NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Christianity in China

Christianity in China has developed since at least the 7th century AD. The introduction of Nestorianism, a Christian sect, around 635 is considered by some to be the first entry of the Christian religion into China. Today, the Christian population in China comprises Protestants, Catholics, and a small number of Orthodox Christians. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Chinese (written) language (pinyin: zhōngw n) written in Chinese characters The Chinese language (汉语/漢語, 华语/華語, or 中文; Pinyin: H nyǔ, Hu yǔ, or Zhōngw n) is a member of the Sino-Tibetan family of languages. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 460 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (1668 Ã— 2172 pixel, file size: 414 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) From Chinas Millions; China Inland Mission; London; January 1892 (colors added by Brian York in photoshop for emphasis) This image is in the public domain... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 460 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (1668 Ã— 2172 pixel, file size: 414 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) From Chinas Millions; China Inland Mission; London; January 1892 (colors added by Brian York in photoshop for emphasis) This image is in the public domain... Open air preaching in China using the Wordless Book[1] The Wordless Book is a Christian evangelistic device. ... Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Â· Other religions Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Luther Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury Â· Catholic Pope Coptic Pope Â· Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box: Christianity is... Nestorianism is the doctrine that Jesus exists as two persons, the man Jesus and the divine Son of God, or Logos, rather than as a unified person. ... This article is about religious groups. ... Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Â· Other religions Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Luther Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury Â· Catholic Pope Coptic Pope Â· Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box: Christianity is... Protestant Christianity entered China in the early 19th century. ... It has been suggested that Orthodoxy in China be merged into this article or section. ...

While the government census enumerates 4 million Catholics and 10 million Protestants ^[1], estimates have ranged from 40 million ^[2] to 100 million ^[3] Christian (out of a population of at least 1.3 billion people). According to a October 2007 survey held by missionary Werner Burklin, who has criticized higher numbers as exaggerations, estimates roughly 54 million Christians.^[4] Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

Christianity took root in a significant way during the Qing Dynasty, and the Taiping Rebellion was arguably influenced to some degree by Christian teachings. The last 200 years have seen explosive growth that has by far outpaced church growth in the West. At the beginning of the 21st Century China is estimated to be the third largest Christian community on earth, with some opining that Christianity eventually might become a Sino-centric religion.^[5] Flag (1890-1912) Anthem Gong Jinou (1911) Qing China at its greatest extent. ... Combatants Qing Empire United Kingdom France (United Kingdom and France join the war later) Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Commanders Xianfeng Emperor Tongzhi Emperor Empress Dowager Cixi Charles George Gordon Frederick Townsend Ward Hong Xiuquan Yang Xiuqing Xiao Chaogui Feng Yunshan Wei Changhui Shi Dakai Li Xiucheng Strength 2,000,000-5...

Christians in China established the first clinics and hospitals, provided the first training for nurses, opened the first modern schools, abolished practices such as foot binding and the unjust treatment of maidservants, as well as launching charitable work and distributing food to the poor. They also opposed the Opium trade and brought treatment to many who were addicted. Some of the early leaders of the Chinese Republic, such as Sun Yat-sen identified with Christianity and were influenced by its teachings. X-ray of bound feet. ... This article is about the drug. ... National motto: None Official language Mandarin Chinese Capital Taipei¹ Largest city Taipei President Chen Shui-bian Premier Frank Hsieh Area - Total - % water Ranked 134th 32,260 km² 10. ... Sun Yat-sen (November 12, 1866 â€“ March 12, 1925) was a Chinese revolutionary and political leader often referred to as the father of modern China. Sun played an instrumental role in the eventual overthrow of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. ...

Pre-modern History

Earliest period

Traditional Christian thought suggested that St. Thomas, known as "the Apostle of India" or possibly St. Bartholomew were the first to spread the Christian gospel in China. The form of Christianity often called Nestorianism but better described as the Church of the East spread widely across the continent of Asia following the banishment and condemnation of Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, at the Council of Ephesus in 431. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Jude Thomas. ... Michelangelos The Last Judgement shows Saint Bartholomew holding the knife of his martyrdom and his flayed skin. ...

Medieval period

The 13th century saw a Franco-Mongol alliance with exchange of ambassadors and even military collaboration in the Holy Land. The Christian Chinese Mongol Rabban Bar Sauma, born in Beijing, visited the courts of Europe in 1287-1288. In 1289, Franciscan friars from Europe initiated mission work in China. For about a century they worked in parallel with the Nestorian Christians. The Franciscan mission collapsed in 1368, as the Ming Dynasty set out to abolish Christianity (Nestorian and Catholic) in China. The Second major thrust of Christianity into China occurred during the thirteenth century. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 368 pixelsFull resolution (3600 Ã— 1654 pixel, file size: 653 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Please see the file description page for further information. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 368 pixelsFull resolution (3600 Ã— 1654 pixel, file size: 653 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Please see the file description page for further information. ... Rabban Bar Sauma (fl. ... For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ... This article is about the capital of France. ... For other uses, see Bordeaux (disambiguation). ... Among the Christian states in the Levant (in yellow) Little Armenia and the northern Frank kingdom of Antioch were the most regular allies of the Mongols. ... For other uses, see Holy Land (disambiguation). ... Rabban Bar Sauma (fl. ... The Order of Friars Minor and other Franciscan movements are disciples of Saint Francis of Assisi. ... For other uses, see Ming. ...

Post-Reformation

The first Jesuit attempt to reach China was made in 1552 by Francis Xavier, but he died the same year on the Chinese island of Shangchuan, without having reached the mainland. In 1582, Jesuits once again initiated mission work in China, introducing Western science, mathematics, and astronomy. One of these missionaries was Matteo Ricci. The first Jesuit attempt to reach China was made in 1552 by Francis Xavier, but he died the same year on the Chinese island of Shangchuan, without having reached the mainland. ... The Society of Jesus (Latin: Societas Iesu), commonly known as the Jesuits, is a Roman Catholic religious order. ... Saint Francis Xavier (Basque: San Frantzisko Xabierkoa; Spanish: San Francisco Javier; Portuguese: SÃ£o Francisco Xavier; Chinese: è–æ–¹æ¿Ÿå„æ²™å‹¿ç•¥) (7 April 1506 - 2 December 1552) was a Spanish pioneering Roman Catholic Christian missionary and co-founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit Order). ... Shangchuan Island (上川镇, Schangschwan, Sancian, Chang-Chuang, St. ... Matteo Ricci. ...

In the early 18th century, the Chinese Rites controversy, a dispute within the Catholic Church, arose over whether Chinese folk religion rituals and offerings to their ancestors constituted idolatry. The Pope ultimately ruled against tolerating the continuation of these practices among Chinese Catholic converts. Prior to this, the Jesuits had enjoyed considerable influence at court, but with the issuing of the papal bull, the emperor circulated edicts banning Christianity. The Chinese Rites controversy was a dispute within the Roman Catholic Church in the early 18th century about whether Chinese folk religion rites and offerings to the emperor constituted idolatry or not. ... The name Catholic Church can mean a visible organization that refers to itself as Catholic, or the invisible Christian Church, viz. ... The Adoration of the Golden Calf by Nicolas Poussin Idolatry is a major sin in the Abrahamic religions regarding image. ...

Modern Age

Missionary Expansion (1807-1900)

Robert Morrison, regarded among Protestants as being the first Christian missionary to China arrived in Macao on 4 September, 1807. Morrison produced a Chinese translation of the Bible. He also compiled a Chinese dictionary for the use of westerners. The Bible translation took twelve years and the compilation of the dictionary, sixteen years. During the last half of the eighteenth and the opening decades of the nineteenth century little was done to advance the cause of Christ in China. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 600 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (606 Ã— 606 pixel, file size: 27 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Painting by John Richard Wildman (1785-1839) The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 600 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (606 Ã— 606 pixel, file size: 27 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Painting by John Richard Wildman (1785-1839) The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States... The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa. ... Robert Morrison (Chinese: é¦¬ç¦®éœ; born January 5, 1782 in Bullers Green, near Morpeth, Northumberland; died August 1, 1834 in Canton; buried in the Old Protestant Cemetery in Macau) was a Scottish missionary, the first Protestant missionary in China. ... is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library. ...

During the 1840s, Western missionaries spread Christianity rapidly through the coastal cities that were open to foreign trade; the bloody Taiping Rebellion was connected in its origins to the influence of some missionaries on the leader Hong Xiuquan, who has since been hailed as a heretic by most Christian groups, but as a proto-communist peasant militant by the Chinese Communist Party. // First use of general anesthesia in an operation, by Crawford Long The first electrical telegraph sent by Samuel Morse on May 24, 1844 from Baltimore to Washington, D.C.. First signing of the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi) on February 6, 1840 at Waitangi, Northland New Zealand. ... For other uses, see Missionary (disambiguation). ... Combatants Qing Empire United Kingdom France (United Kingdom and France join the war later) Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Commanders Xianfeng Emperor Tongzhi Emperor Empress Dowager Cixi Charles George Gordon Frederick Townsend Ward Hong Xiuquan Yang Xiuqing Xiao Chaogui Feng Yunshan Wei Changhui Shi Dakai Li Xiucheng Strength 2,000,000-5... A statue of Hong Xiuquan HÃ³ng XiÃ¹quÃ¡n (æ´ªç§€å…¨, Wade-Giles: Hung Hsiu-chÃ¼an, born Hong Renkun æ´ªä»å¤, Courtesy name Huoxiu ç«ç§€; January 10, 1812-June 1, 1864) was a Hakka Chinese Christian who led the Taiping Rebellion and established the Heavenly Kingdom of Taiping, in which he was known... Communist Party of China flag The Communist Party of China (Simplified Chinese: 中国共产党; Traditional Chinese: 中國共産黨; pinyin: Zhōnggu ngchǎndǎng) is the ruling party of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

In 1860 Protestant missions were confined to five coastal cities. By the end of the century, however, the picture had vastly changed. Scores of new missionary societies had been organized, and several thousand missionaries were working in all parts of China. This amazing transformation can be largely traced to the excitement caused by the 1859 Awakening in Britain and the example of J. Hudson Taylor (1832-1905). By 1865 when the China Inland Mission began, there were already thirty different Protestant groups at work in China^[6], however the diversity of denominations represented did not equate to more missionaries on the field. In the seven provinces in which Protestant missionaries had already been working, there were an estimated 204 million people with only 91 workers, while there were eleven other provinces in inland China with a population estimated at 197 million, for whom absolutely nothing had been attempted^[7]. Besides the London Missionary Society, and the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, there were missionaries affiliated with Baptists, Southern Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Episcopalians, and Wesleyans. Most missionaries came from England, the United States, Sweden, France, Germany, Switzerland, or Holland^[8]. The Great Awakenings refer to several periods of dramatic religious revival in Anglo-American religious history. ... Hudson & Maria Taylor in 1865 James Hudson Taylor æˆ´å¾·ç”Ÿ (May 21, 1832 â€“ June 3, 1905), was a British Protestant Christian missionary to China, and founder of the China Inland Mission (CIM) (now OMF International) who served there for 51 years, bringing over 800 missionaries to the country and directly resulting in... Proposed in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College and officially chartered in 1812, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was the first American Christian foreign mission agency. ... Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Â· Other religions Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Luther Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury Â· Catholic Pope Coptic Pope Â· Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box: Baptist is... The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a United States cooperative ministry agency serving missionary Baptist churches around the world. ... Presbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. ... The Methodist movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... The Episcopal Church may refer to several members of the Anglican Communion, including: Episcopal Church in the United States of America Scottish Episcopal Church Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East Episcopal Church of Cuba idk of the Sudan Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church ... Logo of The Wesleyan Church For the former Wesleyan Methodist Church of Great Britain, see Methodist Church of Great Britain The Wesleyan Church is a religious denomination associated with the holiness movement that has roots in Methodism and the teachings of John Wesley. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article is about a region in the Netherlands. ...

In addition to the publication and distribution of Christian literature and Bibles, the Protestant Christian missionary movement in China furthered the dispersion of knowledge with other printed works of history and science. As the missionaries went to work among the Chinese, they established and developed schools and introduced the latest techniques in medicine^[9]. The mission schools were viewed with some suspicion by the traditional Chinese teachers, but they differed from the norm by offering a basic education to poor Chinese, both boys and girls, who had no hope of learning at a school before the days of the Chinese Republic ^[10]. National motto: None Official language Mandarin Chinese Capital Taipei¹ Largest city Taipei President Chen Shui-bian Premier Frank Hsieh Area - Total - % water Ranked 134th 32,260 km² 10. ...

In 1854 Hudson Taylor arrived in China. Taylor has been called one of the significant figures in Chinese history in the 1800s The China Inland Mission was the largest mission agency in China and it is estimated that Taylor was responsible for more people being converted to Christianity than at any other time since Paul the Apostle brought Christian teaching to Europe. It was Dixon Edward Hoste, the successor to Hudson Taylor, who originally expressed the self-governing principles of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, at the time he was articulating the goal of the China Inland Mission to establish an indigenous Chinese church that was free from foreign control. Hudson & Maria Taylor in 1865 James Hudson Taylor æˆ´å¾·ç”Ÿ (May 21, 1832 â€“ June 3, 1905), was a British Protestant Christian missionary to China, and founder of the China Inland Mission (CIM) (now OMF International) who served there for 51 years, bringing over 800 missionaries to the country and directly resulting in... The China Inland Mission was a missionary society, set up by English missionary Hudson Taylor on 25 June 1865 in Brighton during a home leave. ... St. ... Dixon Edward Hoste (born 23 July 1861; died London, 11 May 1946) was British Protestant Christian missionary to China and the longest lived of the Cambridge Seven and successor to James Hudson Taylor as General Director of the China Inland Mission, (from 1902 to 1935). ... The Three-Self Patriotic Movement (officially ä¸å›½åŸºç£æ•™ä¸‰è‡ªçˆ±å›½è¿åŠ¨å§”å‘˜ä¼š, China Christian Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee; colloquially ä¸‰è‡ªæ•™ä¼š, the Three-Self Church) and the China Christian Council (ä¸å›½åŸºç£æ•™åä¼š) are two pro-government (patriotic) Christian organizations in the Peoples Republic of China. ...

British and American denominations, such as the British Methodist Church, continued to send missionaries until they were prevented from doing so following the establishment of the People's Republic of China. Protestant missionaries played an extremely important role in introducing knowledge of China to the United States and the United States to China. The book The Small Woman and film Inn of the Sixth Happiness tell the story of one such missionary, Gladys Aylward. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 415 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (627 Ã— 906 pixel, file size: 61 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) From: Guinness, M. Geraldine; The Story of The China Inland Mission Vol II; Morgan & Scott; London; 1900 This image is in the public domain in the... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 415 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (627 Ã— 906 pixel, file size: 61 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) From: Guinness, M. Geraldine; The Story of The China Inland Mission Vol II; Morgan & Scott; London; 1900 This image is in the public domain in the... â€œTreatiseâ€ redirects here. ... The China Inland Mission was a missionary society, set up by English missionary Hudson Taylor on 25 June 1865 in Brighton during a home leave. ... The Methodist movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... The Inn of the Sixth Happiness is a 1958 film based on the true story of Gladys Aylward, a tenacious United Kingdom maid, who became a missionary in China during the tumultuous years leading up to World War II. Directed by Mark Robson, the film stars Ingrid Bergman as Aylword... Gladys Aylward (Chinese name: è‰¾å‰å¾·, pinyin: Ai. ...

It is recorded that the first martyrdom of a Protestant Christian Chinese occurred in 1871 in Poklo, Guangdong. Che Kam Kong (or Chea Kunkong) visited Hong Kong in 1865, and in 1866 became a Christian. He proselytized extensively over the next five years, allegedly bringing about the conversion of over a hundred people in Poklo. Town elders, concerned with this abandonment of tradition, warned Che to stop, yet he refused. He was kidnapped and tortured in 1871 in an attempt to force him to give up his beliefs. He is said to have declared, "You may kill my body but you cannot destroy my soul". He was taken outside the city gates and killed; his body was cut up and thrown into a nearby river. Not to be confused with the former Kwantung Leased Territory in north-eastern China. ... It is recorded that the first martyrdom of a Protestant Christian Chinese occurred in 1871 in Poklo, Guangdong. ...

One of the most well-known Protestant missionaries in China was The Rev. Young John Allen, a Methodist missionary from the United States. Allen helped to spread knowledge of the West and for the need for Chinese reforms through his various Chinese-language newspapers. His publications, including 'The Church News', ran from 1868-1907. His most famous paper was the monthly 'Wan Guo Gong Bao', or 'A Review of the Times,' which discussed international politics, economic theory, the possibilities for reform in China and the repercussions of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895. Contributors to the 'Review' included Western missionaries, Chinese converts and Allen himself. Although much of his papers' subject matter was secular, the writings had a decidedly Protestant Christian slant as it was his goal to convert China to Christianity. Young J. Allen Young John Allen (January 3, 1836 - May 30, 1907), D.D., LL.D., was an American Methodist missionary in late imperial China. ... A Review of the Timesâ€“ Traditional Chinese: è¬åœ‹å…¬å ±; Simplified Chinese: ä¸‡å›½å…¬æŠ¥; Hanyu Pinyin: Wan Guo Gong Bao; Wade-Giles: Wan Kwoh Kung Pao; Literally: The Ten Thousand Nations Common Newspaper A Review of the Times was a monthly publication in China from 1868-1907. ...

One of the major points of contention about the Chinese missions, and about the missionary movement in general, regards the development of independent native churches. Since the beginning, Chinese and foreign critics have accused the 19th-century Christian missionaries of keeping the native churches dependent on the mission boards in Britain and the U.S. for financial support and clerical leadership alike. In some cases, the criticism is warranted, but much can be attributed to jingoism and xenophobia on the part of succeeding Chinese governments, and in the West to ideological rejection of perceived Victorian era priggishness and paternalism. Ten Thousand Miles From Tip to Tip, an 1898 political cartoon depicting the extension of the United States dominion Jingoism is chauvinistic patriotism, usually associated with a War Hawk political stance. ... The Victorian era of the United Kingdom marked the height of the British Industrial Revolution and the apex of the British Empire. ...

(Sites, Sarah Moore (1912). "Nathan Sites: An Epic of the East." New York: Revell.)

Popularity and Indigenous Growth (1900-1925)

The opening of the twentieth century ushered in what has been called Christianity’s Golden age in China. It was a period of transition for both the church and the nation. China moved from Qing dynastic rule to a warlord-dominated republic to a united front of the Guomindang and Chinese Communist party in league against warlords and imperialism. Christianity enjoyed unprecedented popularity for two decades. Variety within the Protestant community increased; conservative, evangelical societies strengthened their presence; the social gospel approach gained momentum, and Chinese formed their own faith sects and autonomous churches.

Reaction to the failures of nineteenth century reform movements and to international humiliation subsequent to the Boxer Uprising helped create a readiness for change in China. Many Chinese assumed that to modernize, China would have to import and adapt from the West. Since missionaries contended that Western progress derived from its Christian heritage, Christianity gained new favour. The missionaries, their writings and Christian schools were accessible sources of information; parochial schools filled to overflowing. Church membership expanded and Christian movements like the YMCA and YWCA became popular. Boxer forces in Tianjin The Boxer Rebellion (traditional: 義和團起義 simplified: 义和团起义 , Pinyin: Yìhétuán Qǐyì) was an uprising against Western commercial and political influence in China during the final years of the 19th century. ... Not to be confused with YWCA. This article is about the association. ...

The number of Protestant missionaries had surpassed 8000 by 1925 and in the process, the nature of the community had altered. Estimates for the Chinese Protestant community ranged around 500,000. Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ...

There were also growing numbers of conservative evangelicals. Some came from traditional denomination, but others worked independently with minimal support, and many were sponsored by fundamentalist and faith groups like the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Christian Missionary Alliance, and the Assemblies of God. Pentecostal, charismatic and Millenarian preachers brought a new zeal to the drive to evangelize the world. The Seventh-day Adventist (abbreviated Adventist[1]) Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week, as the Sabbath. ... The Christian And Missionary Alliance (C&MA) is an Evangelical Protestant denomination within Christianity. ... For other uses, see Assemblies of God (disambiguation). ... The Pentecostal movement within Protestant Christianity places special emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. ...

Parochial schools also nurtured a corps of Christian leaders who acquired influential positions in education, diplomatic service and other government bureaus, medicine, business, the Christian church and Christian movements. In the Christian community, individuals like Yu Rizhang (David Yui 1882 - 1936), Zhao Zichen (趙紫宸, 1888-1989), Xu Baoqian (徐寶謙, 1892-1944), and Liu Tingfang (Timothy Liu/劉廷芳, 1890-1947) stand out. Most were characterized with liberal theology, commitment to social reform, deep Chinese patriotism, and acquaintance with Western learning. Many of these leaders held popular revival meetings in Christian schools throughout China and, along with conservative churchmen like Cheng Jingyi (1881-1939), sparked the drive for greater Chinese autonomy and leadership in the church.

They became Chinese spokesmen in the National Christian Council, a liaison committee for Protestant churches, and the Church of Christ in China (CCC), established in 1927 to work toward independence. Even so, progress toward autonomy proved to be slow, for Western mission boards were reluctant to relinquish the power of the pocket book, which gave them a decisive voice in most matters of importance.

Adding to the diversity and also to the conservative trend was the proliferation of completely autonomous Chinese Christian churches and communities, a new phenomenon in Chinese Protestantism. Noteworthy was the China Christian Independent Church (Zhōngguó Yēsūjiào Zìlìhuì), a federation which by 1920 had over 100 member churches, drawn mostly from the Chinese urban class. In contrast was the True Jesus Church (Zhēn Yēsū Jiàohuì), founded in 1917; Pentecostal, millenarian and exclusivist, it was concentrated in the central interior provinces. The True Jesus Church General Assembly which is located in Taichung, Taiwan. ...

Sometimes independence derived not so much from a desire to indigenize Christianity as from the nature of leadership. Wang Mingdao (1900-1991) and Song Shangjie (John Sung, 1900-1944) were zealous, confident of possessing the truth, and critical of what they peceived as lukewarm formalism in the Protestant establishments. They drew on the revivalism and mysticism of Western “faith sects” and the Pentecostalism of the True Jesus Church. During the 1920s and 1930s both Wang and Song worked as independent itinerant preachers, holding highly successful and emotional meetings in established churches and other venues. Their message was simple: “today’s evil world demands repentance; otherwise hell is our destiny”. To this doomsday prophecy, Song added faith healing. Their premillenial eschatology attracted tens of thousands of followers set adrift in an environment of political chaos, civil war, and personal hardship. Wang Mingdao (1900-1991), a Chinese Christian evangelist, has been popularly referred to as the Dean of the House Churches in China. ... John Sung Shang Chieh (å®‹å°šç¯€; also spelled John Song; 1901-09-29 â€“ 1944-08-18) was a renowned evangelist. ...

Early Chinese Christian Evangelists

Ming-Dao Wang (or Wang Ming-Dao as spoken in Chinese) (çŽ‹æ˜Žé“, 1900-1991) was born in Beijing and is considered an outspoken fundamentalist in Chinese Christian church theology. ... Watchman Nee (å€ªæŸè² pinyin: NÃ TuÃ²shÄ“ng;, 1903-1972) became a Christian in 1920 at the age of 17 and began writing in the same year. ... John Sung Shang Chieh (å®‹å°šç¯€; also spelled John Song; 1901-09-29 â€“ 1944-08-18) was a renowned evangelist. ... Witness Lee (æŽå¸¸å— Pinyin: LÇ ChÃ¡ngshÃ²u) (1905-June 9, 1997) was a Chinese Christian preacher and church leader associated with the Local churches movement and Living Stream Ministry. ... The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ...

Church education

Both Catholics and Protestants founded numerous educational institutions in China from the primary to the university level. Some of the most prominent Chinese universities began as religious-founded institutions. This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy certain standards for completeness. ...

Era of National and social change, the Japanese Occupation Period (1925-1949)

In the aftermath of World War I, many westerners experienced a crisis of confidence. How could western nations, which had just emerged from one of the most destructive war of modern times, justify preaching morality to others? Volunteers, financial and intellectual support began a steady decline. The 1929 depression soon compounded the economic troubles. Yet the difficulties accelerated indigenization.

Since many Chinese Christian leaders were internationalists and pacifists, the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931 presented a dilemma. Most abandoned their pacifism, and many joined the National Salvation Movement. After the December 1941 Pearl Harbour incident, Japan shortly invaded much of China and the Pacific region, with the evacuation or internment of most Westerners. As a result of being separated due to World War II, Christian churches and organizations had their first experience with autonomy from the Western-guided structures of the missionary church organizations. Once again Chinese were left to carry on and once again the Chinese Protestant church moved toward independence, union, or Chinese control. Some scholars suggest this helped lay the foundation for the independent denominations and churches of the post-war period and the eventual development of the Three-Self Church and the CCPA. After the end of the war, the Chinese Civil War began in earnest, which had an effect on the rebuilding and development of the churches after the close of Japanese occupation. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Combatants Kuomintang of China Communist Party of China Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Mao Zedong Strength 4,300,000 (July 1946) 3,650,000 (June 1948) 1,490,000 (June 1949) 1,200,000 (July 1946) 2,800,000 (June 1948) 4,000,000 (June 1949) The Chinese Civil War (traditional...

The chaos that was China during the 1930s and 1940s spawned religious movements that emphasized direct spiritual experience and an eschatology offering hope and comfort beyond this cruel world. In opposition to the "Y" and the Student Christian Movement, conservatives organized the Intervarsity Christian fellowship in 1945; for them, Social Gospel theology was not simply impotent; it had lost sight of the centrality of a personal relationship with the divine. The Jesus Family (Yēsū Jiātíng), founded about 1927, expanded in rural north and central China. Communitarian, pentecostal, and millenarian, its family communities lived, worked and held property jointly; worship often included speaking in tongues and revelations from the Holy Spirit. Released on September 27, 2005 by 845Ent. ...

The salvationist promise of Wang Mingdao, John Sung, and Ji Zhiwen (Andrew Gih/計志文, 1901-1985) continued to attract throngs of followers, many of them already Christians. Ni Tuosheng (Watchman Nee, 1903-1972), founder of the Church Assembly Hall (nicknamed as "Little Flock"), drew adherents with its assurances of a glorious New Jeruslaem in the next life for those who experienced rebirth and adhered to a strict morality. By 1945, Ni's hierarchically controlled and sectarian movement claimed a membership of over 70,000, organized into some 700 assemblies. The independent churches altogether accounted for well over 200,000 Protestants. Wang Mingdao (1900-1991), a Chinese Christian evangelist, has been popularly referred to as the Dean of the House Churches in China. ... John Sung Shang Chieh (å®‹å°šç¯€; also spelled John Song; 1901-09-29 â€“ 1944-08-18) was a renowned evangelist. ... Watchman Nee (å€ªæŸè² pinyin: NÃ TuÃ²shÄ“ng;, 1903-1972) became a Christian in 1920 at the age of 17 and began writing in the same year. ... This article is about the local churches movement associated with the teachings of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, not about the common use of the term to refer to any collection of Christian congregations in a local area. ...

Communist rule

The People's Republic of China was established in October 1949 by the Communist Party of China, led by Mao Zedong. Under Communist ideology, religion was discouraged by the state and some have claimed that Christians endured widespread persecution by authorities over the next three decades. This claim has been popularized in the West by books such as The Heavenly Man, which documents the exploits of evangelist Brother Yun during that era. Another popular tale is the one of Father Thomas Phillips in the book I Met a Traveller by Kurt Becker. The Communist Party of China (CPC) (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), also known as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the ruling political party of the Peoples Republic of China, a position guaranteed by the countrys constitution. ... Mao redirects here. ... This article is about the form of society and political movement. ... Brother Yun or Liu Zhenying (born 1958) is a Chinese preacher and evangelist whose life has been marked by both hardships and miracles through his intense desire to reach China with the gospel throughout the late 20th century. ... Brother Yun or Liu Zhenying (born 1958) is a Chinese preacher and evangelist whose life has been marked by both hardships and miracles through his intense desire to reach China with the gospel throughout the late 20th century. ...

Between 1949-1952 all foreign missionaries left the country in what was described by Phyllis Thompson of the China Inland Mission as a "reluctant exodus", leaving the indigenous churches to do their own administration, support, and propagation of the faith. The Chinese Protestant church entered the communist era having made significant progress toward self-support and self-government. Though Chinese rulers had traditionally sought to regulate organized religion and the CCP would continue the practice, Chinese Christians had gained experience in the art of accommodation in order to protect its members. Independent churches and a variety of evangelical sects broadened the appeal of Protestantism, especially in rural China. More than was realized at the time, Christianity in all its variety had taken root in China and possessed the strength and techniques to survive decades of hostility and persecution. Look up Evangelical in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Christianity in the contemporary PRC

Today, the Chinese language typically divides Christians into two groups, members of Jidu jiao, (literally, Christianity) Protestantism, and members of Tianzhu jiao (literally "Lord of Heaven" religion), Catholicism (see Protestantism in China and Catholicism in China.) Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1406x2000, 518 KB) [edit] Summary [edit] Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Christianity in China Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1406x2000, 518 KB) [edit] Summary [edit] Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Christianity in China Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital... View of the Mekong before sunset The Mekong is one of the worlds major rivers. ... The Mekong is one of the worldâ€™s major rivers. ... Yunan redirects here. ... Han Chinese (Simplified: 汉; Traditional: 漢; Pinyin: hàn) is a term which refers to the majority ethnic group within China and the largest single human ethnic group in the world. ... Categories: Ethnic groups of China ... It has been suggested that Lisu Church be merged into this article or section. ... The Yi people (own name in the Liangshan dialect: ê†ˆêŒ , official transcription: Nuosu, IPA: ; Chinese: ; pinyin: ; the older name Lolo is now considered derogatory in China, though used officially in Vietnam as LÃ´ LÃ´ and in Thailand as Lolo) are a modern ethnic group in China, Vietnam, and Thailand. ... Bamileke languages (ISO 639 alpha-3, bai) Bye - k thx bai Baccalaureus in Arte Ingeniaria Band Aid (band) BAI - Soviet early armoured car, predecessor of BA-6 Bai, a Chinese ethnic group, and their Bai language Banco Africano de Investimentos, in Angola BAI the official name of ferry company Brittany... The Hui (å›ž) ethnic group is unrelated to the Hui (å¾½) dialects. ... This article is about the religous people known as Christians. ... Protestant Christianity entered China in the early 19th century. ... Catholicism in China has a long and complicated history. ...

Some informal groups have emerged in the 1970s that seem to have been wholly new in origin, or perhaps to have sprouted from earlier seeds but grown into distinctly new movements. One of the best documented of these groups was founded by Peter Xu Zongze, an independent evangelist who began preaching in Henan in 1968. his organization, variously called the New Birth Sect (重生派), the Full Scope Church (全范围教会), or the Criers, is accused by some as being heretical. It is distinguished by a strong emphasis on a definitive experience of conversion, usually during an intensive three-day "life meeting", and by an emphasis (some say a requirement) on a confession of sins with tears. Xu has claimed that his organization consists of over 3500 congregations and has sent evangelists to more than twenty of China's provinces.^{[citation needed]} These numbers cannot be independently verified, but it is evident that there are several other organized networks claiming a similarly large number of adherents, and many other groups of smaller scope. ^{[citation needed]} Henan (Chinese: æ²³å—; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Ho-nan), is a province of the Peoples Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. ...

Official Christian organizations

Since loosening of restrictions on religion after the 1970s, Christianity has grown significantly within the People's Republic. It is still, however, tightly controlled by government authorities. The Three-Self Patriotic Movement and China Christian Council (Protestant) and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, which has disavowed the Pope and is considered schismatic by other Roman Catholics, have affiliations with government and must follow the regulations imposed upon them. The Three-Self Patriotic Movement (officially ä¸å›½åŸºç£æ•™ä¸‰è‡ªçˆ±å›½è¿åŠ¨å§”å‘˜ä¼š, China Christian Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee; colloquially ä¸‰è‡ªæ•™ä¼š, the Three-Self Church) and the China Christian Council (ä¸å›½åŸºç£æ•™åä¼š) are two pro-government (patriotic) Christian organizations in the Peoples Republic of China. ... The Three-Self Patriotic Movement (officially 中国基督教三自爱国运动委员会, China Christian Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee; colloquially 三自教会, the Three-Self Church) and the China Christian Council (中国基督教协会) are two... The Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (Chinese: ä¸å›½å¤©ä¸»æ•™çˆ±å›½ä¼š, pinyin: ZhÅngguÃ³ TiÄnzhÇ”jiÃ o Ã€iguÃ³ HuÃ¬), abbreviated CPA, CPCA, or CCPA, is a division, established in 1957, of the Peoples Republic of Chinas Religious Affairs Bureau to exercise state supervision over mainland Chinas Catholics. ... Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Wycliffe Tyndale Â· Luther Â· Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Pope Â· Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box: The Pope (from Latin...

House churches

Many Christians choose however to meet independently of these organizations, typically in house churches. These fellowships are not officially registered and are seen as illegal entities and are often persecuted heavily. For this reason some meetings take place underground, coining the term "underground church". These Christians have been persecuted throughout the 20th century, especially during the Cultural Revolution, and there remains some official harassment in the form of arrests and interrogations of Chinese Christians. At the same time, there has been increasing tolerance of house churches since the late 1970s. Chinese house churches are unregistered Christian churches in the Peoples Republic of China, which operate independently of the government-run Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) and China Christian Council (CCC) for Protestant groups and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CCPA) and the Chinese Catholic Bishops Council (CCBC) for Catholics. ... This article is about the Peoples Republic of China. ...

Orthodox Christianity in China

There are a small number of adherents of Russian Orthodoxy in northern China, predominantly in Harbin. The first mission was undertaken by Russians in the 17th century. Orthodox Christianity is also practiced by the small Russian ethnic minority in China. It has been suggested that Orthodoxy in China be merged into this article or section. ... The Russian Orthodox Church (Русская Православная церковь) is that body of Christians who are united under the Patriarch of Moscow, who in turn is in communion with... Harbin on a map of China For other meanings of Harbin, see Harbin (disambiguation). ...

Contemporary trends

Chinese Christian Brother Yun's book "The Heavenly Man" achieved the Christian Book of the Year award in the USA in 2003. The book describes Yun's life from his call to preach the gospel across China and the enlargement of the house church movement. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 563 pixelsFull resolution (841 Ã— 592 pixel, file size: 15 KB, MIME type: image/gif) Graphic created by Brian York Source: After Thirty Years by J. Hudson Taylor (1895); China Inland Mission; Toronto I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 563 pixelsFull resolution (841 Ã— 592 pixel, file size: 15 KB, MIME type: image/gif) Graphic created by Brian York Source: After Thirty Years by J. Hudson Taylor (1895); China Inland Mission; Toronto I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby... Brother Yun or Liu Zhenying (born 1958) is a Chinese preacher and evangelist whose life has been marked by both hardships and miracles through his intense desire to reach China with the gospel throughout the late 20th century. ...

Estimates of Christians in China are difficult to obtain because of the numbers of Christians unwilling to reveal their beliefs, the hostility of the national government towards some Christian sects, and difficulties in obtaining accurate statistics on house churches.

Recent estimated figures of the number of Christians in China are varying. The official figure in 2002, which consists of members from Official Protestant churches, is about 15 million, while some estimates on members of Chinese house church vary from 50 million to 100 million. Kiven Choy stated, in a Chinese weekly newspaper in Hong Kong, that the correct number of Protestants in China should be at around 20 million, while Time Magazine recently reported 65 million. [1] Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... Chinese house churches are unregistered Christian churches in the Peoples Republic of China, which operate independently of the government-run Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) and China Christian Council (CCC) for Protestant groups and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CCPA) and the Chinese Catholic Bishops Council (CCBC) for Catholics. ...

There are 4 million members of the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association and an estimated 12 million members of the underground Roman Catholic Church in China as of 2006. [2]

International visitors and Christianity

In large, international cities such as Beijing[3], foreign visitors have established Christian church communities which meet in public establishments such as hotels. These churches and fellowships, however, are typically restricted only to holders of non-Chinese passports.

American officials visiting China have on multiple occasions visited Chinese churches, including President George W. Bush, who attended one of Beijing's five officially-recognized Protestant churches during a November 2005 Asia tour. [4] [5]. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice attended Palm Sunday services in Beijing in 2005. Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas US Government Portal For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the forty-third and current President of the United States of America, originally inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Peking redirects here. ... Ongoing events â€¢ Abramoff-Reed gambling scandal â€¢ Al Jazeera bombing memo â€¢ Avian influenza (H5N1) outbreak â€¢ Black sites scandal â€¢ Conservative leadership race (UK) â€¢ Fuel prices â€¢ Irans nuclear program â€¢ Jilin chemical plant explosions â€¢ Kashmir earthquake â€¢ Malawi food crisis â€¢ Malaysian prisoner abuse scandal â€¢ New Delhi bombings investigation â€¢ Niger food crisis â€¢ North Indian cyclone... In several countries, Secretary of State is a senior government position. ... Condoleezza Rice (born November 14, 1954) is the 66th United States Secretary of State, and the second in the administration of President George W. Bush to hold the office. ... For the book by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. ...

Demographics/Geography

It is not exactly known how many Chinese consider themselves Christian. The Chinese government states that only 1% (13 million) ^[11] of the population is Christian while the Chinese Embassy states that 10 Million (0.75%)^[12] are Christian A recent Chinese poll revealed by the BBC showed that approximately 40 million Christians live in China ^[11]

A relatively large proportion of Christians are concentrated in Hebei province, in particular Catholics. Many internationally-reported arrests of Catholic leaders have occurred in that province. Hebei is also home to the town of Donglu, site of an alleged Marian apparition and pilgrimage center. Hebei (Chinese: æ²³åŒ—; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Ho-pei; Postal System Pinyin: Hopeh) is a northern province of the Peoples Republic of China. ... A province is a territorial unit, almost always a country subdivision. ... Donglu (Chinese: 东闾, trad. ... Apparition of The Virgin to St Bernard by Filippino Lippi (1486) Oil on panel, 210 x 195 cm Church of Badia, Florence A Marian apparition is an event in which the Virgin Mary is supposed to have supernaturally appeared to one or more persons, typically Catholics, in various settings. ...

The magazine Christianity Today, brought out that demographers estimate that an average 200,000^{[citation needed]} Chinese people convert to Christianity every year, meaning that it is the fastest growing religion in the nation, and has outpaced the Communist Party's population of 70 million people. Christianity Today is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ... The fastest growing religion refers to the religion whose number of adherents is growing the fastest. ...

Christianity in Tibet

Recent historical research indicates the presence of Christianity in as early as the sixth and seventh centuries, a period when the White Huns had extensive links with the Tibetans. Tibet is situated between the two ancient civilizations of China and India, but the tangled mountain ranges the Tibetan Plateau and the towering Himalayas serve to distance it from both. ...

Some Chinese terms in Christianity

There are various terms used for God in the Chinese language, the most prevalent being Shangdi (上帝, literally, "Sovereign King Above"), used commonly by Protestants and also by non-Christians, and Tianzhu (天主, literally, Lord of Heaven), which is most commonly favoured by Catholics. Chinese terms for God, especially a Supreme God, have produced many variations for the title. ... Shangdi or Shang Ti (Wade-Giles) (ä¸Šå¸, pinyin ShÃ ngdÃ¬), literally translated, Lord Above or Sovreign Above, in Chinese culture, is the name used both in traditional Chinese religion as well as Christianity for a supreme deity. ...

While Christianity is referred to as 基督教 (Christ religion), the modern Chinese language typically divides Christians into three groups: believers of Protestantism Xin jiaotu (新教徒, literally "new religion followers"), believers of CatholicismTianzhu jiaotu (天主教徒, Lord of Heaven religion followers), and believers of Orthodox Dongzheng jiaotu (東正教徒, Eastern Orthodox religion followers, but more correctly "zhengjiaotu" 正教徒, because there is only one Chinese term for both Eastern and Oriental which is "dong" 東 and simply means the east. The latter term is more correct also because Eastern Orthodox churches are not in communion with and thus differ from the Oriental Orthodox churches.) Protestantism encompasses the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated with the doctrines of the Reformation. ... Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Â· Other religions Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Luther Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury Â· Catholic Pope Coptic Pope Â· Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box: As a... Separate articles treat Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Orthodox Judaism. ... Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. ... The term Oriental Orthodoxy refers to the churches of Eastern Christian traditions that keeps the faith of only the first three ecumenical councils of the undivided Church - the councils of Nicea, Constantinople and Ephesus. ...

References

^ http://www.china.org.cn/e-china/religions/belief.htm
^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6337627.stm
^ http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/BibleStudyAndTheology/Discipleship/persecution_112702.aspx
^ http://www.assistnews.net/STORIES/2007/s07100011.htm
^ Christianity finds a fulcrum in Asia. Asia Times Online (August 7, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-10-25.
^ Spence (1991), p. 206
^ Taylor (1865),
^ Spence (1991), p. 206
^ Spence (1991), p. 206
^ Spence (1991), p. 208
^ ^a ^b http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6337627.stm
^ http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/zt/zjxy/t36493.htm

Jonathan D. Spence (Chinese name: å²æ™¯é·, August 11, 1936â€“ ) is a British-born historian and public intellectual specializing in Chinese history. ... Hudson & Maria Taylor in 1865 James Hudson Taylor æˆ´å¾·ç”Ÿ (May 21, 1832 â€“ June 3, 1905), was a British Protestant Christian missionary to China, and founder of the China Inland Mission (CIM) (now OMF International) who served there for 51 years, bringing over 800 missionaries to the country and directly resulting in... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Bibliography

Armitage, Carolyn ; Reaching for the Goal: The Life Story of David Adney, Ordinary Man, Exraordinary Mission. ...

External links

Categories: Articles needing additional references from September 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since September 2007 | Christianity in China | Religion in the People's Republic of China | Christianity by country Freedom of religion is the individuals right or freedom to hold whatever religious beliefs he or she wishes, or none at all. ... Forum 18 is a Norwegian human rights organisation that seeks to establish religious freedom for all on the basis of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. ... Daily News & Analysis, or DNA, is a popular English language newspaper based in Mumbai, India. ... This is an alphabetical list of the sovereign states of the world, including both de jure and de facto independent states. ... The Christianity movement has been in Hong Kong since 1841. ... It has been suggested that Christianization of Korea be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that Christianization of Korea be merged into this article or section. ... Saudi Arabia allows Christians to enter the country as temporary workers, but does not allow them to practice their faith. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This is a list of countries spanning more than one continent. ...

Contents

Pre-modern History var ACE_AR = {Site: '756743', Size: '300250'};