Nestorian Christianlty:
[link to en.wikipedia.org (secure)]
Nestorianism was condemned as heresy at the Council of Ephesus (431 AD) and from there began to move east, where it split into various branches and received a more enthusiastic hearing in different nations. You can read the Wiki above if you are interested.

One "spur" of Nestorianism came to be called the "Church of the East":
[link to en.wikipedia.org (secure)]
Zone of influence -- Middle East, South India, FAR EAST.

Now we are getting somewhere.

Like many of you, I was taught the Jesuits brought Christianity to China in the 1500s. Turns out they were Johnnie-come-latelies.


"The Church of the East or the sometimes referred to as Nestorian Church historically had a presence in China during two periods: first from the 7th through the 10th century, and later during the Mongol Yuan Dynasty in the 13th and 14th centuries. Locally, the religion was known as Jingjiao (Chinese) (pinyin: Jingjiao; Wade–Giles: Ching-chiao)4; lit. The 'Luminous Religion').

Woah.