New Immigrants, New Christians

Revision with unchanged content. In recent years, growing numbers of Mainland Chinese elderly immigrants are participating in Christian congregations during their stays in the United States. How can we understand their Christian involvment which took place in these elderly immigrants? life? This work aims to explore social and cultural contexts that may explain these immigrant elders? practice of Christianity. The author argues that loneliness and social isolation in a foreign land are crucial to understand Mainland Chinese elders? participation in Christian activities. In addition, long immersion with China?s religious history of syncretism renders these elders receptive to spiritual alternatives, such as Christianity, especially when dominant ideologies of Confucianism and Communism seem to be in decline in China. If you are interested in Chinese immigrants? Christian conversion or Chinese religious traditions and ethics in relation to Christianity, you may find very interesting information and unique views to those issues in this work.

Autorentext

Doctoral student in Department of Sociology at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After graduating with a Bachelor Degree in Law in China, she had practiced as a legal consul for four years in Shenzhen, China. In 2002, she joined in Sociology Department at Georgia State University particularly concentrating on aging and life course studies and earned her M.A. Degree.