The Handwritten Hymnbook (1958–1974)

During the Cultural Revolution, organizations and individuals of all stripes came under attack in a chaotic age characterized by the widespread breakdown of social relationships. As “old” art, music, and literature were criticized and replaced by “new” politically orthodox works, clandestine communities formed to preserve and produce alternative forms of culture. The silent prayer meetings of the True Jesus Church are akin to other covert cultural activities such as groups dedicated to reading banned literature, listening to Western music, and creating art. Charismatic experience played a key role in sustaining the life of the True Jesus Church underground because it could occur within informal, intimate settings. The church experienced an inversion of gendered power, as top male leaders were arrested and elderly women became key figures in sustaining the community’s religious life.