The Bible and Chinese Church Music

Abstract

Christianity came to China four times since the Tang dynasty, bringing with it the gospel of Jesus Christ with various biblical texts, interpretations, hymns, and songs. This essay surveys Chinese church music and shows the multi-cultural richness of worship life in the Chinese church. It will show that cultural differences do not hinder people of God in foreign cultural settings from understanding the Bible and seeking new ways of expressing their love and devotion to God. Yet, it also will show that, at the same time, Chinese believers seek to imitate and preserve the dominant musical style of Euro-American traditions.