Drawing a Roadmap for Research on the History of Christianity in Modern China

Dear Colleagues,

The study of the history of Christianity in modern China is an integral part of Western studies on China; however, missionaries were once referred to as "invisible men" in American history yet they and their Chinese counterparts were even less visible in Chinese historiography. The numerous institutions established by missionaries and their Chinese colleagues, including schools, hospitals, and charitable organizations, as well as the role they played in China's modernization processes, are often overlooked.

Since China's reform and opening up, the study of the history of Christianity in modern China has experienced a revival. This is reflected in the rapid increase in research institutions, projects, conferences and publications, as well as the continuous development and discovery of new theories, methods, fields and archival materials. Beyond China’s borders, there has also been a surge in interest in this research topic. All of which has led to a positive and interactive situation in this area both in China itself and abroad.

Against this backdrop, we believe that it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive and systematic review of existing research on the history of Christianity in modern China as conducted on the Chinese mainland and overseas. This review or retrospective analysis will not only help us to re-examine the experiences of previous studies, but will also serve as a roadmap for extended research from a wider field of scholars, such as those working on the modern study of World Christianity (comparing Christianity from different regions and countries), and those from the fields international relations and global studies, where ‘religion’ has become one of the core issues under discussion. This Special Issue of Religions is dedicated to exploring the most recent research on Christianity in modern China and related studies. We welcome comprehensive and critical review papers on various aspects, including history, theology, movements, institutions, endeavors, individuals, the Christian Church’s intriguing relationships with Chinese society, and comparative studies incorporating different regions and countries.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200-300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send this to the Guest Editors, Prof. Dr. Yihua Xu (edwardyhxu@126.com) and Prof. Dr. Peter NG (peterng.cuhk@gmail.com/peterng@gratia.edu.hk), and CC the Assistant Editor of Religions, Margaret Liu (margaret.liu@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

A tentative timeline:

Deadline for abstract submission: 15 February 2026
Deadline for full manuscript submission: 31 July 2026

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Yihua Xu
Prof. Dr. Peter Tze Ming NG
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• history of Christianity
• modern China
• critical review
• comparative studies
• interdisciplinary studies