Note
Blessings & Righteousnes
Inside the character 福 (blessings):
Jesus said blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the pure in heart, blessed are the merciful, blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness.
Inside the character 義 (righteousness):
Do not worship other gods, make idols, or take the Lord's name in vain. Remember the Sabbath, honor your parents. Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not covet anything.
Text at top:
People of the Kingdom of Heaven
Matthew 5
Vertical text, right to left:
Christ fulfills the law
Justified by faith in Christ
Christ taught the crowds
The eight blessings in the Kingdom of Heaven
Text at bottom:
"The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Corinthians 6:9
Original Text:
福義
Inside the character 福：
耶穌說：溫柔的福了 虛心的福了 哀慟的福了 憐憫的福了 飢渴慕義的福了 令人和睦的福 清心的福 為義見窘的福了
Inside the character 義：
不可敬拜別神、製作偶像、妄稱主的名，當紀念安息日、孝敬父母，不可殺人、姦淫、偷盜、作假見證、貪人一切
Text at top:
天國之民
馬太五章
Vertical text, right to left:
基督成全律法
因信基督成義
基督教訓眾人
天國中之八福
Text at bottom:
不義的人不能承受神的國 ——哥林多前書六章九節Note
Between the collapse of Imperial China in 1911 and the establishment of modern-day China in 1949, the Republican Era stands as a complex period of hope, uncertainty, clashing ideologies, development, a “Christian heydey,” and all-out war. The Nationalist and Communist parties vied for attention and power. The borders of China shifted and Japan loomed large in the Northeast. In the midst of these tumultuous decades, Christian missionaries and converts sought to share their faith in a public and accessible way. Using the best technology that was available to them, Chinese Christian posters like the ones seen here were born.
Posters like this were the social media of the time—large prints on cheap paper that could be hung on posts and doorframes for everyone to see. Christians capitalized on this simple and effective way to share the gospel in the public square, often competing with the Communist and Nationalist parties who each produced their own posters offering alternative visions for society, and with commercial posters advertising things like cigarettes, soaps, and movies. Over time, posters were torn down, covered up, or burned, especially in the volatile period of the 1940s and early 1950s. This collection offers a rare glimpse into Christian images produced for mass consumption nearly a century ago, as evangelicals used art to convey the message of God and his salvation in a time of social and political upheaval.