Abstract
As the first monograph-length study of Seventh-day Adventism in China covering the (roughly) forty-year period from the mid-1970s to the 2010s, this book is a significant contribution to the field of Chinese Christianities. This study focuses on the processes by which Adventists revived their denominational identity through a series of schisms and in negotiation with global Adventism, localized Chinese Adventist beliefs and practices, and the broader sociopolitical milieu.
In order to piece together the development of Adventism in mainland China and the series of schisms that helped define the denomination, Chow, an independent scholar of Christianity and Chinese religions, conducted extensive archival and fieldwork research over the course of nearly a decade. The author accessed the local government archive in Wenzhou and Adventist archives in Hong Kong and the US. Fieldwork for the project involved the complementary approach of document analysis (church records, autobiographies, personal diaries, and letters) and “classic” ethnography, employing participant observation and interviews. This ethnographic approach also involved exploring the online presence of Chinese Adventists via social media platforms, allowing Chow to conduct ethnographic research when not in the field. Chow’s meticulous attention to detail is one of the core strengths of the text.
Preceded by an introduction, the book is divided into seven core chapters, followed by a conclusion, two appendixes, and extensive notes. The introduction outlines the aims of the book, key conceptual terms, research methods, and a chapter outline. Chapter 1 sets the historical context for the remaining chapters by analyzing the development of missionary-led Adventism into Chinese Adventism by the end of the 1970s. The remaining chapters all cover different schisms and aspects of splits within the denomination. Chapter 2 analyzes the first defining schism between conservative and reformist Adventists. Chapters 3 and 4 describe the emergence of the newer Wilderness and Wheatfield factions. The remaining three chapters variously look at localized splits in the denomination, disagreements over church property, the role of women Adventists (ch. 5), and attempts at coalition in response to outside threats. The conclusion revisits the core aims of the book and considers the importance of schisms in helping to establish the Adventist denominational identity in mainland China.
While there are no significant weaknesses in this monograph, there is one area where I would like to have seen some further reflection. In the conclusion, Chow lauds the merits of ethnographic methods in understanding the complexities of religious life in China. While this may be the case, it is not a new point in itself, so some comment on the specificities of the method in the Chinese context would have helped to make this point a real contribution to the study of religion in Chinese contexts. Overall, though, for anyone in the fields of Chinese Christianities or World Christianity, this is essential (and fascinating!) reading.