This volume explores Chinese Christianity-or Chinese Christianities-in a variety of forms and expressions, including those from outside the geopolitical boundaries of mainland China. Advancing a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of Chinese churches, the essays collected here engage many historical, sociological, cultural, and theological contingencies. The collection includes historical discussions of the early-20th-century encounters of Protestant and Catholic missionaries in China and the rise of Christianity among Malaysian Chinese and British Chinese communities. Essays examine the thinking of K. H. Ting (or Ding Guangxun), often remembered for his leadership in the Three-Self Patriotic Movement in the 1980s-90s, by revisiting his earlier theology and approach to the Bible in the 1930s-50s. These retrospectives give way to contemporary explorations into how Chinese churches negotiate their urban identities amidst the complexities of globalization in Chengdu and Shanghai, as well as in Vancouver, Canada. Taken as a whole, this collection offers close examinations into various aspects of Chinese Christianity's complex picture, helping readers to recognize the many shades and colors of the global Chinese Church.
"A major contribution of this book is that three articles in this category have been collected by the editors, who themselves happen to have 'overseas Chinese' backgrounds. ... the editors deserve our appreciation for their contributions ... . This book illustrates a wider perspective on missionary attitudes toward a changing China ... . The book examines various cases through modern, interdisciplinary, and global lenses. ... the book opens a fresh and healthy horizon for future studies in this field." (Peter Chen-Main Wang, Ching Feng - A Journal on Christianity and Chinese Religion and Culture, March 12, 2023)