Guns and Gospel

During the nineteenth century, Christian missionaries vied for the Chinese souls they thought they were saving. But many things held them back: Western gunboat diplomacy, unequal treaties and their own prejudices, which increased hostility towards Christianity. ?One more Christian, one less Chinese,? has long been a popular clich? in China. AMBROSE MONG, PHD, is assistant parish priest at St Theresa?s Church, Hong Kong and research associate at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. His publications include ?Are Non-Christians Saved? Joseph Ratzinger?s Thought on Religious Pluralism? (London: Oneworld, 2015), ?Purification of Memory: A Study of Modern Orthodox Theologians from a Catholic Perspective? (Cambridge: James Clarke, 2015) and ?Accommodation and Acceptance: An Exploration in Interfaith Relations? (Cambridge: James Clarke, 2015). ? ?Guns and Gospel? examines the accusation of ?cultural imperialism? levelled against the missionaries and explores their complex and ambivalent relationships with the opium trade and British imperialism. Ambrose Mong follows key figures among the missionaries, such as Robert Morrison, Charles Gutzlaff, James Hudson Taylor and Timothy Richard, uncovering why some succeeded where others failed, and asks whether they really became lackeys to imperialism. Ambrose Mong, O.P., offers readers a nuanced interpretation of the Protestant experience in China, from the days of the earliest missionaries to the present day. Concentrating on 19th century missionary personalities, his theme is the interaction between imperialism and evangelism. He clearly shows how the ambivalent connection between Christianity and the Western incursion into China time and again presented obstacles to the spread of the gospel. Guns and Gospel should be read by all who are interested in the early history of Protestant Christianity in China, and its continuing impact on the church today.? PHILIP L. WICKERI, Professor of Church History, Ming Hua Theological College, Hong Kong.

Publisher -

Author(s) - Ambrose Mong

Paperback

Published Date -

ISBN - 9780227176252

Dimensions - 23.4 x 15.6 x 1.1 cm

Page Count - 200