Visions of Salvation

The Chinese Christian posters of the early twentieth century are fascinating popular art reflective of the era. This volume puts them in social and cultural contexts, and together they show the active agency of Chinese Christians for social reforms, nation building, and modernization. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Christian evangelism, social change, and modern history of China.

~Fenggang Yang, Professor of Sociology and Director, Center on Religion and the Global East, Purdue University

The essays in this outstanding volume, authored by leading experts on Chinese Christianity, take the engaging images for the Chinese Christian Posters collection and contextualize them in time, space, and denomination. The posters and the essays demonstrate the 'in-betweenness' of the Chinese Christian milieu in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. As Chinese Christians grappled with the new opportunities of faith, modernity, and popular culture, they sought ways to express their worldviews and educate others. Printed on cheap paper and priced to sell, these posters capture the concerns and motifs of ordinary people in China during a turbulent era. These essays help us to appreciate how these concerns and motifs have significance for understanding Chinese society both in the past and in the present.

~Melissa Inouye, Professor of Chinese Studies, The University of Auckland

In  Visions of Salvation, scholars from diverse fields analyze Chinese Christian posters with powerful insight. As shown in Daryl Ireland’s excellent introduction, this body of work provides witness that a good history of China’s modernization process must include discussion of Chinese Christianity, and that both fields stand to gain much through examination of Chinese Christian posters. This book opens the study of this valuable source base with sophisticated scholarship on theology, art history, visual and material culture, and gender in Chinese history, pointing the way for fruitful work to come. Fascinating visuals and incisive text combine to make this an accessible volume that will be valued by students and scholars alike; I eagerly look forward to using it in the classroom.

~Amy O’Keefe, Assistant Professor of History, Meredith College

The book is accessible, cohesive, and it offers a vigorous discussion of a provocative thesis. The online collection of posters is also a priceless resource.

~Richard Cook, ChinaSource

...this lively, thoughtfully designed volume is a rich contribution to our understanding of Chinese culture in the early 20th century, with each chapter supplying fresh insights and information. It is suited for use in courses on a range of topics, from religion to propaganda, to Chinese history, art history and visual culture, and the transcultural exchange of ideas and images.

~Felicity Lufkin, The China Quarterly