Have you been keeping up with our publication Chinese Church Voices? If not, here are the five most popular posts of 2014 that you may have missed.
The Gospel Times recently re-posted a piece from a blogger, titled “Why I Am a Christian.” In it the blogger gives ten reasons for being a Christian. The structure is one commonly used in Chinese writing — asking a question multiple times, then answering it multiple times.
Interview with a Reformed Church Pastor (1)
One of the interesting developments in the church in China over the past decade is growing popularity and influence of Reformed theology, particularly within urban house churches. This has come about as the Christians in China have had increasing opportunities to interact with the church outside of China, either directly, or via the Internet. Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion has been translated into Chinese, as have the writings of prominent voices in the “New Calvinism” movement in the United States, such as Tim Keller, D.A. Carson, and John Piper. Probably the most influential figure, however, is Rev. Stephen Tong, head of the Reformed Evangelical Church of Indonesia. In order to better understand the rise of Reformed theology and its impact on churches in China, the Christian Times conducted an interview with a Reformed pastor. Because the interview is extremely long, we are breaking it into parts.
Chinese Christian Dating Sites
One of the challenges for young Christians in China is finding spouses who are also believers. Because of family and society expectations to marry, young people, especially those whose parents are not believers, are under extreme pressure because their parents do not understand (or accept) their commitment to marry other Christians. This pressure is particularly acute for single women.
As space has opened up online for Christians, some have turned to the Internet as a place to find a Christian spouse. The mainland site Gospel Times recently posted information about 7 mainland dating sites for Christians.
Filial Piety: A Christian Perspective
Filial piety is one of the bedrock values of Chinese society. Rooted in Confucianism, it is the belief that honoring one’s parents is a person’s most important responsibility. It is also the philosophical underpinning the traditional practice of ancestor worship. The mainland site Gospel Times, recently re-posted an article from a personal blog titled The Christian View of Filial Piety. In it the author explores the similarities and differences between the Chinese concept of filial piety and the Biblical teaching to honor one’s parents.
The Wenzhou Church: Reborn from the Ashes
This year’s attacks on church buildings in Wenzhou have been the subject of much analysis, the majority focusing on the relationship between church and government in Wenzhou. The following blog post, written by a Christian in China, and published in the mainland Christian Times, takes a closer look at the impact on the Wenzhou church itself.
While not dismissing the seriousness of the attacks, the writer nonetheless suggests that the unfortunate events of this year may actually prove to be a significant turning point in the development of the Wenzhou church.
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