“A journalistic chronicle of how Christians survived the repressive Mao era as well as a glimpse into why their numbers are rising.” —The Christian Science Monitor

A Books & Culture Best Book of the Year

When journalist Liao Yiwu first stumbled upon a vibrant Christian community in officially atheistic China, he knew little about Christianity. In fact, he’d been taught that religion was evil, and that those who believed in it were deluded, cultists, or imperialist spies. But as a writer whose work had been banned in China and even landed him in jail, Liao felt a kinship with Chinese Christians in their unwavering commitment to freedom of expression and to finding meaning in a tumultuous society.

In God is Red, this Chinese dissident and celebrated author of The Corpse Walker profiles the extraordinary lives of dozens of Chinese Christians—among them a nun, a surgeon, a minister, and a blind musician—providing a rare glimpse into the underground world of belief that is taking hold in the post-Mao era within the officially atheistic state of Communist China, a community that has inspired him deeply even though he is not a Christian himself. This is a fascinating tale of otherwise unknown personalities thriving against all odds.

“Restores an important part of Chinese history that has been distorted, erased, or forgotten, and documents the life stories of a special group of people who battle against suppression to preserve their faiths.” —Liu Xiaobo, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize