"This work is unique in that it subjects the history of Christianity in China to rigorous historical investigation. No other work on the subject can compare even remotely with it in depth and breadth of documentation and in analysis. The papers all reflect original research in sources seldom or never used before, and they are as much concerned with social history as with religious history. The volume is a benchmark work on Christian life in China in the context of a changing indigenous society."—K. C. Liu, University of California, Davis "Unique in that it subjects the history of Christianity in China to rigorous historical investigation. . . . A benchmark work."—K.C. Liu, University of California, Davis "Together the essays offer a rich view of one of China's smallest minorities: Christians. . . . The book is highly recommended for all those interested in modern China, international relations, women's issues, religion in China, and cross-cultural studies."—American Historical Review "An outstanding collection."—China Review International "One can only praise the considerable stengths of this collection: its breadth, freshness, and collaboration that make it a first-rate work in its field. . . . This will be a standard reference for anyone interested in understanding the remakable development of Christianity in China."—Church History "This book prepares the way for a new stage of scholarship about the interaction between Chinese and foreign ideas and institutions."—Journal of Asian Studies "These twenty superb studies . . . are all meticulously reserched and lucidly written pieces, a rare feat for a collective work, and a credit to Bays."—Journal of the American Academy of Religion