Shaping Christianity in Greater China: Indigenous Christians in Focus

By Paul Woods

Regnum Books International, 2017

ISBN 978-1532644474

283 pages

USD $32.00

Reviewed by John Doss, senior pastor, Discovery Christian Community, Salt Lake City, Utah.

We have heard the spellbinding stories of missionaries in China-currently on track to become the world’s largest Christian nation-but what about the contribution of Chinese Christians to the development of their own church? This is the focus of Shaping Christianity in Greater China, a collection of seventeen essays which provide a diverse portrait of the development of the indigenous Chinese church. The book emerged from a conference marking the 150th anniversary of the OMF (previously China Inland Mission) on the contributions of indigenous Christians in China. The authors are representative of this book’s variety: both Chinese and non-Chinese experts and educators from around the world as well as a variety of faith traditions (Anglican, Baptist, Charismatic, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, etc.). Their task is not easy given the inadequate, historical information on native Chinese Christians, in contrast to the archives of western missionaries to China. Nevertheless, editor Paul Woods succeeds in providing a captivating snapshot of the multi-faceted, lesser-known story of the Christian faith in China.

Shaping Christianity in Greater China covers a time period of almost four hundred years, from the Fujian literati’s Christian poetry in the 16th century to the role of a Christian NGO in the aftermath of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Pains are also taken to represent the body of Christ throughout the vast, geographical region of China, from the church in northern Shanxi during the Boxer Rebellion to the development of an indigenous church amongst the Lysu in the south; from portraits of great, native church leaders in Hong Kong and Taiwan to Dr. Kao’s medical church-planting ministry in the western Gansu province. Further, an impressive array of subjects is discussed, including Catholic and Protestant Bible translation, the contribution of Chinese, Christian women, Chinese theology in contrast with western theology, Christianity’s role in Chinese education, the Taiwanese self-determination movement, and more. The paradoxical relationship between the indigenous church and the West is often discussed, as Chinese Christians were both thankful for the western missionaries as well as critical of their methods and their governments’ policies. Several authors demonstrate how the anti-foreign sentiment ironically furthered the indigenization of Christianity in China.

Shaping Christianity in Greater China is not, nor does it claim to be, a definitive history of the indigenous, Chinese church. It should be viewed rather as a conversation-starter, an invitation to further research the remarkable contribution of native Chinese to the development of their own church. The attempt to cover such a vast array of content keeps this book from treating any one subject in depth. Naturally, some articles are more well-written and valuable than others, the first chapter being irrelevant and the final chapters on contemporary history having the advantage of a larger research body. In conclusion, this book is an essential resource for anyone interested in the history of Christianity in China and the people of China’s role in that fascinating story which continues today.

For Further Reading

Austin, Alvyn. China’s Millions (Studies in the History of Christian Missions). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007.

Bays, Daniel H. A New History of Christianity in China. West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012.