ABSTRACT
Across China, Protestant leaders have founded “newly-rising urban churches” (chengshi xinxing jiaohui), defined by their congregations of hundreds, an agenda to openly influence society, and a rejection of state registration. By crossing “red lines” concerning congregational size, visibility, and linkages to Protestants nationwide and abroad, these leaders have enlarged the bounds of the public transcript, negotiating a new era of authoritarian state-religious relations. Drawing on leadership capacity, they have done so by building trust, cultivating communication, and finding shared interests with local authorities to lessen the likelihood that their violation of accepted limits will spark repression.
