A Literature Review on China’s House Churches Since the 21st Century 
Shilin Xu

Graduate School of International Media Communication and Tourism Studies Hokkaido University, Sapporo Hokkaido Japan, 060-0817；

Abstract: By reviewing research literature from 2001 to 2023, this paper synthesizes the definitions and key characteristics of China’s house churches. The findings reveal that house churches are characterized by their large scale, informality, diversity, and complexity, while simultaneously exhibiting both closed and open dynamics. Further studies explore their social functions, privatization aspects, issues of identity and localization, as well as their tensions with religious policies. Since the beginning of the 21st century, house churches have shown new trends, including greater diversity among believers, a broader range of activities, and increased dissemination through the internet. This suggests that the development of house churches is closely tied to societal changes in China. The review of prior research helps identify existing gaps and provides theoretical and practical insights for future studies on house churches.

Keywords: House churches; China; 21st century; Development trends

References

[1]Yu, J. (2008). Where is China’s Christian House Church Heading? A Dialogue with ‘House Church’ Members. Leader, 4.

[2]Barrett, D. B. (2001). World Christian Encyclopedia: A Comparative Survey of Churches and Religions in the Modern World. Oxford University Press.

[3]Vala, C. T. (2012). Protestant Christianity and Civil Society in Authoritarian China: The Impact of Official Churches and Unregistered ‘Urban Churches’ on Civil Society Development in the 2000s.” China Perspectives, 3, 43-52.

[4]Yu, J. (2010). A Study on the Legalization of China’s Christian House Churches.” Strategy and Management, 2.

[5]Liu, P. (2009). A Study on the Issue of Christian House Churches in China. Universal Social. Science Research Institute.

[6]Jin, Z, & Qiu, Y. (2013). China Religion Report (2013). Social Sciences Academic Press.

[7]Xu, Q. (2016). On the Characteristics of Christian Organizations and Activities in China: A。Case Study of the ‘House Church’ Among Shanghai Koreans. Review of Social Science, 118(9), 47-69.

[8]Huang, K. (2016). Sect-to-Church Movement in Globalization: Transforming Pentecostalism and Coastal Intermediaries in Contemporary China. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 55(2), 407-416.

[9]Dunn, J. D. G. (2010). Did the First Christians Worship Jesus?: The New Testament Evidence. SPCK Publishing.

[10]Liu, L. (2012). The Practice of Urban Christianity and Its Meaning System Production. Nanjing University.

[11]Yu, X, & Tao, W. (2017). Place Attachment in Informal Sacred Spaces in Cities: A Case Study of the MT Home Fellowship of Youth House Churches in Guangzhou. Tropical Geography, 37(1), 91-101.

[12]Zhou, J. (2015). A Study on the Identity and Localization of Shanghai House Churches. Shanghai University.

[13]Liu, B. (2015). Research on the Identity Conflict of Christian Communities: A Case Study of the BG House Church in Beijing. Beijing Social Sciences, 7, 23-31.

[14]Zhuo, X. (2019). The Realistic Necessity of Adhering to the Sinicization of Christianity. China Religion, 10, 3.

[15]Qiao, F. (2014). The Internal Rules of Christian ‘House Churches’ and Their Influence. Folk Law, 1, 225-250.

[16]Kang, J. (2016). House Church Christianity in China: From Rural Preachers to City Pastors. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.