Since the 9th century, a large number of Western missionaries came to China to spread the gospel. In order to convert China people to Christianity, they finally found the best way to set up schools as missionaries after making various attempts. Missionaries did not fully achieve their goals, but the establishment of these missionary schools objectively trained a large number of outstanding talents for modern China and made indelible contributions to the development of modern culture and education in China.
First, the development of missionary schools.
The early missionary schools in China were founded by foreign missionaries in China. Ma Lixun, a British missionary, founded Yinghua Academy on181818 ~1856 to commemorate Ma Lixun's contribution to promoting education in China and cultural exchanges between China and the West. 46686.86868686666
There are two purposes to establish a missionary school: one is "interactive education between Chinese and western literature", that is, Chinese and western learn from each other in language, and finally achieve the purpose of cultural exchange between China and the West; The second is to "spread the essence of Christianity", promote the peaceful spread of Christian thought and East Asian civilization, and convert China people to Christianity.
The curriculum of missionary schools is divided into English and Chinese in language. English subjects include astronomy, geography, history, mathematics, composition, etc. There are four books in Chinese, I ching, the book of songs, the classics and other subjects. Generally speaking, the division of its teaching content mainly includes three aspects: First, religious courses. Such as the Bible, the New Testament and the Old Testament; The second is China's traditional Confucian classics. Generally, it includes Qian Wen Zi, Hundred Family Names, Four Books and Five Classics. The purpose is to adapt to the social and cultural environment in China, meet the needs of the imperial examination in China at that time, and enable students to "talk" with literati and local officials after graduation; Third, courses about modern western scientific knowledge, such as mathematics, astronomy, geography, geometry, machinery, ethics and so on. When the Qing government paid little attention to western science at that time, the science courses offered by missionary schools played an important role in China, which was backward in enlightenment. In addition, students also participate in various religious activities, such as prayer and worship. The setting of these courses depends on the courses chosen by students and the arrangement of time. English is taught by foreigners, and Chinese is taught by teacher China. Church schools not only pay attention to the teaching of science and Chinese knowledge, but also pay attention to the cultivation of students' moral spirituality, hoping to cultivate useful talents for the country and society through school education. As far as students are concerned, regardless of age and sex, they are faced with enrollment at home and abroad; When necessary, students can also get free accommodation, clothes, books, tuition and other subsidies.
However, missionaries didn't take the way of establishing missionary schools at first, but finally realized the effective way of establishing missionary schools after experiencing a tortuous "mission hit a wall". There are two main advantages of establishing a school to preach: first, it gives a fixed place for missionary activities and prevents missionaries from wandering; Second, the establishment of missionary schools has made the gospel communication have a fixed audience and improved the effectiveness of the gospel communication. Therefore, missionary schools became the natural choice for missionaries to preach. However, during the fifty-seven years from 18 18 to 1875, the development of missionary schools was not very fast. First of all, people hold a wait-and-see and skeptical attitude towards the future of missionary schools, mainly because of their poor initial conditions; Second, there was little demand for talents in society at that time, and people were not sure about the future of the graduates of missionary schools. Taking Huaying College as an example, we can see the difficulty of its development.
After 1875, with the further development of China's modernization process, the social demand for students with new academic qualifications surged. As the only new educational institution in China at that time, missionary schools developed by leaps and bounds. By 1875, there were about 350 missionary schools with about 6,000 students in China. By 1887, there were more than 10000 middle school students in missionary schools. By 1899, there were 1776 missionary schools with more than 30,000 students. By 1900, almost every missionary center has a primary school. 19 18, there were more than 350,000 missionary schools in China, with more than 350,000 students. Most of these early Christian schools were primary schools, including many middle schools and five universities. There are day students and boarders. These schools became the basic reason for Protestantism to develop higher education in China. At the same time, the number of missionaries in China increased from 3,833 in 1905 to 6,204 in 1920, and the number of followers increased from 17825 1 to 44,6631person.
The second is the influence on the cultural and educational undertakings in modern China.
1, personnel training in missionary schools
(1) Studying abroad
There are two earliest records of overseas students in China worth remembering: once, in 1845, Legge returned to England for a holiday, bringing back three boys, Wu Wenxiu, Li Jinlin and Song Fojian, and a girl to study in England. This trip is not only a pioneering work for China students to study in Britain, but also the first time for boys and girls in China to study abroad collectively. They became the first batch of China students who set foot in Buckingham Palace and were summoned by Queen Victoria of England. On another occasion, in 1846, Blanc returned to the United States for a vacation and took three students, Yung Wing, Huang Sheng and Huang Kuan, to study in the United States, becoming the first batch of students studying in the United States in modern China. Rong Rong was admitted to Yale University with an excellent score of 1850, becoming the first China student to enter a famous American school. Huang Kuan was admitted to the University of Edinburgh in the UK on 1850, and returned to China seven years after his medical graduation, becoming the first western doctor formally trained by a medical university in China. Therefore, although these missionary schools were not established for a long time and had few students, they had a far-reaching influence in the history of modern education development in China.
After men study abroad, women generally begin to study abroad. 1870, the American missionary Mecca took Jin Yamei from Ningbo, Zhejiang Province to study in Japan. 188 1 year, Jin Yamei was sent to the United States to study medicine, and graduated with honors from the Women's Medical University affiliated to new york Hospital, becoming the first university graduate in the field of women in modern China. After Jin Yamei, Fuzhou woman Ke Yu 188 1 went to study in the United States with the support of Fuzhou Christian Hospital, and graduated from Philadelphia Women's Medical University on 189 1. 1992 Jiangxi woman Kang Aide and Hubei woman Shi Meiyu also studied in the United States with the help of missionaries. After the establishment of missionary universities, the number of people studying abroad increased even more. For example, dozens of students from St. John's University in Shanghai study in Europe and America every year. China officially sent overseas students from 1872. 1870, while assisting Zeng Guofan, Li Hongzhang and Ding Richang to deal with Tianjin's religious plan, Yung Wing reported to Zeng Guofan the educational plan of sending young children to study in the United States. 187 1 September, Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang played "Sending Young Children to the United States for Graduation" on the basis of Yung Wing's suggestion and plan, with the attachment 12 "Sending Young Children to the United States for Graduation". After the memorial was approved, from 1872 to 1875, the Qing government sent four groups of children aged 120 to 15 to study in the United States, led by Hong Rong. Undoubtedly, the education of missionaries had a far-reaching influence on Yung Wing, and it was this influence that enabled Yung Wing to continue this kind of educational activities in the future and cultivated a large number of outstanding "returnees" for the construction of modern China.
(B) the cultivation of talents in China
After returning to China, the overseas students sent by China have made great contributions to China's industry, diplomacy, politics and education. Famous ones are Zhan Tianyou, Tang (Prime Minister), Ouyang Geng, Liang Dunyan,, and.
Huaying College has trained many famous diplomatic and business talents and Christian clergy for China. During the Opium War, most Chinese and English translators were born in this academy: Ma Ruhan, the chief British translator, was the son of Ma Lixun and studied Chinese at Huaying Academy; Hunter (USA), Yuan Dehui and Liang Jinde (son of Liang Fa), translators of China imperial envoy Lin Zexu, were all born in Huaying College. In addition, there is Tang, an important figure in the Westernization Movement in China, who presided over China Merchants, Kaiping Coal Mine and other large modern official enterprise. He Qi, the son of China's early famous Protestant pastor, studied in Britain, and bound China's famous modern thought-folk Christian belief with advanced western culture such as science, philosophy and art, which shook the influence of Confucian culture in China to some extent and made some preparations for promoting the renewal of many concepts and the rise of modern new culture movement.
Missionary universities have also trained many outstanding talents. Hong Rong and Huang Kuan are students of Ma Lixun school; Zheng attended night classes in the library run by Yalanya for two years. Ma Xiang Bo and Ma Jianzhong are both students of Daojue Public School; Zou Taofen is a student of St. John's University. Xian Xinghai, Lin Yutang, Ma Yuehan, Yan, Wen Yiduo, Zhu Kezhen, Mao Yisheng, etc. all studied in missionary schools. These people are recognized as outstanding representatives of modern intellectuals, who have made indelible contributions to the modernization of China. From 65438 to 0879, Sun Yat-sen also studied the basic knowledge of western social and political theory and natural science in the Italian Aranyi School (boys' middle school) run by the Christian Monitoring Institute in Honolulu. After graduation, he entered Aoahou College (senior middle school) established by American Christian congregations for further study. This had a great influence on the formation of his later anti-feudal thought.
2. Contribution to cultural exchanges such as printing and translation in China.
Huaying Academy, as the first school founded by missionaries in China, has a unique position in studying the history of cultural exchange in China. From the perspective of cultural exchange between China and the West, their contribution and influence are far-reaching. First of all, the first headmaster, Mi Lian (18 18 ~ 1822), devoted herself to printing at the beginning of the school. Huaying College has a Chinese-English printing factory, which publishes Chinese bibles and books in two languages, including China's most modern Monthly Biography of Observing Secularity (Chinese monthly). As early as 18 15, Liang Fa worked as a sculptor and typesetter in Huaying College in Malacca, and assisted in printing. He can be said to be the first worker engaged in newspaper printing in modern China. Liang Fa and He Jinshan (that is, He) received theological training at Huaying College, and later joined the church, becoming the earliest Chinese missionaries and pastors of the Christian church in China, making great contributions to the development of the localized church in China. [2] When Huaying College arrived in Hong Kong from Malacca, Jacob also shipped all the machines, lettering and movable type of the original China printing factory to Hong Kong. This led to the China printing industry in Hongkong. Huaying College also founded a Chinese newspaper, Treasure Near and Far, written by British pastor Walter? Med Hurst), [3] It can be said that this is the first Chinese newspaper in Hong Kong. Its contents mainly include monographs and news: monographs introduce western society, humanities, geography, science, medicine and so on; News reports come from Hongkong, Chinese mainland and other parts of the world.
Almost all the early newspapers in China were run by Christian churches. The first private newspaper in China was the Monthly Report of Secular Investigation founded by Ma Lixun and William Milne. Then, many western missionaries in China founded newspapers. These newspapers not only spread the gospel and report the work of the church, but also vigorously introduce modern western ideas, science and technology and political system. Among the Christian newspapers and periodicals, the Universal Bulletin edited by missionary Lin Lezhi had the greatest influence on the modernization process of China. The newspaper focused on introducing the latest western knowledge and ideas, and published articles advocating modernization and political system reform, which to some extent played an enlightening role for people from all walks of life who were concerned about the country at that time. John Fryer, a missionary, worked in the translation hall of Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau for 28 years, translated 129 books in western languages, and introduced a great deal of western culture and scientific knowledge to the people of China. The second is to publish newspapers and books.
The third dean of the College, David Curry (1824 ~ 1828) and the fourth dean (1828 ~ 1832) both taught Chinese in the College, with a height of 65,438+. After returning to Britain, Xiu De became the first Chinese professor in London University, engaged in promoting China's language and culture and cultivating western China scholars, which had a far-reaching impact on the cultural exchange between China and the West. Jacob Legge is the seventh dean of Huaying College (from 1840 to 1852). During his stay in Hong Kong, he actively promoted the development of education in Hong Kong and devoted himself to the comparison and research of China culture. His compilation and annotation of the Four Books and Five Classics and his academic achievements have attracted academic attention. Because of the establishment of "Central Academy" (now Ren Huang Academy), it is known as "the father of education in Hong Kong". His representative work, The Five Volumes of China Classics, with Chinese and English contrasts and annotations, has become an important classic for foreign scholars to study modern China culture.
In a word, the printing and translation work carried out by these missionaries played a vital role in the creation of modern printing in China and the promotion of cultural exchanges between China and the West. To some extent, without the efforts of these "foreigners", perhaps the modern printing industry in China will have a later development; Thanks to their efforts, China was able to understand the social conditions of modern western countries earlier, and to some extent, he made ideological preparations for China to enter the modern society.
3. Influence on modern higher education in China.
Around 1880, Christian universities appeared in China. At that time, universities mainly added university classes on the basis of missionary middle schools. China's first Christian university, Dengzhou Literature Museum, founded by American Presbyterian Church in Dengzhou, Shandong Province, was formerly a primary school and later evolved into a missionary middle school, which was officially upgraded to a college in 1882.
/kloc-There were five Christian universities in China in the 20th century. In addition to the Dengzhou Literature Museum, there were Wen Hui Academy in Beijing, North China Union Medical College in Tongzhou, Hangzhou Presbyterian Church and Shanghai St. John's College. Although the number of these Christian universities is small, they represent the pace of China's education towards modern times and the world.
The first women's higher education institution in the history of China was the North China Women's Union University founded by the Church in Beijing in the early 20th century. From 65438 to 0920, North China Women's United University was merged into yenching university, and yenching university became one of the earliest universities in the history of education in China. Yenching university became a part of Peking University in the early 1950s, so today's Peking University is also "predestined" with Christianity. The North China Women's Federation University has trained many outstanding "talented women", including Ding, who was the director-general of the National Federation of Young Women's Christian Associations in China, and Li Dequan, who was the minister of Chinese People's Health. In addition to North China Women's United University in Beijing, missionaries also founded two famous women's colleges in the south, namely South China Women's College of Arts and Sciences and Jinling Women's College of Arts and Sciences. Christian women's higher education has trained the first generation of professional women for China. These intellectual women first broke through the shackles of feudalism, stood on their own feet in society and were active in medicine, academia and religious circles. After the Boxer Rebellion, missionaries not only restored the original missionary schools with boxer indemnity, but also opened a large number of new missionary schools, and a number of new higher education institutions rose rapidly. To 19 10, the number of missionary universities is1000; By 1920, the number of students in missionary universities reached 1600, and that in missionary universities reached 16.
The emergence of Christian universities has also stimulated the emergence and development of government-run and private higher education in China. On the one hand, the establishment of missionary universities has prompted China to attach importance to higher education, and made the higher education organized by China people have rules to follow. At the same time, the graduates trained by missionary universities also provided teachers for China University. On the other hand, the emergence of missionary universities greatly shortened the gap between modern higher education in China and western higher education, and raised the education level of China from the level of classical literature and history before the establishment of missionary universities to the level close to that of contemporary European and American universities. This leap in the development of higher education is inseparable from the establishment of universities in China by Christianity.
In a word, the opening and development of Christian higher education in China has made great progress in education in China. The emergence of Christian universities is a great breakthrough in the history of education in China, which gives China a modern higher education led by missionary universities, fundamentally makes up for the deficiency of traditional education in China, and provides a brand-new content for higher education in China in terms of school-running mode, teaching content, personnel training and adaptation to society. As Zhang Kaiyuan said, "China Christian University ... is the product of modern cultural exchanges between China and the West, and its development is an important part of the history of modern cultural exchanges between China and the West."
Third, the conclusion
To sum up, the establishment of foreign missionaries and Christian schools in China has made indelible contributions to modern education in China and cultural exchanges between China and the West. "The prosperity of a country lies in talents, and the prosperity of talents lies in schools". A large number of talents trained by missionary schools for China met the demand of modern China society for talents to some extent, and promoted the modernization of China in some aspects (especially culture and education). If we erase the talents trained by these missionary schools, we can't imagine what China's modernization will be like.