History of Christianity in Hui Research

The Teachings of the Bible Regarding Evangelism

There are many people across the world, who have not received the gospel and it is a Christian's responsibility of the evangelists or missionaries to ensure that the word of God also reaches those people. The Bible explains the role of the Christians in ensuring that evangelism spreads throughout the world. Based on the Biblical interpretation, the term evangelism simply means sharing the good news contained in the gospel. Jesus tried to spread the gospel, but his followers are tasked with the responsibility to ensure that the good news reaches the places that Jesus never made to. However, over 2,000 years since Jesus ascended to heaven, there are many places where Christianity has not reached due to various reasons. The Bible teaches that Christians or believers should make God's name renown. In the book of Psalm 105:1 (New International Version), it is written that "Give rise to the Lord, proclaim His name; make known among the nations what He has done." In this verse, the key idea about evangelism or the call to share the gospel is that evangelism is all about making God's name renown in the areas where His presence has not been felt. In the Old Testament, God is depicted as powerful and above all other gods. He created nations with the intent that its people will follow Him and make His name renown among the other nations to share the greatness of His work. Today, there are many religions across the world, which have proven difficult to change. However, the great works of God culminate in the reconciliation of the cross where Jesus died as well his resurrection that shows how he defeated death. There can never be any other motivation to make God's name renown if not this verse.

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Even though it is the responsibility of the Christians or followers of Jesus Christ to spread the word of God across the regions where people have not identified His name, the Bible says that evangelism is about the willingness of an individual to go to the journey of spreading the gospel. In Isaiah 6:8 (New International Version), the Bible says that "then I heard the voice of the Lord saying 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' and I said, 'here am I. Send me!" This verse in the Old Testament shows that as much as it is the responsibility of Christians to share the gospel, but God gives people a choice. One must receive the calling before embarking on the journey to share the gospel. Isaiah explains in that chapter that God does not coerce people to serve Him, but He continuously offers them a chance to choose the path willingly. Isaiah explains his vision which helps him volunteer to do God's work and share His message to the people.

Christians today are also motivated in a direct proportion to their experience with the Lord. The Bible teaches that one should not struggle to find inspiration to share the gospel. However, in case one finds it difficult to find the inspiration, it is important to pray to receive deeper revelation from God as well as receive His holiness and glory to facilitate the evangelical work. As recorded in the book of Matthew 5:15-16 (New International Version), the goodness of human beings is in form of evangelism or willingness to share the gospel. Verse explains that "neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shone before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." In the verse, Matthew records what Jesus taught his disciples that their lamps have been lit and it is there time to give light to others also. The good deed is the light that Matthew writes about in the verse; when people do good things, it is the gospel that gets the credence.

The Unreached People Group: Hui in China

Religious views hold that Christianity in China was brought by the Europeans in the 19th century. Ian Welch provides the historical development of Christianity in China during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. According to the author, cultural imperialism made it difficult for the natives to accept Christianity because they felt that the foreigners were imposing the foreign values on them Welch 3). This made it difficult for the converted Chinese people to spread the gospel in the interior areas (Welch 3). As a result, up to date Christianity presence still lacks in some communities in China. A good case example that will be discussed in this essay is the Hui community, an East Asian ethnoreligious group.

Geographically, the Hi is the third largest minority group in China. The community is located in the Northeast Asian region where they are scattered throughout almost every part of China (Joshua Project, 2018). Even though Christianity has not reached to the Hui people, it does not mean that they lack religion. Majority of people in Hui are predominantly Muslims. Based on the 2010 census, the Hui population is about 10.6 million (Joushua Project 1). According to Joshua Project, the largest religion is Islam that comprises of 95.99% and Christianity is the minority which comprises 0.01% of the population (1). There are thousands of mosques built in Hui showing that the community is more Muslim than other religions. The Hui are considered to be the official minority of China. Majority of the Hui speak the standard mandarin language, but others speak Persian as well as Arabic. The customs of the Hui comprise of prohibition to eat pork which is mainly associated with the Muslim religion. Also, the Hui are renowned business sharp business people.

Economically, the Hui relies on commercial activities because they are business men and women. Like many minority groups, the Hui are not economically developed. Hui people have greatly supported the modern education and reforms which has enhanced the spread of western and modern education. The Hui are not so traditional like the other Chinese groups; this may enhance the acceptability of Christianity in the region.

Further, the fact that the Hui embraces the western cultures and education makes it easy for missionaries to find their way into the community. Generally, there are no major barriers related to the community cultures that may pose a great hindrance to the spread of the community among the Hui.

History of Christianity in Hui

The history of Christianity among the Hui can be traced back to the 19th century when persecution of the Christians slowed down. According to Open Doors, in the 1980s, China was undergoing a transition after the death of Mao. Christians were persecuted during Mao's rule; Christianity was considered illegal as many Christians were imprisoned, tortured and even killed for what they believed in (9). Islam on the other hand, started in Hui in the 14th century when people started moving away from their local religions. Open Doors narrates that despite the challenges and persecutions, Christianity developed and grew among the people rapidly as many people continue to get converted to Christianity. Among the Hui, the situation has not changed that much as the rest of China because more than 90% of the population still belongs to the Muslim religion.

Christianity, among the Hui, is represented by a very small section of the population. Open Doors explain that Christians in the minority groups such as Hui still face many challenges including persecution up to date (11). The Islamic religion has since taken deep root in Hui and extremists find their way into the region over the past years. Wen, Shuang also explains that Muslims in Hui have, for long, taken pride in the Islamic religion. According to the author, the Hui people have considered themselves direct descendants of Muslims from the Islamic heartland (Wen 1). However, as Wen states, Islam was not the first religion in the region. At first, people belied in their local religions before they were converted slowly to Islam in the 14th century. Wen further states that the narrative that, Hui are the descendants of Muslims from the Islamic heartland, started to change in the 19th century when the Chinese-Arab trade started to decline. However, it was not the end of the trade that marked the beginning of Christianity in Hui, but the emergence of the American and British Christian missionaries in the region.

The end of the trade link between the Hui and Arabs only enhanced the opportunities for Christianity to find root in Hui. According to Wen, it seems like the contact with the Arabs motivated the Hui people to practice Muslim. However, after the contact was cut off, many people started to change as they became non-Muslim practitioners (Wen 1). However, with the arrival of the Christian missionaries in the 19th century, people started to change. The missionaries brought something new to the Hui; for instance, Christian schools were established, hospitals, and churches. All these replaced the madras and mosques, which were previously known to be the supporting institutions for the people's welfare (Wen 1). According to Wen, by the end of 20th century, the Hui people had started to acquire a new identity, which was related to Christianity. However, despite all these efforts by the Christian missionaries, the situation has not changed so much today. Christians are still perceived as traitors. As Open Doors explain, Christians are told that they have caused a great shame and dishonor to the community. Following Christ in Hui is still a challenge because the majority of the families are still Muslims.

Current Missionary Presence in Hui

The World Watch Monitor explains that Christianity in the minority regions like the Hui and Xinjiang is still challenging to cultivate currently. Even there is the presence of missionary activities in the region where Islam still dominates like Hui, but the cost of becoming a Christian is loneliness. The World Watch Monitor reports that by February 2017, the Chinese authorities in the northern region where Hui and Xinjiang reside banned all the Christian activities that are not linked to state-approved churches (3).

The World Watch Monitor report also notes that the total Christian population in China today is just a...