Over 100,000 copies sold! Coming Out, Then Coming Home Christopher Yuan, the son of Chinese immigrants, discovered at an early age that he was different. He was attracted to other boys. As he grew into adulthood, his mother, Angela, hoped to control the situation. Instead, she found that her son and her life were spiraling out of control—and her own personal demons were determined to defeat her. Years of heartbreak, confusion, and prayer followed before the Yuans found a place of complete surrender, which is God’s desire for all families. Their amazing story, told from the perspectives of both mother and son, offers hope for anyone affected by homosexuality. God calls all who are lost to come home to him. Casting a compelling vision for holy sexuality, Out of a Far Country speaks to prodigals, parents of prodigals, and those wanting to minister to the gay community. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” - Luke 15:20 Includes a discussion guide for personal reflection and group use.

China's currency, the renminbi (RMB), has taken the world by storm. The RMB is well on its way to becoming a significant international currency, one that is used widely in international trade and finance. This book documents the RMB's impressive rise, with China successfully adopting a unique playbook for promoting its currency. China's growing economic might, expanding international influence, and the rise of its currency are all intricately connected. The book documents how China's government has tied these goals together, enabling faster progress towards each of them. But there are many pitfalls ahead, both for China's economy and its currency. The book shows how the government has so far navigated its way around domestic and international dangers, but enormous risks still lie ahead. The International Monetary Fund has elevated the RMB to the status of an official reserve currency, a currency that foreign central banks use to keep their rainy day funds. If China plays its cards right, with reforms that put its economy and financial markets on the right track, the RMB is going to become an important reserve currency that could rival some of the traditional reserve currencies such as the euro and the Japanese yen. But this book argues that there are limits to the RMB's ascendance-the hype about its inevitable rise to global dominance is overblown. The Chinese leadership's apparent commitment to financial sector and other market-oriented reforms-coupled with unambiguous repudiation of political, legal, and institutional reforms-sets the RMB on a clear course. It will attain the status of a reserve currency over time but has essentially given up its claim of being seen as a safe haven currency, one that investors turn to for safety. The RMB will erode but not seriously challenge the U.S. dollar's dominance in international finance.--

Few topics have attracted as much attention worldwide in recent years as the RMB. These debates have gained added urgency in light of the financial crisis and the topic of RMB revaluation is now being actively debated in countries all over the world from Tunisia to the United States. This book explores the ever-changing role of the RMB and the related derivative products. However, it does so from a view that is heavily influenced by the fallout from the financial crisis as well as the in the context of the increasing maturity of the Chinese capital markets. The author has drawn on his experience as a regulator to provide invaluable views, insights and information on RMB derivative products and the development of this market going forward. Key topics include: Overview of current China economy and its capital market In-depth analysis on the China's banking system and foreign exchange system Extensive analysis of on-shore and off-shore financial products in China Explanation of the needs and reasons for RMB products innovation Insights into the internationalization of the RMB Not only will this book leave its readers with a much clearer idea of the structure of China's capital markets but it also gives insights on the market going forward leveraged through Peter Zhang's many years of experience as both a senior banker and through his integral role in the key regulatory authority of the banking sector, the CBRC.

Yuan Shikai (1859–1916) has been both hailed as China’s George Washington for his role in the country’s transition from empire to republic and condemned as a counter-revolutionary. Yuan Shikai: A Reappraisal sheds new light on the controversial history of this talented administrator and modernizer who endeavoured to establish a new dynasty while serving as the first president of the republic, eventually declaring himself emperor. Drawing on untapped primary sources and recent scholarship, Patrick Fuliang Shan offers a lucid, comprehensive, and critical new interpretation of Yuan’s part in shaping modern China.

From the author of Out of a Far Country, which details his dramatic conversion from an agnostic gay man who put his identity in his sexuality to a Bible professor who now puts his identity in Christ alone, comes a gospel-centered discussion of sex, desire, and relationships. Dr. Christopher Yuan explores the concept of holy sexuality--chastity in singleness or faithfulness in marriage--in a practical and relevant manner, equipping readers with an accessible yet robust theology of sexuality. Whether you want to share Christ with a loved one who identifies as gay or you're wrestling with questions of identity yourself, this book will help you better understand sexuality in light of God's grand story and realize that holy sexuality is actually good news for all.

This book explores the life and work of Ruan Yuan (1764–1849), a scholar-official of renown in mid-Qing China prior to the Opium War, before traditional institutions and values became altered by incursions from the West. His distinction as an official, scholar, and patron of learning has been recognized by both his contemporaries and modern scholars. He was also exulted as an honest official and an exemplary man of the 'Confucian persuasion'. His name is mentioned in almost all the works on Qing history or Chinese classics because of the wide range of his research and publications. A number of these publications are still being reprinted today. This is the first full-length biography of Ruan Yuan in English, and the only one focusing on all aspects of the man's life and work in the context of his time. It follows Ruan Yuan from his childhood in Yangzhou, expansion of his intellectual horizons and political network in Beijing, his long service in the provinces handling some of the most thorny issues of the day in security and control, to the glory as a senior statesman in the capital, and retirement in Yangzhou.

Drawing on largely local sources, including local gazetteers and literati inscriptions for religious sites, this book offers a comprehensive examination of what it means to be 'local' during the Southern Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties in Ji'an prefecture (Jiangxi). It argues that 'belonging locally' was important to Ji'an literati throughout this period. How they achieved that, however, changed significantly. Southern Song and Yuan literati wrote about religious sites from within their local communities, but their early Ming counterparts wrote about local temples from their posts at the capital, seeking to transform local sites from a distance. By the late Ming, temples had been superseded by other sites of local activism, including community compacts, lineage prefaces, and community covenants.