitting place is precisely where I am meant to be as a disciple of Jesus among God’s people.
The Lockdown That Made Shanghai Home
When I moved to China, I had no idea what would happen or where God would lead me. All I knew was that he had clearly led me to Shanghai.
The Work of Remaining
What drew me out of that familiar shadow narrative was the even sweeter voice of Jesus, calling me to abide in him and rest in an identity found in him before bearing fruit.
When Questions about Eternity Become Personal
Knowing our final destination is not only hope for the future—it changes how we face sorrow today.
When Our Children Don’t Go to School
We did not choose this path to raise elite children, nor to escape the pressures of school. We need to stay close to the Lord with the simple trust of a child and seek his will for us.
Living at the Hyphens
Instead of being treated as an obstacle to be removed, difference becomes a prompt for inquiry and conversation, and, one hopes, for unexpected revelation.
When Fear Sets the Table
Ghost Month sets the table to invite wandering spirits to dine and be satisfied. The gospel announces something altogether different.
The Pressures of Ordinary Faith
Prompted in part by Sam Ren’s recent article, “The Displaced Minority,” these brief vignettes offer glimpses of ordinary Christian life in Mainland China that often remain unseen.
Reframing the Mission IV
Have we prioritized certain Great Commission activities to the neglect of other less tangible yet no less essential aspects of what it means to glorify God in the world?
Doing Theology from Many Centers
What does it mean to do theology as a person of mixed linguistic, cultural, and geographic heritage who honors both tradition and context?