Wedging Into The Hinterland:Research Of The China Inland Mission’s Missionary Activities In Hunan

In19th century Western countries set off the climax of the overseas missionary movement, China has become the important destination. The China Inland Mission which established in the mid-19th century, as its name suggests, is to take the gospel to spread throughout the mainland of China. Hunan province is in the hinterland of China, and without question became one of the places in which gospel would be spread.Hunan has always been famous to its xenophobia. The China Inland Mission made a bold attempt to open the church gate of Hunan and to spread the gospel to every corner of Hunan, but was encountered strong resistance of the local social and cultural. Cultural difference was the biggest obstacle to missionaries in preaching. The conservative of Hunan people blocked all external factors out. In addition, there are a variety of other external factors that increased the difficulties of the missionaries. How to let Hunanese know, understand and accept the gospel in such a conservative environment, become the main problem that missionaries would face.Different from liberalism missionaries who used indirect missionary, such as word missionary and medical missionary, missionaries of the China Inland Mission used the traditional method of missionary. A large number of missionaries went to Hunan one after another, doing traveling sermons and groping to understand all of the natural environment and human environment of Hunan. Through face to face mission, Hunanese knew, understood and eventually accepted gospel. Owing to this steady work, the China Inland Mission finally obtained remarkable results. The Evangelistic Bands and Hunan Bible Institute ultimately made the China Inland Mission to be one of the headquarters of Christian conservatism.