Nathan Faries, The Inscrutably Chinese Church: How Narratives and Nationalism Continue to Divide Christianity(2010)

The Inscrutably Chinese Church: How Narratives and Nationalism Continue to Divide Christianity

By Nathan Faries

Hardcover: 310 pages

Publisher: Lexington Books (October 16, 2010)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 9780739139578

ISBN-13: 978-0739139578

ASIN: 0739139576

Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches

"The Inscrutably Chinese Church opens a window of opportunity for us to view Protestant churches in contemporary China through a different lens....This book will help all of us see more clearly the true face of the Chinese church, close some gaps caused by cultural miscommunication, draw together the perception of those inside and those outside China, and bring the  inscrutably Chinese  church into clearer view."— International Bulletin of Missionary Research

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The first half of the twenty-first century promises to be a time of great change for the Christian church in the People's Republic of China. The situation is complex and fluid, and the information gap between those on the inside and those outside of China is still significant, though shrinking. The  Inscrutably Chinese  Church moves readers nearer to the Chinese Christian experience, as Nathan Faries helps foreign readers to see with greater clarity just how Chinese Christians view their government and themselves in relation to those ruling powers. There still exists a measure of inscrutability about China and its complex relationship with religion that must be explained to the outsider. It is this gap in understanding—between insider points of view within China and those outsiders seeking knowledge about the Christian faith in China—that Faries seeks to close.

About the Author

Nathan Faries is associate professor of English at the University of Dubuque.