This is a 25-minute video on Al Jazeera English on the rise of evangelical Christianity in China, particularly the underground “house churches” that are considered illegal and subject to state persecution. Strangely, the video begins with kung fu and goes on and on. You have to wait until after the 5-minute mark to hear even a mention of evangelical Christianity. Around the 16-minute mark, the journalist dude shows he is really all too amused with the idea of being under state surveillance. But it’s still worth watching, with some rare footage.
True believers
Evangelical Christianity is experiencing phenomenal growth in China, but is it on a collision course with the state?
http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/101east/2011/06/201162811201441957.html
China is undergoing a diverse spiritual renaissance – Daoism, Buddhism and Islam have all seen a significant increase in believers. But there is one religion in particular that has experienced phenomenal growth, Christian evangelism.
The number of worshippers remains unknown, as there are two types of church in China – the officially sanctioned churches and the underground churches.
But with the government concerned that a growing evangelist movement could threaten social harmony, the state is cracking down on groups that try to stay out of government control; and, as this film shows, on those who try to report on it.