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China's "Christianity Fever" revisited: towards a community-oriented reading of Christian conversions in China
Chinas "Christentum-Fieber" revisited: eine community-orientierte Lesart christlicher Konversion in China
[journal article]
Abstract Chinese Protestant Christianity has been continually growing over the past three decades, with an estimated one million converts per year. A number of studies have sought to explain this phenomenon. This paper critically reviews existing studies of China's "Christianity Fever" and then outlines the ... view more
Chinese Protestant Christianity has been continually growing over the past three decades, with an estimated one million converts per year. A number of studies have sought to explain this phenomenon. This paper critically reviews existing studies of China's "Christianity Fever" and then outlines the role of the community as one crucial factor in the conversion process. With its emphasis on communality, as a central element of both Christian theology and the fellowship activities that are part of Christian practice, Protestant Christianity fills a gap opened up by the change in traditional familial and social structures. By discussing specific aspects relating to the communal nature of Christianity, such as familism, elitism, and dynamics at work in face-to-face evangelism, this paper offers an alternative reading of existing studies.... view less
Keywords
role; conversion; cultural change; religious group; value-orientation; Protestant church; psychological theory; church; Far East; social structure; family; Protestantism; Christianity; social change; China
Classification
Sociology of Developing Countries, Developmental Sociology
Sociology of Religion
Method
theory application; empirical; historical; quantitative empirical
Free Keywords
Social sciences; Christianity; Protestantism; community; Christianity Fever; contemporary
Document language
English
Publication Year
2010
Page/Pages
p. 71-109
Journal
Journal of Current Chinese Affairs, 39 (2010) 4
ISSN
1868-4874
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed
Licence
Creative Commons - Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works