A Study On American Missionaries And The Middle East In The 19th Century

At the end of the 15 th century,the west marched to the ocean,ushered in the era of great geographical discovery and started the process of world integration.In addition to the desire for resources,trade routes and wealth,the motive for promoting this important historical event is the western passion for Christian missionary work.For a long time,the Middle East is the holy place where Western Christians yearn and yearn for Jerusalem.During the Crusades,Western European missionaries came up with the idea of preaching to the Middle East.Since the 16 th century,the “gospel” of Western European missionaries has taken root here.By the 19 th century,Christian missionary activities in Western Europe had been widespread in the Middle East.The missionary concept is an important part of American foreign cultural expansion.Since the 19 th century,based on the early missionary activities in Western Europe,the United States has opened an unprecedented era of Christian transmission in this region.The missionary activities of American missionaries in the Middle East have a profound historical background.First of all,American missionaries' missionary activities in the Middle East are part of American missionary activities overseas,which are closely related to the global expansion of Western colonialism and the Christian Renaissance Movement.The improvement of transportation and economic conditions brought about by the modern industrial revolution and the expansion of capitalism promoted the large-scale Christian missionary movement.The missionary activities of American missionaries in the Middle East exist as a part of American foreign cultural expansion and Christian revival.Secondly,the theory of destiny and social Darwinism,which prevailed in the United States in the 19 th century,provided spiritual power for American missionary work abroad.These thoughts are based on Anglo-Saxon racial superiority theory,and regard “saving all living beings” and spreading Christian gospel to backward nations as their sacred mission.Finally,the“Second Great Awakening” movement and the birth of the American Ministry directly promoted the development of American missionaries' missionary activities in the Middle East.The main body of American missionaries in the Middle East is American Evangelicals,who preach under the organization and leadership of the American Ministry.The American Ministry is mainly composed of members of the Congregation,Presbyterian Church and Reformed Church.It is headquartered in Boston and is committed to “evangelizing the whole world”.Among them,Presbyterian Church's missionary contribution in the Middle East is particularly outstanding.The objects of American missionaries' missionary activities in the Middle East include Muslims,Jews and Christians in Anatolia,Levant,Gulf and North Africa.At first,the U.S.Department took Muslims and Jews in these areas as the main targets of missionary work.However,due to the strict restriction of Islamic law on Muslim conversion and the strong rejection from within Jews,the US Department will change its missionary strategy,focus on spiritual enlightenment to the so-called “fallen Eastern Church” and “nominal Christians”,and revive the local Christian church,which will serve as the prelude to the conversion of Muslims and Jews to Christianity.In order to achieve the purpose of promoting conversion,the US Department has adopted such methods as education,medical care and publishing to spread Christianity to the people in the Middle East.Among them,education is the most important missionary method of American missionaries,who set up various missionary schools in the Middle East.In the eyes of American missionaries,this is the most feasible way to influence the younger generation.They carried out Bible education in church schools and printed Bible and religious leaflets by setting up local publishing houses,trying to “awaken” the people in the Middle East spiritually.In addition,the missionary work of American missionaries in the Middle East medical field is also outstanding.Modern medical conditions are generally lacking in Middle East society.Missionary doctors set up hospitals and pharmacies in the local area and carried out medical training,which has an important impact on the development of medical undertakings in the Middle East.In view of the gender segregation in the Middle East society,American female missionaries played an important role in missionary activities to women in the Middle East,especially in women's education and medical care.The missionary activities of American missionaries in the Middle East are part of the cultural expansion from the Western Christian world to the Islamic world in the Middle East,in which missionaries play the role of pioneers,vividly interpreting the connotation and extension of the interaction between Christianity and Islamic civilization.This interaction is the inheritance and continuation of the interaction between Christianity and Islam civilization in history,and its influence has continued to this day,with conflict and integration as its basic features.However,the contact between American missionaries and Muslims in the Middle East shows more conflict.From the perspective of communicative philosophy,religious conflict originates from the “subject-object” communicative view,which regards one's own side as the subject and the other side as the object of obedience and domination.American missionaries often fall into such a view of communication when interacting with Muslims,and regard Christian civilization as the only civilization and Western values as the only values.This western-centered view of communication has been influencing the relationship between Christianity and Islam to this day,and it will always influence the relationship between the United States and even the whole western world and the Islamic world in the Middle East.