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| Plot Summary of The Heavenly Man |
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"This book is the story of a religious person who claims to have had a number of religious experiences. Liu Zhenying, aka Brother Yun, aka the 'Heavenly Man', is currently in exile with his family from communist China, the land of his birth. He was born in 1958 in China's Nanyang County, the southern part of Henan Province, in a small village of mud-hut peasant farmers. This book, not for the squeamish, is the harrowing and inspiring story of his life as a persecuted house church leader until his escape to political asylum in Germany. Being a Christian was still a very dangerous position in China, as the official 'Three-self Patriotic church' (which he denounces) is with what is more than fairness can be called 'running dog, paper tiger'. Although Brother Yun's village contained only 600 people, his influence touched many thousands as Henan is China's most populous province and contains 100 million people.
The claims of miracles, visions, premonitory dreams, and impossible escapes from prison are too numerous to list. In 1974 his father lay in the last stages of cancer when one night his desperate mother 'heard a voice' which converted her immediately. His father miraculously recovered and the family was converted. Yun became a preacher and married. He was then constantly being arrested and hunted by the Secret Police. He became expert at escaping from prison, and in resisting every form of torture they put him to. Eventually he was incarcerated in the maximum security prison in Zhengzhou. Although he broke both legs evading arrest, not only are his legs not treated, but they torture his broken legs to cripple him.
One day another brother prophesies that he will walk out of there soon, or die. The next day he does--his broken legs are instantaneously healed as he gets up, but he does not realize this at the time. Many guards look at him as he walks out, but see through him and he passes through all the iron gates. He is the only person to ever escape that prison. This is one of the hardest of the miracles to believe. His wife and children (who escaped via Burma), also tell part of their story, as they interweave their experiences with his."
Michael JR Jose, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Heavenly Man |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Political/social rights fight
Yes
Plotlet:
- religious issues
Period of greatest activity?
- 1950+
Subject of Biography
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- religious figure
Age:
- 40's-50's
Eccentric/Mental
Yes
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Ethnicity
- Chinese
Nationality
- Chinese
How sensitive is this person?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 3 (some)
Europe
Yes
European country:
- Germany
Asia/Pacific
Yes
Asian country:
- China
Farm/Ranch?
Yes
Farm/Ranch:
- farm
Misc setting
- prison
Century:
- 1980's-Present
Style
Person
- mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- very explicit references to deaths and torture
Book makes you feel?
- challenged
Commentary on society?
Yes
Commentary on
- religion
Writer's slant towards subject:
- very favorable
Story of entire life, or part?
- story of nearly entire life
Autobiography?
Yes
Pictures/Illustrations?
- More 6-10 B&W
How much dialogue in bio?
- significantly more descript than dialog
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life?
- 26-50% of book
How much is philosophy rather than life story?
- 0-25% of book
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Click here for more information about this book
Brother Yun and Paul Hathaway Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Michael JR Jose
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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