On December 31, 2014, the mainland site Christian Times published a long article titled “Taking Stock at the End of the Year: Christian Times Top Ten Chinese Christian News Stories of 2014.” Topping their list, of course, was the ongoing church and cross demolition campaign in Zhejiang Province. But there were other events that caught the attention of believers in China, including a church scandal in Korea, a Mandarin-language evangelistic conference in Hong Kong, a celebration of the restoration of the church in Shenzhen, and the banning of two house churches in Foshan, Guangdong Province. We have translated the article and, since it is quite long, will publish it in two separate posts.
ChinaSource Team
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January 20, 2015
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Resources
Crossing a cultural boundary inevitably leads to cultural clashes. Sometimes the clashes occur at the point of behaviors and customs, such as eating, drinking, or even how to cross a street. More often, however, the clashes occur at the deeper level of cultural values — beliefs about what is right and wrong or how how the world ought to be ordered.
Joann Pittman
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January 19, 2015
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Ideas
This series of blog entries refers primarily to the question of expatriate Christians attending services at registered—or at least publicly “open”—Chinese churches. It is assumed that in most cases, the risks to local believers (and to the expat workers as well) are such that it would be irresponsible to participate regularly in unregistered church services. Part one dealt with some of the common objections to attending Chinese church services. In part two some of the main reasons why I have chosen to attend Chinese church services are given. Part three lists some of the ways I have been blessed by my attendance at Chinese church services.
Swells in the Middle Kingdom
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January 16, 2015
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Stories
Ms. Yang spent two weeks in China on a retreat with religious sisters from the Catholic Church. Many of these Chinese sisters were facing struggles with a variety of issues including the lack of proper formation, community, opportunity for growth, and resources to provide for their educational, personal, and spiritual needs. While not representative of the Catholic Church in its entirety, her experience still provides helpful insights and fuels suggestions for nurturing these sisters.
Shih-Hua Yang
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January 14, 2015
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Scholarship
Inspired by the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Sacred Spaces offers daily meditations on Holy Scripture and personal reflections aimed at helping us get in touch with God and experience his presence in our lives.
ChinaSource Team
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Scholarship
Paul Mariani makes an essential contribution to the history of the Catholic Church in China during the twentieth-century when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) targeted religious organizations. Through research which includes previously unreleased classified documents and his multifaceted treatment of this turbulent period, he provides a gripping narrative of the gradual, but increasingly tension-filled, showdown between the CCP and the Catholic Church in Shanghai.
John A. Lindblom
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Scholarship
The author begins by sharing his encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ then continues by explaining his deep interest in the Catholic Church’s articulation of truth about Christ and the church as well as their relation to society. He looks at the current situation of the Catholic Church in China and concludes with the suggestion that the Internet can be used positively to bring church unity.
Gabriel Aquinas
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Scholarship
The guest editor's point of view.
Tricia Bølle
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Scholarship
An introduction to the 2014 winter issue by the editor of the ChinaSource Quarterly.
Brent Fulton
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Scholarship
Often missing in China is a regular opportunity for Chinese Catholics to grow in the knowledge of their faith in a structured setting. In recent years, however, there has been a gradual rise of home-grown initiatives and program models adopted from overseas that are starting to change this situation. Nevertheless, challenges remain and the author looks at a number of reasons (beyond the more obvious political challenges) why the deepening of faith has been difficult.
Alexa Rose
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Scholarship
China’s young adults are searching for meaning in their lives. The Catholic Church is working to help them realize their God-given potential and allow them to discover their special calling in Christ. One obstacle to this is that many Catholics lack a strong belief in a personal God who loves them and created them for a special purpose. The author examines how the Catholic Church is dealing with these issues.
Tricia Bølle
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Scholarship
A young, Chinese woman shares her thoughts and experiences from World Youth Day which she attended in Madrid, in 2011. Included in her account are her reflections on several places her group visited as pilgrims as they journeyed to Madrid. She also shares the life-changing impact this event had for her as she dealt with issues of sin and forgiveness.
Jennifer
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Scholarship