Christianity, although a worldwide religious tradition, is counted as a minority in the People's Republic of China (PRC), both by the Christians themselves and by non-believers. "House churches" in the PRC, being illegal and thus underground, are the "minority in a minority." Based on two years of participant-observation, I give a description of the beliefs and rituals of an immigrant workers' Protestant house church system in Beijing. Belief in the Christian God's ability to provide relief from suffering by performing earthly miracles and by bringing the faithful to eternal life in heaven are the main attractions drawing people to the house churches. I argue that the way the believers value and emphasize miracles performed by the Christian God is derived primarily from an orientation found in the Chinese popular religious tradition. Additionally, glorification of suffering in Christianity gives the believers inner strength to face the trials of the world.
University of California Press