About the Book
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 cliché in China. 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 Gützlaff, James Hudson Taylor and Timothy Richard, uncovering why some succeeded where others failed, and asks whether they really became lackeys to imperialism.
Table of Contents:
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1 Christus Victor
Chapter 2 Opening of China
Chapter 3 Uprisings
Chapter 4 Pro Deo et Patri
Chapter 5 A Colourful Character
Chapter 6 A Generous Spirit
Chapter 7 All Things to All Men
Chapter 8 Mission under Fire
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
About the Author :
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).
Review :
"Ambrose Mong, S.J., 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
"Guns and Gospel is a fine synthesis that investigates the symbiosis between Christianization and Western imperialism. ... [It] is an essential reading for anyone interested in Chinese Christianity, interreligious dialogues, and cross-cultural engagements."
- Joseph Tse-Hei Lee, Department of History, Pace University (New York), due to be published in Ching Feng
"Ambrose Mong provides a valuable insight into the historical background of Chinese attitudes to Christian mission in China. In a wide-ranging study, Mong sheds light on why Christianity is still a minority religion in China. ... The contents of this book are especially important for Western Christians seeking to understand China."
- Trish Madigan, The Swag: Quarterly Magazine of the National Council of Priests of Australia
"This book is useful in stimulating interest in mission and cultural studies, even studies in contextual theology, particularly the popular topic of Asian theology."
- Jihe Gaius Song, The Expository Times, Volume 129, Number 3, December 2017
"By outlining the Chinese mission history, Mong draws attention to both global and local forces that influenced the passions, visions, and actions of different Protextant missions, the missionaries' perception of China as 'the Other', and the dissemination of Christianity in a Chinese context .... Guns and Gospel is an essential reading for anyoen interested in Chinese Christianity, interreligious dialogues, and cross-cutural engagements."
- Joseph Tse-hei Lee, Ching Feng, 16.1-2 (2016)
"Guns and Gospel is a sophisticated overview of the work of Christian missionaries in China, and in its pages we see a range of human motivation ranging from rapaciousness to charity."
James Carter, Journal of Ecclesiastical History, 2018.
"Mong has made great efforts to show the personalities of the above-mentioned Protestant missionaries and pinpoint their ambigous roles in imperialism and evangelism."
Wai-Yin Christian Wong, Journal of Chinese Religions, Volume 46, Issue 1, May 10 2018
'This is a valuable volume on this subject and should be on the reading lists for this topic.'
STUART VOGEL, Auckland, New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies, vol.20, no1. 2018, pp.109-11
