林治平長期致力於中國基督新教史的推動和研究，從其碩士論文階段一直到任教於大學，始終都把握著這個方向，成了一生的學術志業。林治平對於中國基督新教史的研究主要在兩方面，一是處理基督教「在」中國的問題，一是基督教「與」中國；前者即是從歷史的研究來把握在中國現代化歷程中基督教所扮演的角色，以作為對種種反基督教言論的回應，後者則是就文化接受的問題來推進基督教在中國的本色化問題，以積極的態度來化解反基督教者的疑慮。不管是在歷史和文化研究上，現代化與本色化成了林治平致力於中國基督新教史的核心問題與方向。

Lin Chi Peng has been endeavored in promoting and researching the history of China Protestant. From thesis writing stage, while pursuing Master degree, to lecturing in university, he has been charting the course in this direction, and thus it has become his lifelong academic career. Lin Chi Peng’s study on the history of China Protestant mainly focuses on two aspects, one is on dealing with problems of Christianity in China, while the other is on Christianity and China. The former seized the role of Christianity in the course of China’s modernization through historical research, as it would be the responses to anti-Christianity discourse. The latter pushed forward the problem of culture acceptance to the problem of indigenization of Christianity in China so as to resolve the suspicion of anti-Christians with a positive attitude. From the perspective of both historical and cultural study, modernization and indigenization have been the core topic and direction of Lin Chi Peng’s efforts in his study on history of China Protestant.