Protestant Dissenting Traditions in Asia in the Twentieth Century

Abstract

Protestant Christianities in Asia today are Asian, but they also carry markers of piety, resilience, and social sensibility which reflect dissenting traditions. While acknowledging the fundamental importance of Asian agency, elements of Protestant Dissent can be identified among the multiple ideas, traditions, personalities, social phenomena, and historical events which have contributed to the formation of Asian Christianity. Denominational names often signify connection with a dissenting Christian identity. A dissenting heritage is often associated with education, an emphasis on bible -reading and translation, an openness to women and lay-leadership in positions of authority, and a cautious attitude towards relationships with governments. Links are also found in stories about pioneer personalities. However, Congregationalist, Presbyterian, British Methodist, and some Baptist churches who joined in national union schemes in India, China, the Philippines, and Thailand, have generally had their memory, and sometimes their polity, subsumed under the shared vision of a new national church.