On September 3, 2026, Pastor Feng Bingcheng (pen name Li Cheng) went home to be with the Lord. His book, Song of a Wanderer (You Zi Yin), accompanied countless overseas Chinese through intellectual barriers to faith. It served as a catalyst for the “Heat Wave of Conversion of Overseas Chinese Intellectuals” and became the most widely used apologetic tool for overseas Chinese churches ministering to mainland Chinese students and scholars. 
During the 1980s and 1990s, hundreds of thousands of mainland Chinese students flooded into the West. Raised under an education system centered on materialism and scientism, they typically regarded science as synonymous with truth and dismissed religion as ignorance and superstition. The relationship between science and religion became the one of the greatest stumbling blocks for Chinese students and scholars considering Christianity.
The core focus of Song of a Wanderer addresses this very issue. Li Cheng carefully distinguished between science and scientism, articulating the “Dual Revelation Theory”—that God reveals Himself through both His Word (the Bible) and His Creation (nature)—and thereby building a framework where science and faith are complementary rather than conflicting. He deconstructed and critiqued Darwinian evolution by acknowledging “microevolution” (adaptation and variation within species, which is a scientific fact) while questioning “macroevolution” (speciation, which remains an unverified hypothesis), pointing out the limits of Darwinism through evidence such as the Cambrian explosion and fossil gaps.
In the subsequent chapters Li Cheng addresses the authenticity of the Bible, introducing historical and legal evidence. Borrowing paradigms from legal argumentation, he analyzed facts like the empty tomb and the martyrdom of the disciples, reasoning through the resurrection of Jesus as an objective historical fact backed by a solid chain of evidence.
The title Song of a Wanderer stems from the book’s narrative of the “wanderer.” Mainland Chinese students and scholars carried a dual identity of being “wanderers” both culturally and spiritually. Writing as an “older brother who had walked the path ahead,” Li Cheng dismantled intellectual barriers with scientific logic and reason, ultimately guiding readers toward a personal choice regarding the meaning of life.
Over the past thirty years, Song of a Wanderer broke through the walls of scientism in the minds of many Chinese intellectuals. It established an apologetic paradigm of rational argumentation paired with empathetic narrative ministering to an entire generation of Chinese seekers, helping them come to faith. Many among that generation of Chinese students and scholars came to Christ and have become the backbone of overseas Chinese churches.
Entering the twenty-first century, the missional landscape for overseas Chinese students has undergone a profound shift. The new generation of students is more influenced by postmodern thought, making feelings of loneliness and existential angst far more immediate struggles. The evangelism strategy of Chinese churches is gradually shifting from purely rational debate toward a holistic response to the meaning of life. Nevertheless, the perception that “Christianity is anti-science” remains one of the primary reasons young people leave the church or hesitate to explore the faith. Thus, scientific apologetics continues to hold strategic value.
In the 30 years since Song of a Wanderer was published, frontier science has advanced significantly, and some scientific evidence for apologetics requires an update for our time. After receiving feedback on this, Pastor Feng encouraged and recommended that the publisher (ReFrame) seek out authors who stay abreast of current scientific data to write a new book on scientific apologetics. In 2022, ReFrame published Above All Things: The Romance and War Between Christianity and Science as part of the “New Songs of a Wanderer” series, carrying forward Song of a Wanderer ‘s spirit of scientific rigor and rational apologetics.
Although Pastor Feng has entered into eternal rest, his legacy will continue to inspire us to preach the Gospel to the next generation in ways that appeal to reason, touch the heart, and awaken the spirit.
Listen to “Song of a Wanderer: A book written on bended knees that has ministered to a generation” on WeDevote Podcast.
Song of a Wanderer is suitable to be given to Chinese seekers or new believers as a gift. For Chinese students and scholars ministry workers whose native language is not Chinese, we suggest that you get the English version and read it yourself so you can discuss with your Chinese friend. Below are the links where you can purchase paper copies or ebook of this book online:
ebook of the English translation from Ambassadors for Christ
Chinese print edition from Ambassadors for Christ (shipping within the US only)
Chinese print edition from Amazon UK (shipping within the UK only)
Chinese Kindle edition from Amazon
Chinese ebook from WeDevote Bookstore
Mandarin audio version (free online listening)
影响深远的护教经典《游子吟》
2026年9月3日，冯秉诚牧师（笔名里程）安息主怀。他著作的《游子吟》一书曾陪伴无数海外华人跨越理性的藩篱，成为“海外华人知识分子归主潮”的助力和海外华人教会向中国大陆背景的学生学者传福音最广泛使用的经典护教工具。
上世纪八九十年代数十万中国大陆留学生、学者涌入西方，从小受唯物主义与科学主义教育，“科学”在潜意识里是真理的代名词，而“宗教”被归类为愚昧。“科学与宗教”的问题成为当时中国学生、学者信主最大的绊脚石。
《游子吟》中着墨最多的是科学与宗教的问题。作者在书中区隔了“科学”与“科学主义”，阐释“了“上帝的话”（圣经）和“上帝的创造”（大自然）的双重启示论”，建构出“科学与信仰互补而非对立”的框架。 通过区分并认可“微进化”（种内适应与变异，属科学事实），质疑“大进化”（跨物种演化，仍是未证实的假说），从寒武纪生命大爆发与化石断层等事实指出达尔文主义的局限，作者针对达尔文主义进化论进行了结构与批判。
在后面关于圣经的真确性的部分，里程博士引入了历史与法学证据，他借鉴法学论证范式，分析空坟墓与门徒殉道等事实，把耶稣复活作为有坚实证据链支持的历史客观事实来推演。
《游子吟》的书名来自书中关于“游子”的情感叙事。留学生、访问学者兼具文化与灵性上的“双重游子”身份，里程以“先走一步的兄长”姿态，从科学逻辑破除头脑障碍，最终落脚于生命意义的决择。 三十年来，《游子吟》破除了很多中国知识分子心中的科学主义藩篱，奠定了“理性护教与叙事同理”的范式，服事了整整一代华人教会的慕道友，帮助他们信主。他们当中的很多人后来成为海外华人教会的中坚、骨干。
进入二十一世纪，面向海外中国留学生的宣教环境发生了深刻转变。新一代留学生受后现代思潮影响深远，孤独感与虚无感成为更真实的挣扎。华人教会的宣教策略正从单纯的理性思辨转向对生命意义的全人回应。然而，“基督教反科学”仍然是年轻人离开教会或不宜愿意接触信仰的主要原因之一，科学护教仍具有护教的策略价值。
《游子吟》面世以来的过去30年，前沿科学已经有了很多新的发展，护教的科学论据也需要时代升级。当年冯牧师收到这方面的反馈后，鼓励并建议普世佳音寻找关注最新科学数据的作者，再写一本新的科学护教的书。2022年，普世佳音出版了《万有之上——基督教与科学的奇缘》，作为“游子新歌”系列之一。《万有之上》正是继承并发扬里程博士科学求实、理性护教精神的一种努力。
冯牧师虽已安息主怀，但他留下的遗产将激励我们继续以有“晓之以理、动之以情、唤之以灵”的方式，向新一代传讲福音。
点击收听微读圣经播客“《游子吟》：一本跪着写完的书，服侍了一代人” 。
以下是《游子吟》纸版书和电子书的网上购买方式:
Pic: Image by YllBajrami from Pixabay