Exporting Progressivism to Communist China

“This remarkable book breaks new ground in exploring the critical role those American Christian institutions and individuals played in shaping the development of Protestantism in China in the first half of the twentieth century.”


—Alister E. McGrath, professor of science and religion, Oxford University





“Christopher Sneller is a gifted storyteller. Based upon meticulous research of published and unpublished sources, he traces the previously largely untold story of the history of the impact Union Theological Seminary in New York had on the Protestant church in China in the first half of the twentieth century. This is a fascinating narrative which missiologists, historians, sociologists, and theologians will find helpful.”


—Glenn R. Kreider, professor of theological studies, Dallas Theological Seminary





“Focusing on the developments of Chinese Christianity, Christopher Sneller provides an insightful book that gives a window to wider Christian movements over the last century. Sneller draws the story of Union Theological Seminary and Chinese Christianity together with the likes of Bonhoeffer and the Modernist-Fundamentalist debates, resulting in an accessible and engaging account of how these cross-cultural interactions continue to influence events today. You’ll learn as much about American Christianity as that of Chinese Christianity.”


—Ben C. Blackwell, professor of early Christianity, Houston Theological Seminary





“Modern histories of Chinese Christianity largely ignore any influence by Union Seminary (New York). Christopher Sneller not only demonstrates the profound impact of the seminary on the shaping of modern Chinese Christianity, but he also makes a persuasive case for intentionality. More than enlightening history, this book is a clarion call to the vital role of seminaries in shaping leadership, culture, and the direction of the church.”


—E. Randolph Richards, research professor of New Testament, Palm Beach Atlantic University





“This seminal work, based on archival research, unpacks for the first time the complex relationships between theological education at Union Theological Seminary in New York and its formative impact on diverse expressions of emerging Chinese Protestant Christianity in mainland China, especially the Three-Self Patriotic Movement. It demonstrates how these ‘Sino-American relationships’ sustained, enlivened, and even expanded Chinese Christianity during revolutions; now Chinese Christianity is vibrant and enhances world Christianity. This book deserves highest recognition.”


—Daniel Jeyaraj, professor emeritus of world Christianity, Liverpool Hope University





“Powerful, unseen currents carry water across oceans and regulate global climate. In the same way, Christopher Sneller demonstrates the unmistakable effect of Union Seminary on both Chinese Christianity and geopolitics since the early twentieth century. This influence has largely gone unnoticed until now. Sneller’s research not only has breadth and depth; it is accessible to a wide range of readers. I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning how similar forces may contribute to the shaping of Christianity around the world in the century ahead.”


—Brad Vaughn, author of Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes





“Christopher Sneller has written the definitive study of how Union Theological Seminary in New York became instrumental in shaping several generations of China’s leading Christian intellectual voices. It demonstrates the way Union produced some of the major progressive Chinese Christian thinkers of the first half of the twentieth century and, in the second half of the century, nurtured the two most important leaders of the newly formed Three-Self Patriotic Movement. An essential read for anyone interested in the history of Christianity in China.”


—Alexander Chow, co-director, Centre for the Study of World Christianity, University of Edinburgh





“Though scholars often highlight how indigenous cultural influences shape forms of local Christianity, in this exciting study, Christopher Sneller draws our attention to the significant ways outside forces profoundly influenced local forms of Chinese Christianity. Sneller argues convincingly how the influential connections between Union Seminary and prominent Chinese have been underspecified and how an account of modern Chinese Christianity must take such influences into account. This is an excellent resource to demonstrate the complexities and often overlooked types of influences that create contemporary majority world Christianities.”


—Christopher Flanders, professor of missions, Abilene Christian University





“Social networks and social capital generate real and visible changes in world Christianity. Christopher Sneller reveals why Union Theological Seminary in New York has played a formative role in Chinese Christianity. It wasn’t just what was taught there, but also who was introduced to whom and how ties to a common institution mobilized groups on both sides of the Pacific. This book demonstrates the power of relationships and invites deeper investigations into the networked nature of global Christianity today.”


—Daryl R. Ireland, research assistant professor of world Christianity, Boston University





“This excellent volume is impeccably researched and sheds new light on Sino-American relations through the oft-neglected lens of religion. The eye-opening realization that Christopher Sneller discovers is that Christianity’s influence was never unidirectional between the two countries and how certain small nexus points (e.g., Union Seminary and K. H. Ting) had an exponential effect in creating a web of influences that inextricably linked them. These findings are truly groundbreaking and stunning in their implications.”


—Allen Yeh, professor of intercultural studies and missiology, Biola University





“For those interested in historical missions, the legacy of Union Theological Seminary, or Chinese Christianity, Christopher Sneller’s Exporting Progressivism to Communist China is a valuable study. What’s more, this book will raise interest in the history of missions in China, one of the most important countries on the global stage. Sneller’s careful work charts the intersection of two worlds that deserve better understanding: protestant liberalism and Chinese Christianity.”


—Philip Tallon, dean of the school of Christian thought, Houston Christian University





“Christopher Sneller’s study shows convincingly how New York City’s Union Theological Seminary intentionally exported its liberal or progressive theology to twentieth-century China through a network of its American and Chinese students—and how this has had a lasting impact on China’s Three-Self Patriotic Movement in particular. It is a necessary read for all wishing to understand the TSPM.”


—Glen L. Thompson, professor emeritus of New Testament and historical theology, Asia Lutheran Seminary





“Christopher Sneller offers an engrossing account of Union Seminary’s oversized influence on Protestant Christianity in China. Though this is a specialized study, there are several compelling implications that will make it of interest to a wide variety of readers.”


—David George Moore, host of Moore Engaging





“The aim of this outstanding volume by Christopher Sneller is to historically document the connections between (a) Chinese Protestantism in Mainland China and (b) Union Seminary, New York. The strength of this scholarly work comes from Sneller’s wise use of interdisciplinary approach, weaving together information and insights gleaned from the integration of research methodologies from the fields of history, education, sociology, and theology.”


—Enoch Wan, director of PhD, EdD, and DIS programs, Western Seminary





“This book addresses the contributions of Union Seminary in New York to the formation of Protestant churches in China, especially through the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), the Cross and Sword Secret Society, the Sino-Foreign Protestant Establishment (SFPE), and the Chinese Students’ Christian Association. I strongly recommend this book not only to those who are interested in the churches in China and its relations to Union Seminary, but also to those who are interested in the intersection between churches and theological institutions in various other contexts.”


—Sebastian Kim, professor of renewal in public life, Fuller Theological Seminary