Publishers note--This volume intends to tackle two problems. The first is the historical framework of imperialism - until now widely applied by Western and Chinese scholars as an approach to the Christian evangelization movement in China. The theological aspect of the missionary action is seldom taken into account, nor is religion treated as an authentic human experience. In this volume two authors try to place the position of the Christian mission in its broader context. Scott Somers reflects on the changing image of the Japanese occupation in Taiwan, based on Protestant missionary sources; Koen De Ridder discusses the early diplomatic contacts between China and Belgium and the position of the Belgian missionaries. A second problem dealt with is that of the native Christians. While Jessie Lutz attempts to sketch a profile of the Chinese Protestant evangelizers, Jean-Paul Wiest focuses his attention on the Roman Catholics among the Chinese Hakka minority. Gary Tiedemann explains the material, spiritual and political incentives for conversion among the inhabitants of North China, paying special attention to the socio-political profile of the converts. In the contribution of Ann Heylen we return to Taiwan, where we are offered a better understanding of the Protestant contribution to the study of the Min language. Finally, Karel Steenbrink describes the changing religious affiliation of assimilated Chinese in Indonesia during the period 1900-1942.

Contents: Introduction / Ku Wei-ying and Koen De Ridder -- Missionaries, opium and imperialism in the Western perceptions of the Japanese colonial empire in Taiwan / Scott Sommers -- The first diplomatic contacts between Belgium and China: its background and consequences for politics, trade and mission activity / Koen De Ridder -- A profile of Chinese protestant evangelists in the mid-nineteenth century / Jessie G. Lutz -- Was the Christian God partial to the Hakka people? / J.-P.Wiest -- Conversion patterns in North China. Sociological profiles of Chinese Christians, 1860-1912 / R.G. Tiedemann -- Missionary Linguistics on Taiwan. Romanizing Taiwanese: codification and standardization of dictionaries in Southern Min (1837-1923) / Ann Heylen -- The religious quest of the Chinese diaspora of Southeast Asia ca 1900-1942 / Karel Steenbrink.

Introduction -- The Qing dynasty (1644-1911) -- History of Christianity in China prior to 1842 -- The opium wars and the treaties -- Christian missions and treaty rights -- Activities of missionaries after the treaties -- Management of missionary affairs -- The epilogue.

The relationship between the missionaries and the unequal treaties is an intriguing one. Christianity is a religion of love, which determines not only its spirit and purpose and also its method of gaining converts. Beginning with the opium wars in the 1840s and continued to 1860s, as a result of series of military defeats, humiliating treaties were imposed upon the Qing government, and in these treaties were incorporated the so-called religious toleration clauses, which made possible the establishment of Christian churches in all parts of China and also put missionaries and their converts under the protection of the invading Western powers. The early missionaries, both Catholic and Protestant, who acted as interpreters when these treaties were made, did have a definite hand in the insertion of such clauses into the treaties. How can a religion of love associate itself with the power of force to spread its message? This book tries to present a readable account of the activities of missionaries during these tumultuous years. -- Preface.

OCLC-LC Authority rec'd mistakenly has two entries for the same author Ho, Herbert H. & [Ho Hoi-lap ; He Kaili 何凯立] 1949-

Introduction: Christian "civilizing missions" of the past and present -- Theory and history -- "Civilizing missions" and ethnic communities in China -- The Chinese state as a civilizer of ethnic minorities : civilization and religion in Chinese history -- Evangelism and its unintended consequences : Christian missionaries in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries -- Contemporary "civilizing missions"? -- Christian evangelism in a Tibetan Buddhism community : the Jian Hua Foundation -- Presence evangelism : the Salvation Army -- Secular use of local religion : Oxfam Hong Kong.

"Since the early 1990s, China has witnessed an influx of international NGOs, many of which have Christianity as their foundation. The presence of international Christian agencies in China, however, is not new. Christian missionaries went to China in the age of imperialism. Historians argue the work of missionaries was inextricably linked to the idea of a 'civilizing mission'. This book critically assesses the idea of a Christian 'civilizing mission' over time, and explores the relevance of the idea to the contemporary context. By examining the non-Han people's perception of international Christian agencies, this book advocates the importance of engagement through in-depth dialogue between international Christian NGOs and ethnic communities."--Jacket.

Local access dig.pdf. [Hirono-Civilizing Missions.pdf]

Crusaders against opium : Protestant missionaries in China, 1874-1917 / Kathleen L. Lodwick.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 188-208) and index.

Opium in China in the Late Nineteenth Century -- Missionaries Organize to Oppose Opium -- Pro-Opium Forces and Government Investigations -- Anti-Opium Lobby Comes of Age -- Success and Failures of Opium Suppression.

Local access dig.pdf [Lodwick-Crusaders against opium.pdf]

A great country that needs Christ -- Religion in China -- A light to lighten the Gentiles -- Later Christian missionaries -- Robert Morrison -- William Milne and other great pioneers -- Karl F.A. Guetzlaff -- Elijah Coleman Bridgman -- Matthew Tyson Yates -- James Hudson Taylor -- John Livingston Nevius -- Griffith John -- James Gilmour of Mongolia -- Christ's other soldiers to China.

Contents: Le P. Champagnat et l'Apostolat (p5), La Chine (p8), Les Boxers en 1900 (p16), La tragédie de Nan-Chang (1906) (p28), La troisième acte de la persécution (p50).