The Recovery of Genuineness: The Local Church’s Expansion from China to the World and Back, 1922-1997

• Author / Creator

  Hsu Hsiung, Shu-chen

• This dissertation explores the origins, development, and global expansion of the Local Church movement from 1922 to 1997. The Local Church is a Christian movement that began in China under the leadership of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee. It examines the church’s foundational period in China, its survival through wars and political upheavals, and its global propagation, particularly its migration to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia, and its reverse mission to the United States. The study highlights the Local Church’s distinctive ecclesiology of “one locality, one church” and its indigenization efforts amidst the anti-imperialist atmosphere of early 20th-century China. Despite facing severe suppression during China’s Cultural Revolution and subsequent decades, the movement continued to expand globally, becoming a significant example of cross-cultural religious propagation. Key events such as the Local Church’s encounters with the Chinese state, its labeling as a “cult” in the US, and its struggles for legitimacy are analyzed to understand the complex socio-political and cultural dynamics at play. This dissertation argues that the Local Church’s pursuit of restorationist ideals and its interactions with different cultural settings contributed to its unique identity and resilience.
  Through a comprehensive study of primary sources, this work sheds light on the Local Church’s significant role in the history of World Christianity and its impact on religion and state relationships in China and beyond. This dissertation contributes to the fields of the history of Christianity in China, the relationship between globalization and religion, and the evolution of Chinese religious policy, providing a nuanced understanding of the Local Church’s journey from a local movement to a global phenomenon.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Chinese Christianity
  • Local Church
  • Watchman Nee
  • Witness Lee
  • transnationalism
  • globalization of religion

• Graduation date

  Fall 2024

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Doctor of Philosophy

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-6ktg-9a38

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Library with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.