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An anthropological theorization of the unity and diversity of Christianity, this book focuses on Christian communities in Nanping, a small city in China. It applies methodological insights from Actor-Network Theory to investigate how the Christian God is made part of local social networks. The study examines how Christians interact with and re-define material objects, such as buildings, pews, offerings, and blood, in order to identify the kind of networks and non-human actors that they collectively design. By comparing local Christian traditions with other practices informing the Nanping religious landscape, the study points out potential cohesion via the centralizing presence of the Christian God, the governing nature of the pastoral clergy, and the semi-transcendent being of the Church.
List of contents
Chapter 1: Introduction.- Chapter 2: Building Churches on Chinese Soil.- Chapter 3: Chanting and Listening Together in the Face of the Lord.- Chapter 4: Revealing the Church through Elderly Care.- Chapter 5: Giving Thanks to God: Thanksgiving in the Gospel Church.- Chapter 6: The Bloody Business of Christian Conversion.- Chapter 7: Conclusion - The Tree of Life.
About the author
Michel Chambon is Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Hanover College, USA. He completed a Master's in Theology at the Catholic University of Paris, France and a Ph.D. in Anthropology at Boston University, USA. He has also been a visiting researcher at the University of Notre Dame, USA.
Report
"Making Christ Present in China takes a valiant step in that direction by bringing new theoretical models to account for the full complexity of one slice of Chinese Christianity." (Yucheng Bai, Review of Religion and Chinese Society, Vol. 9 (1), 2022)
"This study can help us gain insight into contemporary Chinese Christian faith processes and social practices." (Wei Xiong, Religious Studies Review, Vol. 47 (3), September, 2021)
