Chinese Christians are not only receivers of traditional culture but also reformers of contemporary culture and creators of emerging culture. When reflecting on the complex relationship between the gospel and culture, we need a grand and holistic Christian worldview, capable of carrying the gospel’s tolerance of, challenge for, and renewal of culture.
The Bible presents us with good reasons both for celebrating dragons and for slaying them. Insofar as they represent those unfallen throne guardians of heaven, they should be duly revered; and insofar as they represent that fallen seraph Satan, they should be crushed underfoot.
In honor of women’s month, we’ve highlighted the experiences of women in China ministry on the blog. Today, we’re expanding our lens to look back at articles published on how Chinese women’s lives have changed in the past century, how they are working in the church, and their triumphs and struggles.
Today it is difficult to talk about the church in China without referencing China’s church outside China. Many leaders operate with one foot on Chinese soil and the other abroad, either by virtue of their frequent international travel or via offshore organizations through which their voices are amplified, making them spokespersons for a movement that transcends China’s borders.
Let us pray for those who are still living in darkness and feel so stuck in the massage parlor in the urban villages. Let us pray for workers to reach them, for alternative jobs and safe houses to provide a way out, and for proper trauma counseling to help them process their past.
I was blessed to have lived and worked in China for much of my adulthood and be able to hold up my part of the sky. Does this contradict the point I made above about being limited by my gender? Life is more nuanced than blanket statements. Both are true for me, at times I felt limited by my gender and at times I felt not limited by it.
「没有宗教信仰」，就代表对基督教没有兴趣吗？一项英国华人研究发现，许多非基督徒愿意从社会议题、文化与人际关系出发，探索基督信仰。
What is needed is people who know Jesus and love Tibetans enough to find ways to engage them personally, enough to walk with them through faltering steps of faith, and enough to endure long enough in the field that seeds sown find their way to good soil, hearts God has already prepared.
Expectations for new missionaries as well as for their sending bodies should include a long-term developmental perspective that recognizes on-field difficulties as expected and as the normative shaping events God intentionally uses to develop cross-cultural ministry capacity.
Understanding both the registered and unregistered aspects of the church in China provides a more comprehensive picture of the dynamic interplay within the Christian sphere, shedding light on the various challenges and opportunities that each sector encounters.
作为惠顿学院全球散居研究中心（Global Diaspora Institute）的主任，我们很高兴能再次担任《华源期刊》有关华人散居议题的客座编辑。这本期刊诞生于惠顿学院葛理翰中心，而我们也曾于2020年12月编辑过一期《华源期刊》。感谢各位读者对那一期的回馈，我们盼望 “散居” 议题今后能持续成为《华源期刊》的固定主题之一。在本期出版过程中，我们也特别感谢Jeanne Wu博士与我们紧密合作，共同完成这一期。 当代的华人散居群体规模庞大且分布广泛，横跨各大洲，呈现多重样貌与形态。海外华人群体高度多元，他们交织出一幅由复杂移民历史与定居模式所构成的丰富织锦。而这些迁徙并定居于世界各地的华人，其信仰与生活实践更呈现多重交织的特色。数个世纪以来，不同时期的移民潮前往不同目的地，逐渐形成全球华人散居群体之间错综复杂的关系网络。不同的祖籍来源，以及多个世代与在地文化的互动，使各地华人社群形成了多元且各具特色的传统、灵性与风俗。他们在各个领域皆有卓越表现，一方面为所定居的国家作出重要贡献，同时也持续与中国及世界各地的华人保持联系。如今华人的足迹已遍布全球，甚至可以像昔日的大英帝国一样宣称：在华人散居群体的地图上，太阳永不落。 在可预见的未来，华人散居群体的人口仍将持续增长，而其中所蕴含的宣教意义极其深远。近年来，基督教在中国的增长，加上该国政局的动荡，正推动创纪录数量的人口移居海外。许多人在离开祖先故土后，获得新的自由，并在异地文化与社会环境中接受基督信仰。他们不仅在世界各大城市建立充满活力的基督教会，更在定居地及其他族群与国家中，成为一股重要的宣教力量。本期《华源期刊》春季号收录多篇深具洞见的文章，详尽记录了这ㄧ现象如何在全球不同处境中展开。 Jeanne Wu博士为全球华人散居群体提供了一幅宏观的概览。Henry Lu牧师则探讨近期香港移民涌向英国的趋势，并详述向这群散居者展开的宣教事工。与此相似，David Ng博士反思来自中国大陆与香港的移民大量涌入澳洲的现象，指出这既为向未曾进入教会的人传福音带来契机，也因着大量基督徒的加入而为当地教会注入活力。 Francis Tam牧师则回顾在加拿大透过散居群体展开的宣教工作，特别是华人基督徒向穆斯林传福音的事工。而Luke Zheng博士在分析欧洲当前迫切处境时指出，当地急需更多华人宣教工人。最后，在本期书评部分，我们选择Jeanne Wu博士近期出版的著作，该书改编自她针对美国华人群体所撰写的博士论文。 本文原以英文撰写，中文译稿由华源协作翻译刊载。
Our Lord is the lord of history, and everything happens according to his plan. The recent political developments in and related to China have impacted the movement and dynamics of the global Chinese diaspora. They have closed some doors for mission while opening others.