Date of Award
8-2001
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Comparative Religion
First Advisor
Dr. H. Byron Earhart
Second Advisor
Dr. Brian C. Wilson
Third Advisor
Dr. David Ede
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Campus Only
Abstract
Protestant Christianity has recently emerged as one of the fastest growing religions within China. Many government officials refer to its growth as "Christianity fever." The predominate number of converts to the Chinese Protestant Christian Church are women.
This study proposes that women find within the Chinese Protestant Christian Church a social community that provides many benefits that society at large in China does not provide. The Church provides women with a road to power, a psychological paradigm, education, a community with meaningful social activities, and social services.
This study presents a historical overview of Christianity in China and then focuses on the conversion of Chinese women to Protestant Christianity. It first explains the conversion of Chinese women at the end of the nineteenth century and then using life histories, examines the reasons for conversion at the end of the twentieth century.
Recommended Citation
McDowell, Johnson G., "Protestant Christianity and Chinese Women: A Study with Life Histories" (2001). Masters Theses. 3767.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/3767