Poetry is not only a form of cultural exegesis, but also a mode of common theology enriching conversations and reflections. When poetry is spiritually impregnated, it becomes a form of doxology, which I regard as the ground of all theology and missiology.
The 2023 spring issue of the ChinaSource Quarterly comes out next week. Here’s a sneak peek from the guest editor.
Join us in April for a fascinating lecture on “Christian Posters in the Early 20th Century China.”
This little analogy from the retail world breaks down easily. But it does make me stop and think. Am I one of the “half-hearted creatures…fooling about when infinite joy is offered?”
I suspect that many…have narrowed decisions about the future to one of two possible options: stay in China or return to one’s home country…. I see a compelling third option: relocate to an area outside of China to serve diaspora Chinese or train Chinese missionaries (or both).
Legislation may technically render a host of Christian activities illegal, but these activities do not suddenly cease. While we may hear that “China” is clamping down on unregistered meetings or websites or online gatherings, the reality on the ground may tell a different story.
Posters were the most common visual imagery of Christianity in China from 1919 to 1949. In his lecture, Dr. Daryl Ireland showcased some of his collection of nearly 700 posters from both Protestants and Catholics and discussed how they are changing the way we think about Chinese Christianity.
When pressure comes, Christians generally respond in one of three ways: fight, flight, or somewhere in the middle…. When praying for the Chinese church, we must not fail to pray...for the unity of Christians under pressure.
As Christians in China study biblical peacemaking, many have had personal aha moments…they now see that conflict starts in the heart and that avoiding addressing the root heart issues in order to “avoid conflict,” only results in the heart conflict remaining.
Like so many others who have wondered the past few years if returning to China might ever be possible again, the news that travel restrictions were being lifted gave me a glimmer of hope that it might actually be doable.
Wang Yi said, “We have an opportunity to demonstrate to society what the church is; why spiritual authority should not be in the hands of those who wield the sword; why we can…endure external governance but cannot allow our faith, worship, teaching, …and members to come under the state’s review and control.”
Wang Yi wrote, “The goal of disobedience is not to change the world but to testify about another world.”