Neutrality is Impossible: Nationalism, Unequal Treaties and the National Christian Council of China 1925-1926

"This article takes the National Christian Council of China (NCC) as a ease study. By examining the responses from various stakeholder both mainline Chinese Protestants and western mission within the NCC to the campaigns for the abrogation of the unequal treaties during the period of 1925——1926, it aims to reveal the tension and interaction between Christian missions? Chinese churches and the nationalist discourse. This article argues that although both Protestant missions and Chinese churches were in general the beneficiaries of the utoleration clauses“ of the unequal treaties and were aware of the necessity of drawing a clear borderline with the treaties > the two parties viewed the matter from different standpoints. To the majority of the missionary societies associated with the NCC > it was a diplomatic matter to be solved through formal negotiation between the governments. Whereas to most of the mainline Chinese Protestants> it had developed into a fundamental factor causing not only Christianity's unfavourable position in Chinese society, but also China's backwardness and uhumiliation. Considerably influenced by the nationalist discourse? they ardently engaged themselves in the campaigns to abrogate the unequal treaties > individually or as a group. Specific Chinese socio-political context and the nationalist discourse contributed significantly to the divergence of views. The NCC, incorporating both sides?was obliged to make a prompt response to the treaty issue and struggled to find common ground among the cooperating bodies.

Contextualizing Hymns and Songs for the Chinese Context

This essay discusses the development of Chinese Christian hymns and songs from the early twentieth century to modern times. Some hymns and songs composed by early Chinese hymn writers are analyzed, such as the works of Hsi Sheng-mo, Dora Yu, Jia Yu-ming, Wang Zai, Wang Ming Wang-dao, John Sung, Watchman Nee, and John E. Su. In order to effectively bring the gospel and teach biblical truths to the people, they used words and expressions that resonated with and were understood easily by Chinese. In the 1930s, T. C. Chao began to promote the idea of contextualizing Christianity and hymnody to meet the needs of Chinese society. He wrote hymns for Hymns for the People (1931), which were paired with Chinese tunes arranged by missionary Bliss Wiant. Significant hymnals compiled for Chinese churches, as well as hymns and songs composed by contemporary hymn writers and Christian music groups, also are examined.

Biblical Ecclesiology and the Chinese Church

The challenge of the Chinese Church is to explore an innovative and effective operational model of its own. This essay studies the phenomenon of the Chinese Church in mainland China but does not include those in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. It discusses the complexity of Chinese churches as they have survived and thrived over the centuries and explores the compatibility of Chinese Christians’ religious experiences with the biblical tradition of the church. It surveys the rise, the struggle, the mission, and the hope of the following churches in China: Chinese Three-Self Patriotic Protestant (TSP), Protestant Family Churches, Catholic Churches, and Russian Orthodox Churches.

The Attenuation of Female Empowerment among Three Pentecostal-Charismatic Chinese Churches in Malaysia and Singapore

Among all branches of Christianity, female empowerment has been valorized in Pentecostalism. However, questions remain regarding the extent of empowerment in its egalitarian ethos. This article examines some historical and sociological aspects of pentecostal-charismatic female power and leadership among three Chinese majority churches in Malaysia and Singapore. It does so by a participant-observation methodology of these churches and in-depth interviews of church and lay leaders to enquire into the degree in which women are (dis)empowered for ministry. It concludes that specific practices and traits of Pentecostalism such as the charismata, prayer and worship, and church female leadership are configured in response to contextual sociocultural influences to produce a Christian/pentecostal woman that is both modern yet distinctly Chinese but attenuated within a Confucian family logic.

A comparative study of interpersonal meanings of traditional hymns and contemporary Christian songs in China

Contemporary Christian songs (CCSs) are gaining more favor in Chinese churches than traditional hymns (THs) nowadays; however, many scholars have criticized the intimate relationship established with God in CCSs from the perspective of theology. This study aims to explore whether the God-human relationship built in THs and CCSs has experienced a change by carrying out a comparative analysis of their respective constructed interpersonal meanings. Combining Halliday’s framework with judgment in Martin and White’s Appraisal system, this study compares 100 CCSs and THs from the aspects of modality, judgment, mood and projected roles with the help of UAM Corpus Tool 3.0., with some changes of the original categories of judgment system due to the specific nature of the judged subject in the data. The semantic analyses show that the God-human relationship constructed in hymns has changed, with the encompassing view of God narrowed to one focused on love, the sinful nature of humans replaced by their incapability, and the assurance in and reverence to God outweighed by closeness and intimacy with Him. Some cultural realities and the situation of the church are referred to as a way of explaining this change.

Pastor Wellness among Chinese Churches: A Canadian Study

This article reports the results of a survey of Canadian Chinese pastors (N = 79) regarding pastor wellness by using a 10-item questionnaire. The results indicate that 22 (27.84%) have significant concerns and 38 (48.1%) have some concerns, with females slightly more affected. Major areas of concern are marital and/or family satisfaction, physical health, problem dealing with relationships in church, and emotional health. The author discusses the implications of the results and makes some recommendations to the pastors and churches.

William Newbern and Youth Hymns: The Music Ministry of the C&MA in South China in the Mid-Twentieth Century

American missionary William Newbern (1900–1972), one of the first C&MA missionaries to China, is known as the father of the Hong Kong Alliance Bible Seminary. Newbern, a successful evangelist and educator, also made a major contribution to Chinese hymnology in the mid-twentieth century, especially in his editorial role in preparing Youth Hymns, whose hymns are still used in Chinese churches today. As primary sources, I use mainly his autobiography ( The Cross and the Crown), his articles in Alliance Magazine, and his music commentaries Narrating Hymns ( Shengshi mantan).

When Notes Start to Speak: An Investigation of Footnotes and Interlinear Notes in Contemporary Chinese Bible Versions

This article investigates an often-neglected element in Bible translations, namely footnotes and interlinear notes. The notes in Mark from five contemporary Chinese versions are examined through an analytical framework based on Skopostheorie. These notes serve as test cases to illustrate how different versions deal with difficult translational and text-critical issues. In particular the example of the shorter and longer endings of Mark shows the tension between present-day New Testament textual criticism and the conservative mentality of Chinese churches. On the basis of six selected examples, this article concludes that notes should not merely be seen as trivial information but, on the contrary, they can offer a fresh look at the contexts of Bible versions, their skopoi, and their translation decisions. Therefore, in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of Bible versions, investigation of paratextual elements should receive more attention than it presently does.