Persuasion And Discipline:Christian Church And The Changes Of Social Life In Modern Shanghai

After the Opium War,along with the foreign aggression and the entry of western-civilization,the social conventions of modern China changed,especially in Shanghai.In the research of the change reason in this area,the works of scholars brought attention to the effect on the West World.However,there is major problem:most of the study neglecting on the difference between the westerns in Shanghai.In fact,Shanghai is the center of the missionary work in China till the middle of last century.Christian Mission played a favorable role as a bridge in the eommunications between the West and the East.This thesis focuses on how the Christitian Church and missionaries to persuade and discipline the clergies and Christians to change the life style during times in Shanghai.There are six parts in this thesis.The first part the image of China in the west world before Opium War.Chapter one is simplified summarized the the history of Christianity in Shanghai,including the effect on the education,charity,medical,etc.Chapter two focused on the topic about what the Christian Church against:foot-biding,infanticide by drowding,remarriage and the Relation of Christianity to Polygamy.Chapter three focused on the topic about what the Christian Church approve of:pay attention to rational diet,pay attention to personal hygiene,sports,etc.Chapter Four try to discuss the Christian Church how to discipline the clergies and Christians in the daily life.Chapter Five discuss the discipline and punishment in the church,missionary shool and other religious institutions.At last,the paper considers that Christianity advocates the ethical value that accord with universal value,which provides the moral basis of urban modernization.The social service work of the urbn Christianity Church resonated with the local culture.With the advancement of national movement after 20's century,the marginalization of Christianity can not be avoided.While not determining the change of social trends of Shanghai,the activites of foreign missionaries and church did play a postitive role in its urbn modemazition.