Articles

Latest

The Unseen Side of China’s Internet Explosion

What China was lacking in technology 30 years ago it has more than made up for as it has leapfrogged traditional communications media to become one of the most connected countries in the world. A generation ago the idea of a personal telephone in one's home was unheard of, unless one's family was particularly privileged. Today, although wired telephones in every home still may not be the norm, personal mobile phones are considered a necessity. Even for migrant workers with no permanent home and very few personal possessions, the mobile phone is a lifeline to family back home and to job opportunities in the city.

The Grand Opening of China’s Largest Church

This article, translated from the Mainland website Christian Times is a report of the grand opening of LiuShui Church, which now lays claim to being China's largest church.

Educational Inequality and the Making of a New Urban Underclass

Visitors to China often remark at the speed with which cities, or large portions of cities, seem to suddenly appear. Pudong and Shenzhen have risen literally out of nothing to become urban showpieces and major financial centers. The "Bird's Nest" stadium that became the much heralded centerpiece of the 2008 Beijing Games was erected at unprecedented speed, along with dozens of other Olympic venues, several new subway lines, and major beautification projects across the city.

None of this would be possible were it not for hundreds of millions of migrant workers streaming into China's major urban centers. They are the silent, or at least unacknowledged, partners in China's rush to lead the way in global urbanization.

The Dali Gospel Inn: God is Working in Yunnan

Christian business people and entrepreneurs are increasingly looking for opportunities to use their enterprises for outreach. In this article, translated from the Christian Times, a Mainland website, a reporter interviews Brother Long, proprietor of the Gospel Inn in Dali, Yunnan Province.

A Pinyin Opinion

I am frequently asked for advice on how to learn Chinese. My answer always includes a pitch for perfecting pinyin. (Pinyin is a system which romanizes Chinese Characters, whereby is rendered nihao.)

What to Say During Spring Festival

In this article, published in January 2012 on the Mainland website Gospel Times, the author considers ways that believers can share with their family members during the traditional Chinese New Year Festival. 

Toward a Culture of Partnering

Opportunities for collaboration between Christians inside and outside China have evolved as China's continued opening has allowed for more natural cross-cultural relationships. Early attempts at partnering were often one-way, with those outside China providing funds, training, and other resources to an indigenous church with great needs but seemingly little to contribute in return. With the emergence of a new generation of trained leaders who are increasingly connected with the global church, either virtually or directly through going abroad or working with foreigners in country, collaboration has moved to a new level.

Beyond “Two Camps”: The Complex Relationship between Official and Unregistered Church in China

Attempts by China watchers to unravel the complexity of China's Christian community often result in a bifurcated view depicting a pitched battle between the Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) and the house church. Liberal theology, political control, and collusion in persecuting believers characterize the TSPM, while the "real Christians" are to be found only in the house church, a bastion of evangelical faith set amidst an atheistic state that is out to destroy it.

“Eastern Lightning Destroyed My Family”

The article translated below is a testimony from a Christian man who lost his wife to the Eastern Lightning Cult. It is posted on a Mainland-based website called Kuanye Zhi Sheng (Voice in the Wilderness).