In postcolonial Singapore and Malaysia, Pentecostal megachurches dominate the Christian landscape, but the “big four” Protestant churches—Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian and Brethren—remain religions of heritage for many. Sixty Malaysian and nineteen Singaporean assemblies identify themselves as Christian Brethren, and most trace their roots to independent local churches formed in Penang and Singapore in the 1860s. After World War II, the Brethren promoted new forms of evangelical practice, and former Brethren elders founded independent churches, from charismatic local churches to Pentecostal megachurches.
This study is a transregional history of the Brethren movement and its emplacement in Singapore and Malaysia, but is also a history of discontinuous continuities that have shaped the modern field of religious practice in China and Southeast Asia.
“This work fills a major lacuna in the history of Asian Christianity. It debunks stereotypical views and demonstrates the far-reaching impact of Brethrenism on popular Christianity, especially Pentecostalism. Future studies of global Christianity will have to take serious cognizance of this meticulously researched book.”
– Simon Chan, editor, Asia Journal of Theology
“Christian Circulations traces in scholarly detail trans-national interactions among evangelical groups. At its heart lie the Open Brethren laity, indigenizing and ceding control to national members. Its an immersive read, impressively illuminating these processes alongside the movement’s implantation and later influence on new Christian forms in an Asian context.” – Neil Dickson, editor, Brethren Historical Review
