Sending the Book to the Publisher

After months of writing, I'm going to be sending the book to the publisher on Monday. I can't believe that I'm almost done! I now know why so few people write a book.... It's really hard work! I really hope that the book is used to clarify Western perceptions of China and her Church because we in the West have a great opportunity to engage with what God is doing.

The book will be available for purchase by late-May 2008 at Amazon.com, Christianbook.com and other online retailers.

I will attempt to clarify perceptions of China and her church in 7 Chapters. I’ve tried to keep this book short enough that one could read it on a North America to China flight, but long enough to cover the main points. By the time you get off the plane, you will have finished the book and will be ready to engage with China. In Chapter 1, we look at the history of Christianity in China and China’s missionary past as a way not only to learn about the missionary effort in nineteenth century China, but I think there are very valuable lessons we can learn from this history as we engage in China today. It was the novelist George Santayana who in 1905 wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.”

In Chapter 2, we will look at the current trends that are changing China literally from the inside out. These changes and developments are important for our understanding of China. This may be a surprising chapter for many of you as you learn of some of the main groundbreaking efforts being undertaken in China.

The Chinese people, as many of you know, have different social and moral standards than we do in the West and if we want to understand China, we need to understand how the Chinese differ in relationship building and social standards. In Chapter 3, we will also look at the Chinese view on legality and the Rule of Law.

Chapter 4 examines what I call the ‘Persecution Myth,’ the myth that Christians in China continue to be consistently persecuted for their faith in Christ. It is a myth because persecution is not happening as much as we may think and we in the West need to change our paradigm. It is widely known among those Westerners living in China and those working with the Chinese church that persecution is no longer the main story of the Church in China. We will also look at why the myth continues to persist and the organizations who don’t want the myth to be killed.

For all Westerners who want to actively be involved in what God is doing in China, Chapter 5 will become your guidebook for involvement in China. New opportunities to work with transparency in China, a new ‘industry standard’ of engagement in China and a practical guide for getting started in China are all yours for the taking in this Chapter.

One of the other keys to our understanding of modern-day China is seeing China and life through the eyes of the Chinese themselves. With my work in the China Resource center, I’m talking to many Americans about China as I speak on China and her church. It’s clear to me through these conversations that people’s thoughts and perceptions about the lives of today’s Chinese are inaccurate. In painting with very broad strokes, I hope in Chapter 6 to present useful information to clarify the overall picture of how the Chinese themselves view their government, life and democracy. My guess is that some of my findings will surprise you.

As you will find out through the pages of this book, I have been working with Chinese and in China for 20 years. In Chapter 7, I’ll give you an overview of my work in China and introduce you to the work of the China Resource Center. I believe we have a great mission and I’m excited to be involved.

I must also note the two Appendixes, because I think they will be of great use to many of you. In Appendix A, I detail an effort I’m launching to bring you, the reader, into the fray of putting the pieces of The Chinese Puzzle together. I’m launching a blog that will give you the opportunity to give me feedback on the book and read additional comments from me about the book. I look forward to reading your input soon! Appendix B is the full text of the Ethical Foundations for China Service, which was created by a number of China ministry leaders as we came together at Fuller Seminary in June 2006 as a way to not only give us a standard by which to use in China, but also as a guide for other China-interested organizations and individuals. It is our hope that you may take the Foundations into your own organization and use it as a discussion starter and a point of dialogue about most effective practices in China.

I thank you for your interest in this book and I hope it is useful for your understanding of China and her Church. I'm looking forward to your comments on this blog as you get a chance to read The Chinese Puzzle!