By comparing the role and influence of early Christian missionaries with those of Christian NGOs today, this book critically assesses the idea of a Christian 'civilizing mission' within the context of China. It provides a local, non-Han perspective based on a rich array of historical, ethnographical, and empirical sources.

"This book is original and innovative. It takes an important and topical theme which has become very popular within a range of disciplines, and takes the time and effort to see whether it can be applied in the Chinese context, and how that application might cause the disciplines to rethink their stance toward the general theme." - Dr Anthony J. Langlois, Senior Lecturer, School of Political and International Studies, Flinders University

Autorentext

MIWA HIRONO teaches at the Department of International Relations at The Australian National University, Australia where she was awarded a Ph.D. in International Relations.

Inhalt
Introduction PART I: THEORY AND HISTORY 'Civilizing Missions' and Ethnic Communities in China: Frames of Interaction The Chinese State as a Civilizer of Ethnic Communities: Civilization and Religion in Chinese History Evangelism and Its Unintended Consequence: Christian Missionaries in the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries PART II: CONTEMPORARY 'CIVILIZING MISSIONS'? Introduction A Conflict between Christian Evangelism and Tibetan Buddhism: The Jian Hua Foundation (JHF) Presence Evangelism: The Salvation Army A Secular Use of Local Religion: Oxfam Hong Kong Conclusion