Alexander Chow (ed.). 2025. Chinese Heritage in British Christianity : More than Foreigners

Chinese Heritage in British Christianity, edited by Alexander Chow, brings together essays that re-examine the place of Chinese Christian heritage in Britain.Its central argument is telling: Chinese Christianity in Britain should not be understood merely as an immigrant or diaspora one, thus making it appear foreign to British Christianity, but as an integral and formative part of British Christianity itself.This edited volume is indeed a collaborative work by contributors from British Christians of different Chinese heritages.This mix produces a plurality of perspectives that mirrors the diversity of Chinese Christian communities themselvesfrom early figures whose presence stretches back to the nineteenth century to the more recent arrival of large numbers of BN(O) Hong Kongese, whose long-term influence is still unfolding.The volume is organised in three partshistorical and sociological studies, theological reflections and missiological/pastoral explorationsframed by Chow's introduction and Bert Han's concluding essay, both of which reinforce the key argument of the book.In Part I, Chow traces two centuries of Chinese Christian presence in Britain.His historical survey draws attention to both the internal cultural diversity of Chinese congregations and the limited recognition given to Chinese Christian contributions within wider British Christian history, despite their long-lasting impact on the shaping of British Christianity.Renie Choy's essay adds another angle by examining visual traces of Chinese history within English church buildings.Instead of finding evidence of mutual engagement, she uncovers images and artefacts tied to Britain's military involvement in China.This contrast draws attention to what is remembered and what is omitted in church spaces, raising questions about how Chinese Christians situate themselves within such