China’s Indwelling Spirit

This book explores why Pentecostal Christianity has flourished in China more than nearly any other imported religious movement. Tracing its origins from the arrival of the first Pentecostal missionaries in 1907, this study shows how Pentecostal spirituality, particularly when experiential, emotional, and centered on the Holy Spirit, deeply resonated with Chinese cultural and religious traditions. This book argues that Pentecostalism succeeded in China because it both affirmed core values found in Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism, and harmonized with elements of Chinese popular religion. Drawing on key texts like the Mengzi, Zhuangzi, and the Platform Sutra, it highlights meaningful points of overlap without suggesting direct equivalence. By embracing supernatural and Spirit-centered practices, Pentecostal missionaries unintentionally fostered a flexible spiritual model that allowed Chinese converts to reinterpret existing beliefs rather than abandon them. The result is a uniquely Chinese Pentecostalism that's rooted in local culture yet global in reach. This is an important read for religious studies scholars and scholas of sociology interested in Chinese religion.