Sacred Webs : The Social Lives and Networks of Minnan Protestants, 1840s-1920s

In __Sacred Webs__, Chris White demonstrates how Chinese Protestants in Minnan, or the southern half of Fujian Province, fractured social ties and constructed and utilized new networks through churches, which served as nodes linking individuals into larger Protestant communities. Contents 7 Acknowledgements 9 Note on Terms and Spelling 12 List of Images, Chart and Maps 13 Introduction 15 1 Setting the Minnan Stage 37 Section 1 Displaced Gods and Riceless Christians: The Processes of Conversion among Minnan Protestants 63 2 Processing Conversion 65 3 Converting Costs 91 Section 2 Movers and Shakers: Mobility and Conflict in Minnan Protestant Communities 121 4 Minnan Protestants on the Move 123 5 Understanding Chinese Protestant Conflicts 161 6 Networking Conflicts 182 7 Celebrating Protestant Networks 204 Section 3 The Liberating Gospel: Xu Chuncao and Spiritual and Social Activism of Minnan Protestants 229 8 Incorporating Protestant and Secular Networks 231 Conclusion 265 Appendix 1: Instances of Minnan Protestant Converts Forfeiting their Employment to Join the Church, 1846–1866 269 Appendix 2: Index of Chinese Characters 275 References 279 Index 298 In 'Sacred Webs', historian Chris White demonstrates how Chinese Protestants in Minnan, or the southern half of Fujian Province, fractured social ties and constructed and utilized new networks through churches, which served as nodes linking individuals into larger Protestant communities. Through analyzing missionary archives, local church reports, and available Chinese records, 'Sacred Webs' depicts Christianity as a Chinese religion and Minnan Protestants as laying claim to both a Christian faith and a Chinese cultural heritage