Lightning from the East : : heterodoxy and Christianity in contemporary China / / by Emily Dunn.

• Author: Dunn, Emily (Associate)
• Place / Publishing House: Boston : : Brill,, 2015.
• Year of Publication: 2015
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: Religion in Chinese Societies 8.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (263 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

The Church of Almighty God, also known as Eastern Lightning, teaches that Jesus Christ has returned to earth as a Chinese woman to judge humankind. The Chinese government has banned it and similar groups, and targeted them in its campaign against “cults” such as Falun Gong. Based on the Church’s own texts and exogenous reports, Emily Dunn offers the first comprehensive account of what the Church of Almighty God teaches, how Chinese Christians and the government have responded to new religious movements related to Protestantism, and how it all fits with global Christianity and the history of Chinese religion.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material -- 1 Eastern Lightning (Church of Almighty God) and Religion in China -- 2 Protestant-related New Religious Movements in Contemporary China -- 3 The Teachings of Eastern Lightning -- 4 The Heritage of Eastern Lightning’s Teachings: A Case Study -- 5 The Chinese Government’s Response to Protestant-related New Religious Movements -- 6 The Art of Persuasion: Eastern Lightning’s Recruitment Strategies -- 7 Chinese Protestant Depictions of Heresy -- 8 Conclusion: Eastern Lightning in Local and Global Perspective -- Appendix -- Bibliography -- Index.