If a young Chinese intellectual grows up in a totally atheist environment hostile especially to
the religion of western imperialism then what would induce him to become so interested in the
question of the existence of God and the meaning of faith that he decides to dedicate his life
to the study of Christianity? By telling the story of his childhood and youth in the turbulent
years of the Cultural Revolution He Guanghu offers a vivid picture not only of his personal
intellectual and spiritual development but also of the academic situation of modern and
contemporary China. In the second part of this collection several of He Guanghu's essays
analyse the complicated contradictions and connections between Chinese politics society
culture and the Christian faith. The author also gives an insider's view of the development of
Christian studies in China from the 1980s until today. His profound arguments will inspire any
theologian and philosopher of religion. He Guanghu born in Guiyang China in 1950 survived
the upheavals of the Cultural Revolution as elementary school teacher. After 1979 he was s
researcher at the Institute of World Religions of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Beijing. Since 2001 he has been professor at the School of Philosophy at Renmin University of
China. He Guanghu has translated and authored scores of books and essays on theology and the
study of religion. Leopold Leeb the translator Austrian Prof. at Renmin University of China
since 2004.
