Reformed Publishing in China

A friend forwarded to me an article written by Michael Haykin which was originally published in The Banner of Truth Magazine (January 2011) and recently posted on the Desiring God website.  The title of the article is "The Emergence of Legal Christian Publishing in China."  I recommend that you read this and be aware of what the Lord is doing in his kingdom.  I am encouraged.

I recently heard about the growing tolerance of Christian under certain circumstances and in certain places in China.  This was exciting news, but I didn't realize that some freedom has been extended to the Christian publishing market--especially the Reformed Publishing market.  This is very exciting.

Here are a few excerpts from the article that summarize the opportunity and the need which is worthy of the American Reformed community's attention (emphasis added is mine):

Most amazing of all is that in comparison with traditional evangelical publishers, Reformed publishers have a significant advantage when publishing in China. Currently, the Chinese publishing houses—all under government oversight—tend to give approval more frequently to certain genres of Christian books than to others. The books most often approved are biographies, old books with historical value (Pilgrim’s Progress, Institutes of the Christian Religion, e.g.), and marriage and family books. The Reformed community will immediately see the significance of this. How many biographies and old historical books does the Banner of Truth have? How many does the Evangelical Press have? For the past thirty to forty years, Reformed publishers have been publishing these books in great numbers which gives them a very unique advantage in filling the publishing vacuum in China. We can be certain that the vacuum will be filled with something. The key question is: What will fill that vacuum? The cults are not without presence in China.

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The good news is that several publishers, such as Banner of Truth, Evangelical Press, and Solid Ground Christian Books each have at least 25 books that will likely pass government censorship in China (i.e. receive a Beijing issued ISBN). Other publishers such as Reformation Heritage Books, Shepherd Press, Inter Varsity Press (UK), P&R, and others, all have titles that will also likely pass censorship. Publishing contracts for these books could be signed tomorrow if funding were available.

For approximately $1 million USD, fifty to sixty Reformed titles can be translated and published in China. To some, this might sound like a very large amount of money, but when compared to what US churches are spending on building and renovation projects, this is actually a very modest figure. According to the U. S. Census Bureau: “Churches in the United States spent about $7 billion on church buildings in 2009.” One to two million dollar building projects are quite common. However, which is more strategic for the fulfillment of the Great Commission and the strengthening of the church worldwide: spending $1 million dollars building a new church gymnasium or Sunday School wing? Or, using that same million dollars to publish fifty to sixty books in a region that has one of the largest and fastest growing churches in the world, that exists in one of the biggest publishing vacuums of Christian books in the world?

The need of the hour is for men and women in the Reformed community to think globally, to think critically and make ministry and financial decisions in light of Scripture and the rapidly changing needs of the church worldwide. Christian publishing in China is still very much in its infancy and publishing quality titles now, while the number of legally published books is still quite low, can have an enormous impact on the future direction of the Chinese church. However, if we sit still and do nothing, the non-Reformed titles—which now largely define the market—will continue to shape the future of the church in China. What direction Christian publishing in China ultimately takes remains to be seen. Either way, we can be sure that it will have a decisive impact of some sort in the days to come.

Happily, concerned Christians around the world can get involved. In the past year, a new opportunity has emerged to help fill the publishing vacuum in China (which has 501(c)3 tax exempt status in the US):  The Robert Morrison Project.  Established in 2009, the Robert Morrison Project specifically aims to legally publish Reformed literature in China. Over the next five to ten years their goal is to publish 50 titles in China and the first 22 are all from the Banner of Truth Trust. Individuals and churches may sponsor the publication of specific titles. To learn more about this opportunity please visit their website or contact them by email.

Related:

• Since January, 2008, Monergism.com has been offering Chinese literature through its online bookstore, Sinimbooks.com.
• Desiring God also offers Chinese titles which you can find by using their Language Index and selecting Chinese-Traditional.  
• If you know of any other Chinese language resources, please let me know and I'll add them to this list.  Thanks!

Reformed Publishing in China

Review: The Advent of Evangelicalism edited by Haykin and Stewart

The following review was submitted to me by Don Palmer, Sr. Pastor of Forest Brook Community Church, just east of Toronto, Canada. I am very grateful for Don's perspective and help with reviewing some of the books sent to us. I, too, have enjoyed and benefited from this book and commend his comments to you.

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Michael Haykin & Kenneth Stewart, eds. The Advent of Evangelicalism: Exploring Historical Continuities. Forward by Timothy George. Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2008, Paperback 432 pp.

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At first glance Haykin and Stewart’s edited analytical essays on David Bebbington’s 1989 work, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730s to the 1960s, is rather daunting. But moving into the various analyses from a selection of different scholars’ perspectives proved both profitable and interesting.

Now, some twenty years after publication, Bebbington’s work is considered a classic. His study and analysis of evangelical movement, thought and doctrine as influenced by Enlightenment philosophy is considered by some a “seminal study of great importance.” Because of the importance of Bebbington’s study a second look is worthwhile. Thus Haykin and Stewart’s edited volume is both timely and valuable. Every contributor goes to great lengths to examine various aspects of Bebbington’s thesis. Did evangelicalism begin in the mid-eighteenth century? Just how influential, if at all, were Enlightenment philosophers on Christian theology and practice? Can the evangelical movement truly be characterized by Bebbington’s “quadralateral” elements: biblicist, conversionist, cruciform, and activist?

These and other issues are brought to the forefront for analysis as each contributor examines one or more of the elements and attempts to answer the question: Did evangelicalism begin in the mid-eighteenth century and can it be typified by these four elements? The manner in which each contributor approached his topic proved interesting and fully worthwhile both from a historical standpoint but also from a theological perspective. Each contributor assists in bringing precision to Bebbington’s thesis, but, even more so, gives sharper focus to the time period and preceding factors.

To answer these questions and bring precision to the issue, The Advent of Evangelicalism is very nicely organized into four sections (it’s own “quadralateral” if you will): an Introduction, geographical/regional perspectives, an analysis of eras, and finally a doctrinal (or theological) analysis of evangelicalism. In each case the contributor is quite thorough, given the subject limitations, in his analysis providing copious quotations and bibliographical references. Thus, we’re given a broad viewpoint of the evangelical movement both synchronically and diachronically. This was very helpful in that the reader is given a better understanding of the evangelical movement not only in a particular country but also throughout time.

The main theme in Bebbington’s work was that Enlightenment thought and its philosophers heavily influenced evangelicals. Of particular interest was the contributor’s discussion on theological diversity and continuity within the period and their understanding of thought and theology as it related to the Enlightenment. This discussion was very beneficial to those of us who normally do not study the movement or evolution of theological thought from one century to another. Most helpful was the analysis of various denominational distinctions and how they may or may not have been influenced by enlightenment ideas. For example John Coffey notes that the differences were more a matter of “degree” and “even the politics of evangelicalism owed much to Puritanism.”

The Advent of Evangelicalism gives us a better understanding of ecclesiastical history not only during the 18th century but also of the time leading up to it. Examining the subject from a broader chronological perspective, regional differences, and theological standpoints was very beneficial. But, in another sense, the work is also comforting. The reader is given a better understanding that historically and theologically evangelicalism’s roots are not necessarily tainted with humanistic Enlightenment as we may be led to believe. Rather, the roots from which evangelicals are born are from sound theological thought emanating from centuries prior as the Holy Spirit worked in and through his Church in time and events.

Don Palmer lives in Toronto, is the Sr. Pastor of Forest Brook Community Church, and is completing MDiv studies through Tyndale College & Seminary.

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Review: The Advent of Evangelicalism edited by Haykin and Stewart

Calvin on Missions

Our Sunday School class has been considering a series of lectures titled "The Provocative Church" Graham Tomlin. A couple of weeks ago he began to address the Reformer's lack of missionary effort. He did come back around to explaining that their theology provides a healthy foundation for missiology, but nonetheless, he gave the impression that Calvin and others were too concerned about existing churches to put much effort into establishing new churches.

Well, a number of years ago I attended a lecture at RTS (Charlotte) presented by Dr. Frank James on the topic of Calvin and Missions. This was wonderfully eye opening. Afterwards, I did a bit of research to follow up on this matter. I'm no scholar, and I don't have access to Calvin's correspondence, which is where James found the bulk of support for his lectures, but I did find some information on the missionary endeavor to Rio de Janeiro. Here are some links to a handful of articles on the subject.

The lecture I heard is titled "The Calvin I Never Knew." You can download the audio files at itunes (http://itunes.rts.edu/). There are four parts.

Here is another article by Dr. Frank James - "Calvin the Evangelist."

Dr. Michael Haykin, a Reformed Baptist and church historian, has an (archived) article at Reformation21 on Calvin and missions.

See also Ray Van Neste's "John Calvin on Evangelism and Missions" in the Founders Journal and Henry R. Van Til's The Calvinistic Concept of Culture, (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1959), page 93.

Here are a handful of links lifted from Timmy Brister's blog:

John Calvin and Missions: A Historical Study by Scott J. Simmons

John Calvin's Missionary Influence in France by Michael Haykin (Reformation & Revival vol. 10 no. 4 [Fall 2001])

John Calvin and His Missionary Impulse by Erroll Hulse

John Calvin the Church Planter (doc) by Frank James

Calvin on Missions