Evil Empire?

""Drawing on Scripture, church history, and China's story, Christopher Chen invites readers to see how God's sovereignty reaches into the most unlikely places, offering hope for the church in challenging times."" --Richard Cook, Professor of Church History and Missions, Logos Evangelical Seminary ""Every generation of Christians has had to navigate their relationship to governments and cultures, many of which have been opposed to the faith. In this insightful and nuanced work, Chris Chen provides an original and convincing interpretation of Luke's portrayal of centurions as exemplary proponents of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Chen makes a significant contribution to the ongoing discussion of Christ and culture."" --Jonathan T. Pennington, Professor of New Testament Interpretation, Southern Seminary ""Chen's Evil Empire? is a compelling work, demonstrating God's providential hand in spreading the gospel even through individuals whom many disliked or even despised, namely, political leaders. This book deepens my appreciation that God's ways are higher than my own and stirs me to pray more earnestly for the 'good guys' in government for the sake of the gospel. Take up and read! This book will rekindle your heart for God's gospel mandate."" --Peter L. H. Tie, Associate Professor in Systematic Theology, Christian Witness Theological Seminary ""Christopher S. Chen's Evil Empire? skillfully tackles the question of whether a committed follower of Christ can hold political power. Using the centurions in Luke-Acts as a springboard, Chen draws from the broader biblical text and historical examples from both Roman and Chinese history to make a compelling and inspiring case that it is indeed possible to be a faithful servant of the Lord even within a hostile political system."" --Daniel K. Eng, Associate Professor of New Testament Language and Literature, Western Seminary ""Excellent work mining and examining the biblical evidence and presenting what certainly is in the mind of the Author/author. Chen's analysis and conclusions are impressive and compelling. Additionally, he has provided a graduate course in Advanced Hermeneutics, skillfully blending macro- and micro-observation and responsible, intelligent interpretation."" --Gary Tuck, Professor of Biblical Studies, Retired, Western Seminary