Extensions of Remarks E621 HON. ED PERLMUTTER
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
Protestants in China
Background Paper Protestants in China Issue date: 21 March 2013 (update) Review date: 21 September 2013 CONTENTS 1. Overview ................................................................................................................................... 2 2. History ....................................................................................................................................... 2 3. Number of Adherents ................................................................................................................ 3 4. Official Government Policy on Religion .................................................................................. 4 5. Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) and the China Christian Council (CCC) ................... 5 6. Registered Churches .................................................................................................................. 6 7. Unregistered Churches/ Unregistered Protestant Groups .......................................................... 7 8. House Churches ......................................................................................................................... 8 9. Protestant Denominations in China ........................................................................................... 9 10. Protestant Beliefs and Practices ............................................................................................ 10 11. Cults, sects and heterodox Protestant groups ........................................................................ 14 -
Christian History & Biography
Issue 98: Christianity in China As for Me and My House The house-church movement survived persecution and created a surge of Christian growth across China. Tony Lambert On the eve of the Communist victory in 1949, there were around one million Protestants (of all denominations) in China. In 2007, even the most conservative official polls reported 40 million, and these do not take into account the millions of secret Christians in the Communist Party and the government. What accounts for this astounding growth? Many observers point to the role of Chinese house churches. The house-church movement began in the pre-1949 missionary era. New converts—especially in evangelical missions like the China Inland Mission and the Christian & Missionary Alliance—would often meet in homes. Also, the rapidly growing independent churches, such as the True Jesus Church, the Little Flock, and the Jesus Family, stressed lay ministry and evangelism. The Little Flock had no pastors, relying on every "brother" to lead ministry, and attracted many educated city people and students who were dissatisfied with the traditional foreign missions and denominations. The Jesus Family practiced communal living and attracted the rural poor. These independent churches were uniquely placed to survive, and eventually flourish, in the new, strictly-controlled environment. In the early 1950s, the Three-Self Patriotic Movement eliminated denominations and created a stifling political control over the dwindling churches. Many believers quietly began to pull out of this system. -
PIECE 14. the CHRISTIANIZATION of CHINA. a Brief Intro!
PIECE 14. THE CHRISTIANIZATION OF CHINA. (Includes A few Dumb Europeans and the Smart Chinese.) A brief intro! Christianity in Chinese history Famous Christians in Chinese History. How many Christians in China? “A few Dumb Europeans and the Smart Chinese.” The future situation: Quo Vadis? What it all means for China? A brief intro! A study on China, however small like this book, would be incomplete without this subject. Some of you may be wondering why this chapter is in here at all, and the reasons for this is that some answers can be found towards the end of this very same chapter! So I do encourage you to hold on and stick this one out until the end and what it all means for China, thanks! This chapter may be more detailed than I originally anticipated. Through researching it and realizing the quasi- importance of this to China right now, it became, well,… longer! * From ancient times, believe it or not, faith in the Bible God and later Christianity has been alive and well in China. This may be a surprise to you, as it was to me. However, this has been researched very well in several books, and one particularly sound-bytey (or is that sound-bitey?) and fascinating book is called ‘Jesus in Beijing’ by David Aikman. Before you switch off and think this is a religious section of this book and load of ____ do bear with me as you may learn something very amazing before this chapter is finished. After all, don’t you pride yourself on being open-minded? Can you truly call yourself open minded if you already switch off? Not really. -
The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee
The Normal Christian Life Watchman Nee Chapter 1: The Blood of Christ Chapter 2: The Cross of Christ Chapter 3: The Path of Progress: Knowing Chapter 4: The Path of Progress: Reckoning Chapter 5: The Divide of the Cross Chapter 6: The Path of Progress: Presenting Ourselves to God Chapter 7: The Eternal Purpose Chapter 8: The Holy Spirit Chapter 9: The Meaning and Value of Romans Seven Chapter 10: The Path of Progress: Walking in the Spirit Chapter 11: One Body in Christ Chapter 12: The Cross and the Soul Life Chapter 13: The Path of Progress: Bearing the Cross Chapter 14: The Goal of the Gospel Chapter 1: The Blood of Christ What is the normal Christian life? We do well at the outset to ponder this question. The object of these studies is to show that it is something very different from the life of the average Christian. Indeed a consideration of the written Word of God -- of the Sermon on the Mount for example -- should lead us to ask whether such a life has ever in act been lived upon the earth, save only by the Son of God Himself. But in that last saving clause lies immediately the answer to our question. The Apostle Paul gives us his own definition of the Christian life in Galations 2:20. It is "no longer I, but Christ". Here he is not stating something special or peculiar -- a high level of Christianity. He is, we believe, presenting God's normal for a Christian, which can be summarized in the words: I live no longer, but Christ lives His life in me. -
Gareth Breen the MINGLED SPIRIT of the BLENDED BODIES
UCL ANTHROPOLOGY Working Paper No. 15/2014 UCL Anthropology Working Papers Series Gareth Breen THE MINGLED SPIRIT OF THE BLENDED BODIES: NON-DUALISM AND “THE CHURCH IN NOTTINGHAM” Dissertation submitted in 2012 for the BSc Anthropology UCL Anthropology University College London, 14 Taviton Street, London WC1H 0BW The Mingled Spirit of the Blended Bodies: Non-Dualism and “the Church in Nottingham” Gareth Breen Supervised by Rebecca Empson Word count: 10, 957 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 4 INTRODUCTION: Mingled Spirit, Blended Body 6 Fieldwork and Methodology 9 Chapters Outlined 14 CHAPTER ONE: Background, Founders and Seekers 17 Life and Knowledge 18 Christians and Christianity 32 CHAPTER TWO: The Otherness of the Body 38 The Body and Nondualistic Holism 38 Embodying the Body 43 CONCLUSION: Recursive Anthropology, Nondualism and Sameness 45 BIBLIOGRAPHY 48 APPENDIX 1: the Local Churches in Images 61 APPENDIX 2: the Local Churches in the Christian Media 63 APPENDIX 3: Local Church Diagrams 64 APPENDIX 4: Selected Interview Transcripts 65 2 FIGURES LIST Fig 1: The Tripartite Human Vessel 15 Fig 2: The Mingled Spirit 20 Fig 3: Processing the Triune God 22 Fig 4: The Tree of Life and the Ground of Oneness 37 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My greatest thanks go to my supervisor Rebecca Empson for her invaluable feedbacking and for persevering with my inarticulacy! Thank you to Charles Stewart and Susan Kuechler for their preliminary suggestions. I also thank Tobia, Timothy and Theo for their enlightening conversation, and my friends and family in the church for answering my questions and for re- accommodating me. 4 Abstract: In this dissertation I analyse the practices of a group of Christians living in Nottingham who cosmologically and pragmatically tie themselves in with an expanding worldwide Christian Group. -
In Recognition of Watchman Nee Hon
IN RECOGNITION OF WATCHMAN NEE HON. CHRIS H. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Mr. SMITH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to Life , sold over one million copies world-wide acknowledge the immense spiritual achieve- and became a twentieth-century Christian ment of Watchman Nee, a great pioneer of classic. In 1972 he died at the age of 71 in a Christianity in China. labor farm; his few surviving letters confirm that he remained faithful to God until the end. Christianity Today magazine recently honored Watchman Nee as one of the 100 most Madam Speaker, it is estimated that China has influential Christians of the twentieth century. more than one hundred million Christians, and Watchman Nee died over thirty years ago but millions of them consider themselves the his life and work continue to influence millions spiritual heirs of Watchman Nee. Millions more of Protestant Christians in China. Today more are rightly proud of the contribution Watchman than three thousand churches outside of China, Nee made to global Christianity—he was the including several hundred in the United States, first Chinese Christian to exercise an influence look to him as one of their spiritual and on Western Christians—and indeed of his theological founders. contribution to world spiritual culture. It is sad that the works of Watchman Nee are officially Watchman Nee was an astonishingly devoted banned in China—even as they are being and energetic man, which I think can be seen discovered afresh by a new generation of from a capsule summary of his life. -
The Spirituality of Watchman Nee from a Neo-Confucian Perspective
Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 3-29-2018 11:00 AM The Spirituality of Watchman Nee from a Neo-Confucian Perspective Jin Meng The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Marks, Darren C. The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in Theology A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Master of Arts © Jin Meng 2018 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Meng, Jin, "The Spirituality of Watchman Nee from a Neo-Confucian Perspective" (2018). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 5266. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/5266 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract Watchman Nee (Ni Tuosheng, 1903-1972) is one of the most influential Chinese theologians. His theology formed in the early twentieth century and still attracts Chinese people today. This thesis undertakes an innovative twofold-perspective investigation into Nee’s idea of sanctification. By clarifying Nee’s synthesizing of the Holiness Movement theologies and examining his view of sanctification through the lens of the neo-Confucian idea of moral cultivation, this work argues that the practical pursuit of living in holiness and the synthesis of rational thinking and mystical intuition of Nee’s spirituality both deeply resonated within the Chinese spiritual neo-Confucian mindset. Viewing Nee’s theology as a bridge connecting profound Western theological traditions and potential Chinese cultural elements, this thesis deepens the understanding of Nee’s theology, suggests possible spiritual interactions between Christianity and Chinese culture, and explores the future viability of Charismatic Chinese Christianity in relation to Nee’s vision of Chinese Christianity. -
2014-06-10 DCP Letter (English) W-Attachments
June 10, 2014 Dear Brothers: Attached is a translation of an announcement that will be released in Chinese along with Congressman Joe Pitts' statement in the Congressional Record . Per the co-workers’ fellowship in Philadelphia, we are making this announcement available to the churches now and will formally release it to a major Chinese newspaper in North America, World Journal . The publication dates for the editions in various cities in the United States and Canada are listed below. Please announce this to the churches in your area and to the Chinese-speaking saints in particular. In addition, the statement will appear in the weekend edition of World Journal now scheduled for publication on June 22. On May 28, a highly publicized murder took place in China, and Chinese government agencies quickly linked the case to the Almighty God cult (AGC). At the same time, reports in official government news outlets identified Witness Lee as the head of "the Shouters," which they refer to as one of the top evil cults in China. The government also said that the AGC is an “offshoot" of the so-called Shouters. China's official Anti-Cult Association has now reported that Living Stream Ministry, Taiwan Gospel Book Room and the Hong Kong Bible Research and Education Centre are the centers of Witness Lee's cultic movement. This most recent government listing of cults also associates Watchman Nee with the start of "the Shouters." As far as we are aware, this is the first time this accusation has been made publicly. This Congressional Record announcement comes at a very crucial time. -
Watchman Nee and Witness Lee Hon
WATCHMAN NEE AND WITNESS LEE HON. JOSEPH R. PITTS OF PENNSYLVANIA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, a little over four years (he was imprisoned shortly thereafter, and the ago my esteemed colleague from New Jersey, churches raised up under his and Lee’s ministry the honorable CHRIS SMITH , rose in this were forced underground), but also confirmed chamber to bring due attention to one of the that their message and ministry had the potential great Christians of the twentieth century—the to reach far beyond China. noted Chinese teacher and church-planter, Almost immediately Lee’s ministry began to Watchman Nee. Today, I rise to complete the have a profound impact in Taiwan. Tens of circle on this compelling story by honoring thousands turned to Jesus Christ for their Watchman Nee’s closest co-worker, Witness salvation and began congregating in simple, Lee. Together they labored tirelessly in China New Testament churches, as their Chinese from 1932 until the conquest of mainland China brethren had done in China during the previous by the Communist Red Army under Mao Tse two decades. Today, there are more than 200 Tung in 1949. Today, the story of Watchman such local churches in Taiwan with more than Nee is somewhat well known, given his 200,000 believers. It is a similar story in the Far numerous writings that have become Christian East and Australasia, with churches established classics, such as The Normal Christian Life and in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sit, Walk, Stand . Capping his inspirational Singapore, Japan, Korea, New Zealand and biography was his martyrdom in a Chinese labor Australia. -
The University of Chicago “The Spiritual Human Is
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO “THE SPIRITUAL HUMAN IS DISCERNED BY NO ONE”: AN INTELLECTUAL BIOGRAPHY OF WATCHMAN NEE A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE DIVINITY SCHOOL IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY BY PAUL H B CHANG CHICAGO, ILLINOIS JUNE 2017 For Laura 我妹子, 我親婦, 你奪了我的心 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Chapter 1, Republican China 18 Chapter 2, Fuzhou: Church and Conflict 74 Chapter 3, The Spiritual Human 127 Chapter 4, The Nanjing Decade 169 Conclusion 223 Bibliography 250 Appendix 259 iii Introduction A network of congregations quietly rings the globe, comprised of Christians meeting in homes and unassuming buildings, which usually bear little resemblance to traditional “churches.” A few outward characteristics are obvious. The local gatherings are of varying sizes, from two or three to two or three thousand. Frequently the members share meals together, often before or after services which can be boisterous and participatory. Generally, no pastor, priest, or designated religious officiant presides. As the Spirit leads, different members stand to call hymns, declare verses from the Bible, give personal testimonies, or shout praises to God. But, for all their openness about their beliefs and their tireless attempts at outreach, it can be hard for outsiders to understand who these Christians are. Why do they not join existing Christian denominations? What is the basis for their identity and the institutions they create? When asked, congregants readily and happily acknowledge their fellowship and unity with other likeminded groups from around the world, but they may seem canny and evasive when asked for the name of their local church or the name of the church network as a whole. -
A Timeline of Witness Lee Era in the U. S
A Timeline of Witness Lee Era in the U. S . 1. The Beginning of the Church Life In 1962 the church life in the Lord’s recovery had already begun, but accelerated markedly with the arrival of brother Witness Lee who was fully charged and burdened by the Lord to minister the word of God in the United States. He testified that he came with a "particular commission to bring the Lord's recovery to the top Christian country" . The response to his ministry in the United States was immediate and many left secure jobs and moved long distances to partake of the church life in Los Angeles. 2. The Catalyst for Coming to the U.S. (Larry Chi, former Taipei elder) Although Brother Lee testified that he was commissioned by the Lord to come to the U. S., there were serious issues between him and churches in the Far East that were a catalyst for his coming here. In the late fifties he had created a major problem to the church in Taipei through business failures involving investments from the saints, and his oldest son, Timothy, and he lost a lot of money. This brought a financial crisis to the church in Taipei. All the donations from the church members were used to pay the debt incurred, and still a large amount of money was owed. Due to the desperate situation, Brother Lee coerced the elders to sell a piece of land belonging to the church in order to pay the debt. Because of that action many coworkers and church members were especially unhappy. -
The Origins and Evolution of Adventist Mission in a Chinese Province
O'Reggio and Smith: Christianity With Chinese Characteristics: The Origins and Evolut TREVOR O’REGGIO & JOMO R. SMITH Christianity With Chinese Characteristics: The Origins and Evolution of Adventist Mission in a Chinese Province The Seventh-day Adventist Church in China is organized as the Chi- nese Union Mission and forms part of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division, which also includes the Japan Union, the Korean Union, and the Mongo- lian Mission Field. The Chinese Union has 1,150 churches and a member- ship of 380,295 members according to the Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook of 2010. The Chinese Union, in its current form, was first organized in 1949 and reorganized with the East Asian Association to form the Chinese Union Mission in 1999 (2010:239). The Adventist mission in China is a story that is yet to be fully told. Un- til recently, Western or Chinese scholars have not been interested in how the church has indigenized or localized to suit Chinese needs. The pur- pose of this study is to trace the origins and the evolution of Adventism in China, particularly in the southern region of the country, showing how Chinese Adventists indigenized their faith to make it more suitable to the Chinese context without necessarily compromising it. It also highlights the strategy of local Adventists in carrying out their mission within the context of a totalitarian state. Perhaps this study may increase our under- standing of how Christian missions can be more successful in totalitarian regimes in other parts of the world. Early Adventists had little concept of mission and were in fact anti- mission due to their peculiar theology of the Shut Door.