Openness to Christianity among Chinese Graduate Students Who Attended a U.S. Christian University: A Grounded Theory Study

Abstract

More than 300,000 Chinese students attend U.S. universities annually (USDHS, 2018), many of whom reportedly “Leave China, Study in America, Find Jesus” (Zhang, 2016). However, research on this phenomenon of worldview change is thin, especially as related to the experiences of atheist or nonreligious Chinese graduate students attending Christian institutions. This grounded theory study investigated the central research question: “What factors influence Chinese graduate students’ openness to Christianity while attending a Christian university in the United States?” Twenty-five Chinese graduate students from various majors were interviewed regarding their experiences attending an anonymous member institution of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU). Among the 25 participants, 20 entered the university self-identifying as nonreligious or atheist; three entered self-identifying as Christians who had attended an unofficial or official church in China. One participant reported having had limited involvement in Christianity in China; another reported significant previous involvement in Daoism. The major finding of the study is that Chinese graduate students who attended a Christian university experienced increased openness to Christianity yet with competing influences—contributors increasing openness to Christianity and other contributors that reportedly decreased openness to Christianity. This article focuses solely on the contributors that increased openness, organized by the researcher in three domains—the Theoretical-Curricular, Relational-Cultural, and Supernatural Dimensions. Ten contributors to openness were identified: (a) Worldview Courses Analyzing Arguments For/Against God’s Existence, studying the work of atheist Richard Dawkins (2008) alongside Christian apologists J. P. Moreland (2007) and W. L. Craig (2010); (b) Faith Integration Requirements; (c) Intellectual Freedom; (d) The Bible; (e) Faculty and Classmates’ Influence; (f) Church Relationships; (g) Family Support; (h) American Culture; (i) Direct Experience With the Supernatural; and (j) Experimental Prayer.