After Imperialism: Christian Identity in China and the Global Evangelical Movement

by Richard R Cook (Editor), David W Pao (Editor)

Overview

Is the Church merely a Western institution? Where does Christianity fit in with Chinese identity? Does Chinese Evangelism detract from Chinese culture? This collection of essays addresses Christian Evangelism within a historical context to China's diverse character, and explores prejudices and reactions to the evangelical movement throughout China. The contributors of this volume are committed to the belief that evangelicalism continues to have the historical assets and intellectual, hermeneutical and theological, tools able to contribute to the global church.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780718892579
Publisher:	The Lutterworth Press
Publication date:	04/26/2012
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x (d)

About the Author

Richard R. Cook is Associate Professor of Mission History and Global Christianity at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois.

David W. Pao is Professor of New Testament and Chair of the New Testament Department at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois.

Table of Contents

Contributors vii

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction Richard R. Cook David W. Pao xi

Abbreviations xvi

1 Modern Evangelicalism and Global Christian Identity: Promise and Peril as Seen through the Eyes of a North American Church Historian Douglas A. Sweeney 1

2 Missions, Cultural Imperialism, and the Development of the Chinese Church Ka Lun Leung 23

3 Overcoming Missions Guilt: Robert Morrison, Liang Fa, and the Opium Wars Richard R. Cook 35

4 Chinese Evangelicals and Social Concerns: A Historical and Comparative Review Kevin Xiyi Yao 46

5 The Old Testament in Its Cultural Context: Implications of "Contextual Criticism" for Chinese and North American Christian Identity K. Lawson Younger Jr. 73

6 "Holy War" and the Universal God: Reading the Old Testament Holy War Texts in a Biblical-Theological and Postcolonial Setting Tremper Longman III 96

7 "Holy War" and the Universal God: Reading the New Testament Conquest Accounts in a Postcolonial Setting David W. Pao 112

8 The Group and the Individual in Salvation: The Witness of Paul Frank Thielman 136

9 Boundaries in "In-Christ Identity": Paul's View on Table Fellowship and Its Implications for Ethnic Identities Maureen W. Yeung 154

10 "Who Am I?" Theology and Identity for Children of the Dragon Robert J. Priest 175

11 Chinese Contextual Theology: A Possible Reconstruction? David Y.T. Lee 193

12 Forging Evangelical Identity: Integration of Models of Theological Education in the Global Context Carver T. Yu 220

Editorial Reviews

'This volume helpfully outlines some ways in which imperial readings of the Bible and Christian history have led to the inexcusable importation of Western divisions into Chinese church life.' Lawrence Braschi, Church Times, 30 November 2012'[David Pao's work] opens a way to overcome missionary paralysis for fear of propagating or capitulating to neo-colonialism.' Beau Pihlaja, Theological Book Review, Volume 24, No 2, 2012"After Imperialism is good in pointing out the pietistic and dispensational views of many of the unregistered churches and the false Western expectation that the growing church in China has political democracy as part of its vision."Ray Porter, Evangelicals Now, August 2013

From the Publisher

After Imperialism is thus best appreciated for what it represents: an early attempt to bring together two different conversations. Hopefully the participants behind After Imperialism will reconvene again soon, providing readers with an opportunity to appreciate more recent Chinese appropriations of global evangelicalism as well as the ways in which Chinese Christian identity can and will shape the nature of global evangelicalism on into the future

The Expository Times, Vol.125, No.5, February 2014 - Andrew Kaiser

‘This volume helpfully outlines some ways in which imperial readings of the Bible and Christian history have led to the inexcusable importation of Western divisions into Chinese church life.’

Church Times - Lawrence Braschi

‘[David Pao’s work] opens a way to overcome missionary paralysis for fear of propagating or capitulating to neo-colonialism.’

Theological Book Review, Volume 24, No 2, 2012 - Beau Pihlaja

[After Imperialism] is good in pointing out the pietistic and dispensational views of many of the unregistered churches and the false Western expectation that the growing church in China has political democracy as part of its vision.

Evangelicals Now - Ray Porter