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dda9's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting book, and although it is not particularly long, getting through it was a slog. Jonathan Spence's writing style is dense and academic, which makes for slower reading, but the way he tells the story makes it harder to follow and stay engaged. Spence, who is a prominent China scholar, explains a situation or experience in great detail, then jumps several years and often to another set of people to describe the next event. This helps the reader to have a very good understanding of the situations he describes, but Spence gives so much detail that one might wonder if much of it actually advances the story. This style also breaks up the story, making it feel choppy and challenging a readers ability to stay engaged.
Despite this, the material itself is so fascinating that it largely makes up for the dry writing. "God's Chinese Son" tells the story of Hong Xiuquan, a man in 19th-century China who aspires to be a Confucian scholar and work in the Qing-dynasty bureaucracy. After several failed attempts at the examinations, he becomes very ill. During his illness he ascends to heaven in a dream where he meets his Heavenly Father and Heavenly Elder Brother, Jesus Christ. He also discovers that he is Jesus' younger brother, and has been sent to the earth to destroy the demons who are God's enemies. Upon recovery, Hong begins to fight against the demons, eventually gaining followers and leading an enormous rebellion against the Qing and establishing the Heavenly Kingdom. Hong's rebellion leaves almost as many dead as World War II.
I recommend this book to anyone with a keen appetite for history and a high tolerance for academic writing. If you have a more casual interest in learning about these events, I suggest finding a "lighter" book.
Despite this, the material itself is so fascinating that it largely makes up for the dry writing. "God's Chinese Son" tells the story of Hong Xiuquan, a man in 19th-century China who aspires to be a Confucian scholar and work in the Qing-dynasty bureaucracy. After several failed attempts at the examinations, he becomes very ill. During his illness he ascends to heaven in a dream where he meets his Heavenly Father and Heavenly Elder Brother, Jesus Christ. He also discovers that he is Jesus' younger brother, and has been sent to the earth to destroy the demons who are God's enemies. Upon recovery, Hong begins to fight against the demons, eventually gaining followers and leading an enormous rebellion against the Qing and establishing the Heavenly Kingdom. Hong's rebellion leaves almost as many dead as World War II.
I recommend this book to anyone with a keen appetite for history and a high tolerance for academic writing. If you have a more casual interest in learning about these events, I suggest finding a "lighter" book.
flerpi's review against another edition
If you like informative books that try to compact as many details as possible between their covers, you'll probably like this book. For me this book is a chore to read. Although Dr. Spence's writing is very educational and seemingly well-researched, it makes for a dry read. The Taiping Rebellion is interesting to learn about, but my rating has nothing to do with what Dr. Spence was writing about and everything to do with how he actually wrote it.
The book is packed with facts big and small. Most of them seem relevant, and yet not are are necessary to tell the story. That and the style of writing make the story seem to drag.
The book is packed with facts big and small. Most of them seem relevant, and yet not are are necessary to tell the story. That and the style of writing make the story seem to drag.
spitzig's review against another edition
4.0
Very interesting. I find the idea that some Chinese guy almost 2000 years after Jesus lived, has a dream and "realizes" he's his little brother interesting. What I find amazing is that he was followed by hundreds of thousands of people. Not all of the "Believed", some just didn't like the current government. Like most revolutions, "the grass is always greener on the other side". The new government didn't seem any better than the old one.
I thought it was funny when he finally started to meet with Western Christians. He expected them to be instantly converted, but he seemed to fail pretty miserably.
Well, I could list other things that I found interesting, but I'll just say the history was interesting. And, well put together. I've read several of Spence's books on China.
I thought it was funny when he finally started to meet with Western Christians. He expected them to be instantly converted, but he seemed to fail pretty miserably.
Well, I could list other things that I found interesting, but I'll just say the history was interesting. And, well put together. I've read several of Spence's books on China.
clarks_dad's review against another edition
5.0
Fascinating book about Hong Xiuquan who led the Taiping Rebellion. The importation and modification of Christian belief to meet Chinese dynastic philosophy is very interesting. In addition to the odd character of Hong himself is the anti-imperialist and anti-governmental viewpoints of the people presented. Hong's vision of a Chinese "Christian" empire is merely a vehicle used by the oppressed masses of Chinese to attempt a dynastic change to improve their lives.
wulfus's review against another edition
3.0
I was totally onboard with a hybrid Christianity/Confucianism religion until the severed heads of opium smokers were being hung outside the Heavenly City (I can't remember which of the Ten Commandments they replaced, but "Thou shalt not partake in the consumption of addictive drugs" is a telling addition). Lot of great esoteric Christian AND Confucian theology going on here, combining the divine forms of angels with seven headed dragons is an incredible idea.
rhiannoncs's review against another edition
3.0
This is about the Taiping Rebellion - how one man encountered Christianity, through a series of sickbed visions determined he was the son of God, and gained thousands of followers and eventually controlled a large region of China.
While I was initially thrown off by Spence's use of the literary present, I eventually got into it. A lot of his focus is on Hong Xiuquan's inner circle of followers (all of whom were given majestic titles such as East King and Wing King) and the power plays between them. A primary tool used by them was claiming to be the voice of God or Jesus. I'm really fascinated by religions that see deity as something so immediate (a basic tenet of the Taiping was that God was corporeal).
While I was initially thrown off by Spence's use of the literary present, I eventually got into it. A lot of his focus is on Hong Xiuquan's inner circle of followers (all of whom were given majestic titles such as East King and Wing King) and the power plays between them. A primary tool used by them was claiming to be the voice of God or Jesus. I'm really fascinated by religions that see deity as something so immediate (a basic tenet of the Taiping was that God was corporeal).