Orthodox Christianity & the Chinese Soul

Interview w/ Justin Li (Recently Featured in Christianity Today Magazine)

Jan 22, 2026

Chinese Orthodox Christian, Justin Li, was recently featured in an article by the flagship evangelical magazine, Christianity Today: “The Chinese Evangelicals Turning to Orthodoxy.” and I had the honor of just completing a fascinating interview with him!

Justin was not raised as a religious person which left him him feeling empty and lost. From that existential despair, he began to search for the purpose and meaning of life which led him to become a Christian.

After a trip to the Holy Land led by his pastor, he encountered the concept of ‘pilgrimage’ as he witnessed many other Christians (Catholics and Orthodox) honoring sacred locations (such as kissing Christ’s tomb or kissing the star in the Church of the Nativity.) He even met an Orthodox priest baptizing people in the Jordan River. This experience caused him to ask deeper questions, and so he decided to quit his job, move from China, and attend Oxford university. Initially, he desired to study Anglicanism, the Reformation, and church history at a deeper level. While he was there, he became much more aware of Orthodox Christianity and was drawn in to attend services. He eventually joined the Orthodox Church (and you can hear about the rest in the interview!)

(A short clip from the interview below of Protestant scholars that influenced Justin.)

Also, if you have not caught with some of my latest interviews and videos at Barrel Aged Faith, you should check them out! And if you feel led to pray for Barrel Aged Faith, we would greatly appreciate it. (For those who are able, chipping in $5 a month really helps to cover expenses and fund Barrel Aged Faith to travel more to conduct interviews in person. Thanks to those of you who already do!)