American Protestant Missionaries In The Late Qing Dynasty

Christianity takes as its mission the preaching of Gospel to people all over the world. Christian missionaries, inspired by their religious zeal, traveled afar to spread the tenets of God to alien peoples. Ever since China was known to the Western world, the non-Christian China had been a destination to many Christian missionaries. However, because China is a civilization with a long history, it was inevitable that constant conflicts occurred when Christian civilization encountered Chinese civilization. These conflicts finally led to the cessation of propagation of Christianity in the Tang, Yuan, late Ming and early Qing Dynasties.In the late 18th century and early 19th century, the newly independent United States, under the pressure from domestic capitalists, started to explore market in China. Following the economic expansionists, American Protestant missionaries went to China with the goal of evangelizing the heathen China and replacing Chinese civilization with Christian civilization. To their disappointment, the prohibition of Christianity in China and resistance from both the masses and the gentry-elite classes made their efforts nearly futile. The difficulties they encountered compelled them to rely on British and other European invaders to force China to open its door to them. With their help, a series of unequal treaties were concluded after the first and second Opium Wars and they were allowed to preach in the hinterland of China. However, privileges seized from China didn't facilitate in any way their evangelical work on account of numerous anti-missionary cases sweeping across the country. Then they turned to adopt secular means to supplement the relatively ineffective method of direct preaching so as to enhance the influence and reputation of Christianity. They took part in China's social reforms by influencing the mass movements and disseminating reform ideas. They established hospitals to treat patients, train Chinese doctors and teach medical science, thus improving China's modem medical system. They opened schools to disseminate Western science, enrolled girl students and advocated emancipation of women. Their activities in this regard reformed and perfected China's educational system. They translated books and publishednewspapers and magazines to spread modern values. Their efforts in this field helped create a milieu in which mass media began to flourish.In general, American Protestant missionaries and their activities had exerted a great influence on the late Qing society. However, it is one-sided for us to dismiss their roles in the late Qing Dynasty as being mere "cultural invaders" or "henchmen of imperialists". This thesis, therefore, attempts to reevaluate the roles of American Protestant missionaries and their activities in a new light.