Religion Watch Archives

Monitoring Trends in Religion - From February 1990 to January 2016

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Archives
    • By Issue
    • By Article
    • By PDF (2008-14)
    • By PDF (1985-97)
    • All Articles
  • Sections
    • Current Research
    • Findings & Footnotes
    • On/File
  • Google Search
You are here: Home / Archive / Reformed Christianity finds growing appeal in China

Reformed Christianity finds growing appeal in China

August 1, 2015 by Richard Cimino

Print-friendly

Both Reformed (or Calvinistic) theology and church practice are finding growing appeal among Christians in China, reports Paul Peng in China Source (June 26), an online evangelical Chinese newsletter. Peng writes that Reformed thought has becoming increasingly influential among Chinese Christians, largely due to the translation of Reformed literature into Chinese and the evangelistic and teaching ministries of such church leaders as Pastors Stephen Tong and Samuel Ling. More recently, these Calvinistic currents of thought have been translated into church practices and church planting. Peng writes that churches are formalizing their confessions and church bylaws based on classic Reformed documents, such as the Westminster Standards.

Presbyterian forms of church government are also being implemented to connect churches that share the same confession, as well as to create a broader structure to enforce doctrinal authority. A similar structure is developing among a network of Reformed Baptist churches. The growth of Christian schooling is also related to this trend, as a large percentage of these fledgling institutions in China have a Reformed background, seeking to teach a “holistic, biblical worldview.” The practice of Christian disciplines prominent among the Reformed, such as holding family worship, pastoral care, and other spiritual disciplines has also proved attractive. Spreading these practices and structures are several Reformed church planting initiatives that are informed by what Peng calls a “kingdom theology” that has broken “away from tribalism” and is strongly outreach-oriented.

(China Source, http://www. Chinasource.org)

Print-friendly

Filed Under: Archive

Also in this issue

  • Featured Story: God-friendly Buddhists seek to engage Muslims
  • Polling problems pose new challenges in understanding today’s religion
  • New women-based prayer rituals gain pan-Jewish popularity in Israel and beyond
  • Current Research: August 2015
  • Prospects for future successor to the Dalai Lama uncertain given Chinese-Tibetan relations
  • Megachurches’ future may be brightest outside US
  • Homosexuality raises controversy for the New Apostolic Church
  • ‘Back to Judaism’ in Indonesia
  • Findings & Footnotes: August 2015
  • On/File: August 2015

Search the Site

Download the first issue of RELIGION WATCH (1980)

Download the first issue of RELIGION WATCH (1980)

Click on the image for downloading

© 2016-2023 Richard Cimino / Religioscope
·News Pro Theme · Genesis Framework by StudioPress · WordPress