Faith in the Wilderness
Faith in the Wilderness pulls back the curtain on the Chinese house church movement, revealing their remarkable faithfulness and steadfast hope in Christ amid difficulties.
Winner of an Award of Merit in Christianity Today’s 2023 Book Awards.
Listen to Collin Hansen’s interview with editor Hannah Nation on the Gospelbound Podcast.
“If we want revival in our communities, then let us learn from those being revived.”
For many Western Christians, the experience of persecution is remote. For Chinese Christians, on the other hand, suffering is a regular aspect of the Christian life. With a history of faithfulness under persecution and a rich theology of suffering, the Chinese house church movement has much to contribute theologically to the global church.
In Faith in the Wilderness, editors Hannah Nation and Simon Liu pull back the curtain on the pastoral heart and eschatalogical hope behind the house church’s remarkable faithfulness. These sermonic letters from Chinese leaders, some written under pseudonyms to protect the authors’ identities, will awaken readers to the reality of the gospel—the ground of our hope—in the midst of darkness. Readers will be convicted, encouraged, and edified by the testimony of these fellow believers.
Also Available From
Bulk orders and discounts at orders@lexhampress.com | 1-855-363-7467.
Preview
What People Are Saying
“I cannot recommend this wonderful collection of sermons enough. Its exhortation to all who read can be summarized by one sentence in the second sermon: ‘Christians are those who worship God without regard for their own lives.’ May this characterize the way all of us live! Rising out of the soil of suffering, these sermons brim with biblical wisdom, gospel clarity and comfort, and unquenchable Christian hope. Feed yourself on the riches here; you will be thankful that you did.”
— Paul Tripp, Pastor, Speaker, Author, Suffering: Gospel Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense
“How much we Western Christians, so prone to complain about our paltry hardships, need the voice of fellow believers in the global church who know what real suffering is—suffering of which state persecution is just one variety. Relentlessly biblical, refreshingly direct, down-to-earth practical, these sermons challenge our complacency and self-pity with Christ-centred gospel faith, hope and joy. I know I will read them again, because I need this voice in my ear to counter the cacophony of our culture or the sugar-coated shallowness of consumer Christianity.”
— Christopher J. H. Wright, Global Ambassador, Langham Partnership
"Every chapter is a gold mine, full of wisdom and simple sentences that are strikingly profound."
—Aaron Lee, SOLA Network
“Faith in the Wilderness is a timely resource for Christians in the freer world, marking a significant moment in church history. Saturated with knowledge of endurance under cultural and political hostility, our Chinese Christian family has delivered much more than a rich repository of scholarship; they’ve given all Followers of the Way reflections on survival and flourishing to help shape the next generation of global Christians into the image of Christ.”
— K.A. Ellis, Director, The Edmiston Center for the Study of the Bible and Ethnicity
"Faith in the Wilderness is a powerful and moving collection of sermonic letters and I am glad to recommend it. I am quite sure that if you take the time to read it, you will be both blessed and encouraged. Best of all, you will be better equipped to endure pandemic, persecution, and whatever else providence may have in store for you and for all of us."
— Tim Challies, author and blogger
"Most Christians know that the Chinese house church has grown vastly in its breadth, but along with breadth it has also grown in theological depth. This theological depth is worth listening to and learning from, just as we have listened to and learned from oppressed saints who have gone before us in Western church history... China is not simply ‘the mission field,’ but a country that has theologically rich and faithful churches."
—Noah Samuels, ChinaSource
Free Study Guide: Turning to the Gospel in Times of Suffering
The book Faith in the Wilderness and this study guide are resources for anyone seeking to encounter the gospel message with fresh eyes while tackling such difficult subjects as death, sin, and hell.
About the Editors
Hannah Nation is managing director for the Center for House Church Theology and content director for China Partnership. She is co-editor of Grace to the City: Studies in the Gospel from China.
Simon Liu is a pastor and mentor to pastors in China. Over the past decade, he has been involved in over 140 church plants across China.
The Center for House Church Theology publishes pastors and leaders in China’s urban house churches for the benefit of the global church. Subscribe to our newsletter below to be notified about more books and essays from the Chinese house church.