★★★★★
Wow! Powerful stuff, here.
Liao
is not a Christian, he’s a Chinese rebel. That is, he’s a critic of the
Chinese regime, for which he has been imprisoned and his works have
been banned. Says Liao, “I will continue to write and document the
sufferings of people living at the bottom rung of society, even though
the Communist Party is not pleased with my writing. I have the
responsibility to help the world understand the true spirit of China,
which will outlast the current totalitarian government.”
So,
in this book, he takes on the topic of how Christianity flourished
under the Communist banner. Martyrdom, underground house churches,
religious persecutions … these are the sorts of topics you’ll find in
this series of 18 essays. Many deal with the period of Chairman Mao and
the Cultural Revolution.
This
is not really a political book, nor is it evangelical. It is a
reporters-eye view of Christianity where it doesn’t fit in. In learning
about his topic, Liao attends a Eucharist celebration, interviews church
leaders, visits the sites of persecution, and lets real people tell
their stories. Warning: These stories are as disturbing as they are
inspiring. Christianity under Red China looks like the first couple
centuries under the Roman Empire all over again.
Was
it worth it for those who endured? I’ll let you decide after you read
the final interview with its entirely different flavor, of a new young
2010 convert to Christianity. A dry surprise awaits you.
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