ABSTRACT
In contrast to the ‘Cultural Christians’ of the 1980s, Chinese Christian elites today form ‘intellectual house churches’. Distancing themselves from their inspirers they worship together and see the Church as a base for their cultural and political activities. Community is no longer equal to collective or non-modern but rather something sought for. This has provided for an intriguing setting with culturally liberal intellectuals, artists and writers who worship in Christian house fellowships. Emphasis has been more on Culture and Christ than on China, but in recent years another C has come into play, and that is Calvin. But why Calvin? What Reformed tradition is actually transmitted in China? This article investigates these communities and how their faith and ecclesiology relate to their social involvement. There is also a preliminary analysis of the ‘Calvin’ element, its origin, its meaning and implications for Chinese intellectuals, and possibly also for the Christian development in China.
