The Christianizing the Home Movement

Abstract

The ecumenical National Christian Council of China (ncc) was the institutional home to an important religious and social campaign: the Christianizing the Home Movement. This article traces the development of this movement from the ncc’s founding in 1922 until the Second World War disrupted its activity. This home- and family-centered movement was a site of female empowerment, and the expansive topics it addressed show women’s desires to serve and lead in a broad set of arenas. This article shows how the Chinese women who led the Christianizing the Home Movement built and shaped a movement and describes the nationwide network of leaders that carried it out, promoting an ideal of Christian family that was culturally informed and progressive.