Articles by LI Jin
LI Jin is a PhD student at Calvin Theological Seminary. Prior to seminary he was a PhD candidate in economic history at a Shanghai university. He writes on Christian thought for both public and Christian media outlets in mainland China and Hong Kong.
LI Jin and wife Mary Li Ma have coauthored articles, book chapters, and are the authors of Surviving the State, Remaking the Church: A Sociological Portrait of Christians in Mainland China. They have also guest edited several issues of the ChinaSource Quarterly.
LI is a columnist on social and economic issues for China’s largest financial media group, Caixin.com. He is also a co-founder of Four Seasons Book Review, started in 2018.
Supporting Article
Not Ruling Over but Feeding the Sheep
Thoughts on the Boundaries of Authority and Power in the Chinese Church
What type of church structure would be best for China’s churches? Considerations include China’s historical church governance, the church’s place in society and government, and how to handle situations of power abuse.
Lead Article
Denominationalism or Nondenominationalism?
Is There a Third Way?
The author looks at the history of denominationalism in China and discusses what being part of a denomination means.
Book Reviews
A Much-Needed Update about Chinese Christianity
China’s Urban Christians: A Light that Cannot Be Hidden by Brent Fulton
Reviewed by Li Jin
Due to urbanization and social change, China’s churches look different today than they did a number of years ago. Urban churches, with unusual diversity, now comprise a major part of Chinese Christianity. Fulton identifies many of the changes the church has experienced that now characterize it and discusses challenges it faces in current society.
Supporting Article
A Theology of Family for the Chinese Church
Due to the historical influences on family structure and ethics, many new Christians have no background for a Christian marriage and family. Sound doctrine and the ability to utilize the gospel to transform familial ethics are critical needs in China. In addition, due to a lack of accurate understanding of the doctrine of the church, there is a scarcity of guidance on managing the family as well as its relationship to the church. Li Jin presents the doctrine of the Trinity as a foundation for a Christian family.
Supporting Article
Eschatology and China’s Churches
The question of a church’s eschatology not only concerns its future but also determines how its people live in today’s world. While house churches included a brief summary of their eschatology in a 1998 document, within the theology of the official Three-Self Church eschatology lacks a working category; it finds itself situated under communist ideology as any form of it appears to be a threat to the ideology of the government. The church in China must ask itself what biblical, orthodox eschatology is and how it can be preached.
View From the Wall
A Field Study of “The Church of Almighty God” Cult
The authors did a field study of The Church of Almighty God over several years. In their report they include excerpts from the writings of the “female Christ” found in The Scroll That the Lamb Opened. There are also quotes from several individuals they interviewed who had dealt directly with the cult. They conclude with comments regarding churches adopting either an “open or closed” policy.
View From the Wall
Faith Going Public
Urban Christians and Civic Participation in China
The authors review the origins and history of the house church movement then go on to discuss the current urban house church situation including civic engagement and Christian publications.