Drawing a Roadmap for Research on the History of Christianity in Modern China
A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444). This special issue belongs to the section "Religions and Humanities/Philosophies".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 1692
Special Issue Editors
Interests: history of Christianity in China; religion and international relations; American religion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: Chinese Christianity; history of China’s Christian universities; liberal arts and the legacy of China’s Christian universities
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
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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Keywords
- history of Christianity
- modern China
- critical review
- comparative studies
- interdisciplinary studies
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