The Best Of China Source Quarterly

Have you seen the most recent issue of China Source Quarterly (CSQ)? I think you’ll like what you find. For those who don’t know, CSQ is a journal that covers various happenings in China. The March issue provides a survey of CSQ’s most popular issues and articles.

The Top Five ChinaSource Quarterly Issues

Theological Reflections on Urban Churches in China.

Vol. 17, No. 2, 2015, summer issue. Brent Fulton, Mary Li Ma, and LI Jin, editors

This issue looks afresh at various currents in the theological life of the church today. LI Jin, a scholar from China currently studying in the United States, and his wife, Mary Li Ma, have brought together a fascinating collection of perspectives, most of them written by church leaders in China. Together these articles speak to the historical antecedents of the church’s theological journey while providing fresh insights into what may lie ahead.

The Chinese Bible.

Vol. 20, No. 3, 2018, autumn issue. Joann Pittman, editor

When someone speaks of the Chinese Bible, they are most likely referring to the Chinese Union Version (CUV), or Heheben (和合本) as it is called in Chinese, since it is the most commonly used translation among Chinese Protestants, both in China and worldwide. Opinions on the CUV are strong and run deep. Many foreigners dislike it, citing the inadequacy of the translation and its archaic language.

Chinese believers, on the other hand, retain a deep affection for the CUV, despite its problems. It carries a weight of authority that other translations do not. This year, 2019, marks the 100-year anniversary of the CUV, so it is especially appropriate to take an in-depth look at the Chinese Bible.

Contextualization and the Chinese Church

Vol. 20, No. 1, 2018, spring issue. Jackson Wu, editor

Perhaps the biggest obstacle to effective contextualization is the frequent tendency to sharply dichotomize culture and the Bible. However, the Bible and culture are entwined for two reasons. First, God revealed himself through ancient, Near Eastern cultures. Second, God calls his people to embody the gospel in cultures throughout the world. In short, genuine biblical truth is not an abstraction. For these reasons, this issue of ChinaSource Quarterly is dedicated to the topic of contextualization. The articles survey a range of topics relevant to contextualization among Chinese.

Confucius and Christ: Conflict, Compromise or Communication

Vol. 16, No. 1, 2014, spring issue. G. Wright Doyle, editor

This issue of the ChinaSource Quarterly offers a number of articles from different perspectives that will help us understand the role of “Confucianism”—broadly defined—in China today. We are made aware of widely differing levels of understanding among “Confucianists” or “Ruists” on some important questions of approach.

We will discover that Christians, likewise, have never been unified in their approaches to Confucianism but have exhibited varying attitudes of accommodation and rejection toward it. These two sorts of variety will be evident in the articles featured in this issue. We shall see brief snapshots of Confucianism from different angles and will encounter several types of Christian approach, both in the past and today.

Walking with Leaders: Mentoring in a Chinese Context

Vol. 16, No. 3, 2014, autumn issue. D. Michael Crow, editor

The articles in this edition of the ChinaSource Quarterly give us a rare opportunity to hear stories from the voices of experienced coaches and mentors—mainland Chinese, overseas Chinese, and non-Chinese, both male and female. Beyond providing glimpses into the cultural and gender dimensions of coaching and mentoring, their rich authenticity speaks to the heart. [W]e were surprised and touched by the vulnerability of the Chinese speakers. Their courageous openness helped us leap beyond the superficial into something special, precious, and unique.