Library Catalog

A Protestant church in Communist China : Moore Memorial Church Shanghai 1949-1989 /

Keating, John Craig William.

A Protestant church in Communist China : Moore Memorial Church Shanghai 1949-1989 / John Craig William Keating. - Lanham : Lehigh University Press, ©2012. - 1 online resource (305 pages) - Studies in missionaries and Christianity in China . - Studies in missionaries and Christianity in China. .

Includes index.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Acknowledgements; Spelling and Terminology; Chapter 1. Introduction; Chapter 2. The Pre-Communist Era (1887-1949); Chapter 3. Adjusting to the New Regime (1949-51); Chapter 4. The Call to Re-Align (1950-58); Chapter 5. A Church Under Pressure (1958-66); Photospread; Chapter 6. A Church Closed (1966-79); Chapter 7. Re-Opening (1979-89); Chapter 8. The Church Today (1989- ); Chapter 9. Conclusions; Bibliography; Appendix 1: Timeline of Major Events Relevant to MMC; Appendix 2: Biographies of Key People Connected to MMC; Appendix 3: Glossary of Chinese Names and Terms; Index.

This book is the first ever case study of a single inner-city church in China, tracing the church's struggles with the ups and downs of Chinese politics. Concentrating on the little known Mao era and utilising many interviews and personal documents, the author explores the relationship between Church and State, shedding valuable light on the often volatile interplay between politics and religion ... Freedom of religious belief is guaranteed under the constitution of the People's Republic of China, but the degree to which this freedom is able to be exercised remains a highly controversial issue. Much scholarly attention has been given to persecuted underground groups such as Falungong, but one area that remains largely unexplored is the relationship between officially registered churches and the communist government. This study investigates the history of one such official church, Moore Memorial Church in Shanghai. This church was founded by American Methodist missionaries. By the time of the 1949 revolution, it was the largest Protestant church in East Asia, running seven day a week programs. As a case study of one individual church, operating from an historical (rather than theological) perspective, this study examines the experience of people at this church against the backdrop of the turbulent politics of the Mao and Deng eras.

9781611460919 1611460913 1611460905 9781611460902

2011050030


Moore Memorial Church (Shanghai, China)
Moore Memorial Church (Shanghai, China)


1900-1999


Church and state--China.
Protestant churches--History--China--Shanghai--20th century.
Religion.
Église et État--Chine.
Églises protestantes--Histoire--Chine--Shanghai--20e siècle.
Religion.
religion (discipline)
RELIGION--Christianity--Protestant.
Church and state
Protestant churches
Religion


China
China--Shanghai


History

BR1295.S5

280/.40951132