Between 1919 and 1949, posters were the most common Christian visual imagery in China. They were printed by the millions and hung in tea rooms, on city walls, and on temple gates. Posters were put up in houses and churches; they were unfolded for street evangelism. They were extremely popular because they were aesthetically pleasing…
Christianity in China
Be More Chinese!
Over the past year, the Chinese government has ramped up its campaign to “sinicize religion,” — to make it more compatible with both traditional and modern socialist values. In reality, it is a move to re-establish Party-state control over the religious sector, Christianity included. Last month I had the opportunity to co-author an article at…
Voices from the Past
In a world where we are bombarded daily by voices from our phones, TV’s, and radios, sometimes it’s good to put them all down and listen to some voices from the past. My friend Andrew Kaiser has just published an e-book that allows us to do just that. Voices from the Past: Historical Reflections on Christian Missions…
Is China Happy?
Last week the New York Review of Books published an article called China’s Way of Happiness, by Ian Johnson. The article is an interview of Dr. Richard Madsen, a scholar on religion in China, about his research on happiness in China. Here are some interesting excerpts from Madsen’s comments. On the subject of his next…
St. Matteo Ricci?
The Atlantic magazine recently published an article about a move within the Vatican to canonize Matteo Ricci, the first Jesuit missionary to China, titled Can Matteo Ricci’s beatification mend China’s rift with the Catholic Church? “When Matteo Ricci walked the streets of Beijing more than 400 years ago, he was a celebrity. The Jesuit was…
Catholic or Christian?
When I first went to China, I was bombarded with many questions that seemed rather odd: can you use chopsticks? How much money do you make? Why do American parents kick their children out of the house at age 18? On and on they went. But the oddest question I encountered was, “what’s the difference…