Conclusion: Christian Churches in the Authoritarian Regimes

Abstract

The book seeks to make contributions, empirical and theoretical, to the current state of research into Christianity in Greater China. On the empirical level, the chapters presented in the book detail the nature of relations between the selected churches and the state and society from the early years of the church in China and Taiwan to the present-day. They describe situations of both cooperation and conflict with the totalitarian regimes in Greater China and outline the strategies adopted by the churches with respect to localization. I argue that any Christian group faces two main pressures: pressure from its own need to adapt to the local culture, and pressure from the government and its legal requirements.