Studies On Christian Parochial Education In Canton, Hong Kong And Macao In The Ming And Qing Dynasty (1552-1911)

Based on the research into the parochial education in Canton, Hong Kong and Macao during the Ming and Qing Dynasty, this dissertation is intended to explore the development history of parochial education over the long period from 1552 to 1911. It is mainly divided into three correlated yet comparatively independent phases of development: (1) Tolerating-Christianity phase, which refers to the Catholic education in Macao during the years between 1552 and 1806; (2) Forbidding Christianity phase in the years between 1807 and 1842, when the Protestant education was carried on; (3) Protecting Christianity phase (1842-1911), when Catholic and protestant education dominated under the treaty system after the Opium War.Little research has even been done into the Christian parochial education in Canton, Hong Kong and Macao in the Ming and Qing Dynasty, especially almost no special research has been done into the Catholic education during the years between the late Ming Dynasty and the early Qing Dynasty. By analyzing its activities of preaching and setting up missionary schools over the period from the late Ming Dynasty to 1911, this dissertation expounds the unique influence of Christianity (including Catholics and Protestant) on the social and economic development as well as the Chinese and Western relationship of the above three areas.The Catholic parochial education at the turn of the Ming and Qing Dynasty emerged because of the Christian dissemination in China for the third time. In Macao, missionaries opened the first church school, St. Paul's College, the first western-style University in China and St. Joseph College where Chinese missionaries were trained. The Forbidding Christianity policy and the protecting Christianity policy were the outcome of Christian dissemination in China for the fourth time. Because of the Forbidding Christianity policy, the Protestant education from 1807 to 1842 was only carried on in the Chinese communities in Southeast Asia, Guangzhou and Macao. However, there existed the tendency of its being spread to Guangzhou and Macao, then to coastal area and the inland from the periphery of China. After the Opium War, parochial education was influenced by the Releasing Christianity policy and Protecting Christianity policy. In other words, the protestant education in Canton strongly influenced. The Catholic education in Macao went on developing while the Catholic education and the Protestant education prospered side by side. After a few centuries' preaching, establishing missionary schools and other activities, Christianity was deeply rooted in the society of Canton, Hong Kong and Macao, which had a profound impact on the ideological, cultural and educational fields, even on people's life style and mode of thinking in the three areas mentioned above.