| The spread and development of Christianity in China, is closely related with the evolution of the history of modern China as a whole. From a side, it demonstrates one aspect of the changes of modern Chinese society with a space and time span of about 100 years. In these changes, Christianity, coming along with Great Powers’ warships from the west and a series of unequal treaties, constantly engaged an active adaptation and self-adjustment to the local Chinese community. This adaptation and self-adjustment is its "localization".The spread of Christianity in modern China is characterized as a gradual expanse from coastal cities to mainland, while cities and large bazaars become its central missionary station, among which Shanghai is an important base for the spread of Christianity in China because of its geographical advantage and a unique cultural history.The development of Christianity can often be examined and grasped through the development of the Christian churches. As a typical city center church, "Moore Memorial Church", built in 1887 in Shanghai by the American Episcopal Church, has a very important position and research value in the history of Christianity in Shanghai and even in China as well.In this paper, by taking the "Moore Memorial Church" as a case study in the larger context of Shanghai, the important city in the spread of Christianity in China, the author would examine the trajectory of the spread and development of modern Christianity in Shanghai and the positive self-adjustment in each changing period from a perspective of regional research, reveal the ways and steps that Christianity, which is introduced into China as some kind of "foreign religion", is gradually integrated into Chinese society and expresses its universal characteristics. That is to say, through studying on the issue of the "localization" of Christianity, the author hopes to provide some clues or benefit to the regional study of modern Christianity and to the case study of Christian church. |
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