Sarah Lee and Kevin J. O'Brien have published an interesting and timely article, Adapting in Difficult Circumstances: Protestant Pastors and the Xi Jinping Effect. Cribbing from the abstract:
Many pastors in China are adapting to harsher policies and new ideological narratives by striving to lessen the threat Protestantism is perceived to pose. They are seeking to reduce 1) ideological competition, by not preaching about politics, dissociating themselves from dissidents, and expressing support for the China Dream, 2) security concerns, by striving to become financially self-sufficient, cutting off ties to foreign missionaries and calling for the creation of a truly Chinese church, and 3) collective action fears, by dividing congregations, avoiding networking, and viewing the small church model as part of God’s plan. Out of necessity and sometimes belief, they are finding ways to pursue God’s work within Xi’s strictures. In the course of adjusting Protestant practice and incorporating the China Dream and Sinicization of Christianity into their faith, they are aiming to show that they and their congregations can live with and are being steeled by repression.
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