Thursday, 9 October 2014

Lessons from China and the Social Gospel: The Canada China Programme's Fort Qu'Appelle Conference, 1979

Critics would at times assail the Canada China Programme as too close to the official government-approved Protestant church, the China Christian Council. CCP staff and board members, for their part, located their work in the Canadian social gospel tradition: a link they tried to make explicit with a conference on the social gospel on the Canadian prairies and the challenge of China for Canadian Christians held in 1979 in Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan. The 80-person gathering, funded by the Canadian International Development Agency and church donors, portrayed “a church challenged by the Chinese revolution and the protests in Canadian society” and struck a note of repentance in focusing on areas where the church, organizers thought, had been a barrier to change: the social gospel on the Canadian prairies and the quest for social justice in China, held back too often by missionary strictures. This post reproduces Elizabeth Smillie, “Lessons from China and the Social Gospel,” Catholic New Times, 1 July 1979.






Wednesday, 7 May 2014

CCP China & Ourselves 18.4

This issue opens with a transcription of a speech given by Bishop KH Ting at the Spring Festival Tea Party for Religious Leaders (hosted by Li Ruihuan in Beijing) on January 29th, 1994. It also transcribes the regulations for religious activities of foreigners with borders of the PRC, regulations of managing premises for religious activities. Regarding changes and developments in religious policy, it features a text by Jian Woo, titled “Is the Cup Half or Half Empty?” The CCP then makes a statement on solidarity with Christians in China and excerpts the statement on human right in China (1993) made by the Canada Asia Working Group.

CCP China & Ourselves 18.2-3

In this issue, the editor begins with a tribute in memory of Dr. Katharine Boehner Hockin, highlighting her life and work in China, and provides some short news updates on China and the CCP. In honour of Hockin, two pieces of hers are excerpted: “Servants of God in People’s China” (1962) and “Some Random Missiological Musing” (1983).  It then features reflections on the life and witness of Dr. Hockin from Church officials in China (Nanjing Theological Seminary, Theresa Chu in Shanghai) and Canada (family and colleagues). It then provides a review by Siu May Kuo on a biography on the life of Dr. Hockin by May Rose Donnelly and Heather Dau. The issue proceeds with a text introducing Bishop Shen Yifan, including his education, work and publications. It features an extensive paper by Bishop Shen, titled “Religious Liberty: A Chinese Perspective.” It contains an extensive report by Cao Shen-jie (first published in 1985) on the process of editing a new Chinese hymnal, which is part of the self-propagating mission of the Chinese church. A report is given of a visit of a delegation of six members of the China Christian Council from May 17th to June 21st. The issue concludes with a series of news vignettes for the Catholic Church in China.

CCP China & Ourselves 18.1

This issue opens with a report on Protestant Christianity in China, surveying its history in the twentieth century and the work of the Three-Self Movement. It features a report on the Nanjing Theological Seminary, highlighting the levels of training, the syllabus, and enrolment; this report is followed by a glossary of terms pertinent to the Chinese Christian Church. It contains a summary and update on the activities and projects of the Amity Foundation, especially its development work and focus on Christian education. An update for the Canada China Programme for the year 1993 is also provided, setting out the challenges expected for the 1990s. 

CCP China & Ourselves 17.4

This issue opens with the editor’s comments on the “Christ and Culture: A Sino-American Dialogue” at Columbia Theological Seminary. It features an extensive report on the conference by Philip L. Wickeri, titled “Making Connections: Christianity and Culture in the Sino-American Dialogue,” touching on the American Christian understandings of China and the role of the session in opening dialogue. It also provides short news vignettes on religious events and developments in China, organized by Protestant and Catholic. It concludes with reviews of several recent publications on China and the Chinese Church.

CCP China & Ourselves 17.3

In this issue, the CCP reports on the Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China, focusing on an announcement by its president for a new open Church. It reports on the training of lay leaders in China to form parish administrative councils and provides a report of a trip to China by Theresa Chu. It contains news and reflections from students of Zhong Wan Seminary, Wuhan, who visited Canada in the summer of 1992, written by Rev. Ge Baojuan. It also features an introduction of Ms. Gao Shi-ning (a sociologist of religion by Dean Chen Zemin (Nanjing Theological Seminary). It concludes with an interview conducted by Tan Liying (Assistant to the General Secretary of the Amity Foundation) with Dr. Wenzao Han (General Secretary of the Amity Foundation, Executive Vice-President of the China Christian Council).

CCP China & Ourselves 17.2

This issue features the complete resolution on Church order for trial use in Chinese Churches, passed by the Standing Committee of the Chinese Christian Three-Self Patriotic Movement and the China Christian Council. It contains resolutions on the organization and management of churches, including meeting points. It features a text by Li Baoluo, titled “How I Organise a Blackboard Newspaper,” on his initiative to help preach the Gospel to literate people who do not want to hear a complete sermon. It provides a series of vignettes on Protestant and Catholic news in China, as well as general news and publications.