Refined China

For 1,300 years East Asia has been evangelised despite cruel persecution, yet today Christians greatly outnumber members of the Chinese Communist Party

Cruel persecution and courageous martyrs has been the recurring theme in bringing the gospel to East Asia over fourteen centuries. Four of the major divisions of Christianity: the Church of the East, Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants have struggled to tell the story of Jesus. Yet today, house churches in China continue to grow.

China – the Syrian Luminous Religion

The Gospel was frst brought to China in 635 AD1 by Syriac-speaking missionaries from the Church of the East, who travelled from Persia, where Christianity was a minority faith under Zoroastrian dominance. The leader of the missionary group was Alopen, who was received by the Emperor at his capital, Chang’an (near modern Xi’an in Shaanxi province). The Christian Scriptures were translated in the Imperial Library and their doctrine examined. The Emperor then gave permission for Christianity to be propagated, and also provided a church in Chang’an.