Free Lecture | China's Earliest Christians: Who Were They and What Can We Learn from Them?

Date: March 20, 2025
Time: 6:15 -- light refreshments
             7:00 -  Lecture & Q&A
(no live stream but please register to receive a link to the recording)

In 1625, a great stone stele was discovered near modern-day Xi’an that told the story of a Christian presence in Tang Dynasty China during the 700s. The name given to their religion in this stele is Jingjiao (Luminous Teaching). Who were they and what did they believe? In this lecture, Dr. Thompson will introduce us to these early Christians and how their story can inform and inspire the work of the modern church in China. 

Dr. Glen Thompson is a Professor Emeritus at Asia Lutheran Seminary (Hong Kong). He is the author of “Jingjiao: The Earliest Christian Church in China,” (2024), which was given an Award of Merit from Christianity Today as one of the top books of Christian history in 2024.

Copies of his book will be available for purchase.

This event is part of our ongoing collaborative lecture series cohosted by ChinaSource, the US-China Catholic Association, and the China Academic Consortium. It is co-sponsored by the University of Northwestern-St. Paul.