ABSTRACT
China is still ruled by a powerful one-party state even though it has the fastest growing economy in the world. The revival of Christianity reflects a broader phenomenon of growing interest in religion and spirituality which has taken place since the 1980s. The Chinese are caught in the space between collapsed traditions and discredited Communist ideology on the one hand, and the pursuit of wealth and the Western lifestyle on the other. They are struggling in a competitive market economy, but are disillusioned with repressive politics and bewildered by conflicting values. This raises the level of social anxieties and drives many to seek solace within these confusions. Some people are turning to traditional religions; others are seeking salvation in Christianity. Explanations for the resurgence of religious fervor vary, such as a crisis of faith that resulted from the collapse of Maoism as a compelling ideology and the strong human inclination for meaning that manifests itself as a desire for salvation in times of uncertainty. But it remains unclear why people subscribe to Christianity specifically, and why Chinese converts actively proselytize and plant churches in urban and rural areas (Liao 2011).
