A Star in the East: The Rise of Christianity in China

What is the state of Christianity in China? Some scholars say that China is invulnerable to religion. In contrast, others say that past efforts of missionaries have failed, writing off those converted as nothing more than ＂rice Christians＂ or cynical souls who had frequented the missions for the benefits they provided. Some wonder if the Cultural Revolution extinguished any chances of Christianity in China.

Rodney Stark is the Distinguished Professor of the Social Sciences and Co-Director of the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University and Honorary Professor of Sociology at Peking University in Beijing. He is the author or co-author of 36 books in 17 different languages, including the best-selling The Rise of Christianity (HarperSanFrancisco, 1997).

Xiuhua Wang received her BA and MA from Renmin University of China in Beijing and is now working towards her Ph.D. in sociology at Baylor University. She has published several papers in American scholarly journals and at present is exploring the role of gender in conversions to Christianity in China.