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Towards a New Model for Christian Education in China

Dissatisfied with the current educational system and wanting their children to be taught from a biblical worldview, Christian parents in China are exploring a variety of alternatives. In the latest episode of ChinaSource Conversations we explore these alternatives in Christian education with three educators who have firsthand experience with schools in China.

Christian Education in China

This podcast features a discussion among three educators, one from China and two from the United States, about trends in Chinese Christian education. They look specifically at a private school model that features a holistic educational experience grounded in a Christian worldview. In this podcast Dr. Charlie Brainer of Taylor University also traces the development of private schools in China against the backdrop of competing national educational goals. 

One Last Summer Reading Recommendation

It’s September and the autumn semester has started for most students, but before the leaves start to turn and the temperature plunges, we have one more summer reading book recommendation for you.

A Century-Old Church in Xingtai

In June China Christian Daily posted an article and photo gallery of 113-year-old church in Xingtai, Hebei Province. Originally built by Presbyterian missionaries from the US, it is now one of the main churches of the city.

Is Confucianism a Religion or an Ethical System?

In the 17th and 18th centuries there was a dispute between Jesuit and Dominican missionaries in China about whether or not Chinese converts should be allowed to continue practicing traditional rites and ceremonies that were rooted in Confucianism, such as ancestor worship. The Jesuits said they should be allowed; the Dominicans said no.

The Wrong Approach to Living in China

I love living in China and have immersed myself in Chinese culture. I’ve seen a lot of people come and go since I arrived here in 1991—many who approach China with negative attitudes and misconceptions.

I’d like to share my thoughts about how to enjoy this culture that God loves. Specifically, I want to note some wrong approaches to China that I hope will instruct us in a better way.

Why Crosses? Why Zhejiang?

The massive campaign against church crosses in China’s Zhejiang province is in the news again with the release this month of the US State Department’s 2015 Report on International Religious Freedom.

5 Challenges Facing Churches in China

The Gospel Times recently published an article written by a pastor in Xiamen on what he considers to be some of the key challenges facing the church in China today. Here is a translation of the article. 

Daoism: Yesterday and Today

I once had a discussion with my Chinese professor about the influences of Confucianism and Daoism (Taoism) in the worldview of Chinese people. “You have to understand,” he told me, “that we are Confucian when things are going well, when we have position and authority, and when life is hard for us and we are ‘down and out,’ we are Daoists.”