Teaching & Academics Humanities Christianity

The Church in China Today

It's Not What You Think
Rating: 4.7 out of 5 (112 ratings)
978 students
Created by ChinaSource Institute, Brent Fulton
English
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Identify the prevailing narratives about the church in China and implications for those seeking to serve.
Understand the history of the interaction between Christianity and Chinese culture and the state and how that provides a context in which to address the challenges as well as the opportunities facing the church today.
Compare and contrast the characteristics, strengths, and weakness of the three identifiable streams of the church in China.
Identify common myths that continue to color the perceptions of many regarding China’s church.
Identify spiritual lessons coming out of the Chinese church’s unique experience of growth amidst suffering.

Requirements

  • No materials or prior knowledge of the subject are required.

Description

“The church in China? Isn’t Christianity illegal there?”

Maybe this has been your reaction to hearing about the church in China or maybe you’ve heard others react this way. As with many things in China, the answer is ‘yes and no’ but the part that is an absolute ‘yes’ is that Christianity in China is growing.

The religious climate in China, especially for Christians, may be messy but it’s not beyond understanding. This course offers a comprehensive overview of the Church in China, ranging from a historical understanding of how far the church has come, to the struggles it endures in present day, to common misconceptions about the state of the church.

Whether you’re simply interested in China or looking to serve there, this course will provide you with excellent foundational knowledge on the church in China today. The lectures are conducted by Dr. Brent Fulton, author of China's Urban Christians: A Light That Cannot Be Hidden

Who this course is for:

  • This course is designed for members of the Christian faith-based community who are serving in China or who plan to serve in China.
  • It will also be helpful anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of the complex nature of the church in China.

Course content

1 section • 5 lectures • 1h 27m total length

  • One Church: Many Narratives
    12:30
  • Quiz 1: One Church, Many Narratives
    4 questions
  • Lecture 2: We've Come This Way Before
    19:59
  • Quiz 2: We've Come This Way Before
    3 questions
  • Lecture 3: Faces of the Chinese Church
    17:32
  • Quiz 3: Faces of the Chinese Church
    5 questions
  • Lecture 4: Whatever You Hear About China
    17:50
  • Quiz 4: Whatever You Hear About China
    4 questions
  • Lecture 5: Lessons from the Church in China
    20:03
  • Quiz 5: Lessons from the Church in China
    4 questions

Instructors

ChinaSource Institute
Serving the China Ministry Community
ChinaSource Institute
  • 4.6 Instructor Rating
  • 565 Reviews
  • 2,345 Students
  • 2 Courses

In the diverse world of China ministry, where organizations & individuals are engaged in opportunities to serve Mainland Chinese people, inside and outside of China, ChinaSource Institute provides easily accessible, high quality, professional services that are relevant and useful in equipping those who are serving China today. We offer online courses and on-site training on a wide variety of cross-cultural & orientation topics, focusing on the China context and designed to serve to those involved in Christian ministry.

Brent Fulton
President of ChinaSource
Brent Fulton
  • 4.7 Instructor Rating
  • 112 Reviews
  • 978 Students
  • 1 Course

An avid China watcher, Dr. Fulton has written and taught extensively on the church in China and on Chinese social and political phenomena. He is the the author of China's Urban Christians: A Light That Cannot Be Hidden and co-authored China's Next Generation: New China, New Church, New World with Luis Bush. He holds MA and PhD degrees in Political Science from the University of Southern California and a BA in Radio-TV-Film from Messiah College.