Idea And Practice Of Chinese Indigenous Church:a Study Of Timothy Tingfang Lew

Timothy Tingfang Lew was a famous church leader during the Republican periodof China. He contributed to China’s political, cultural, educational and even religiousbuilding during the half of the20th-century. On Politian, he was a member ofNationalist Government Legislative Committee, he made contributions to the legalconstruction of the Republic of China. In the academic level, on the one hand, he is arare psychologist Republic of China, whose doctoral thesis "Psychological Researchon Learning Chinese" has been quoted by others up to now; on the other hand, he is agreat poet, he published poetry anthology such as Mountain Rain and so on. Oneducation, he assisted John Leighton Stuart to found Yenching University; he was alsoappointed the dean of religious seminary of Yenching University in which hedeveloped theology as one of the best subject in China, therefore he promoted thedevelopment of Christian Education. On church, he promoted the IndigenousMovement of Chinese Church, he greatly promoted the healthy and orderlydevelopment of the Chinese Church.This paper tries to demonstrate Lew’s contribution to the indigenization ofChinese Church. The life of Lew determined that, as a Christian, he must try to seekthe tension between western Christianity and Chinese church. Influenced by JesusChrist and Ward social Gospel, Lew thought more about the destiny of Chinese churchand the future of China.The face of China surging, vigorous "non-Christian" movement, TimothyTingfang Lew deep thinking early1920s, rational analysis, bold experiment, pointedout that Chinese church will not prevent the development of China. In1920(approximately to the New Culture Movement) when Lew came back to China fromAmerica, he expected that he can lead a New Culture Movement among theChristianity in order to achieve the purpose of ideological emancipation. After theAnti-Christian Movement, Lew became more convinced that the indigenization ofChinese church should be accelerated. During the Movement to restore educational rights, he responded the movement with Christian education creed, he also pointed outthat religion and education did not run parallel. After the Massacre of the May30thMovement, the tension between nationalism and imperialism reached to the peak, atthat time, Lew exactly explained the issue of Christian and Chinese National Character,thus avoid the further upgrade of Anti-Christian Movement.In conducting the indigenization of Chinese church, Lew stood together withother church leaders to promote the development of indigenization. For theindigenization of Chinese church organization, he advocated the autotrophy ofChinese church in order to promote the unification of Chinese church. For theindigenization of Chinese church manners, he translated and compiled Hymns ofUniversal Praise, thus promoted the indigenization of psalm; in the meantime, Lewadvocated fellowship to facilitate the indigenization of Chinese church manners. Forthe indigenization of Chinese church education, he discussed the registration of churchuniversity with the government as the chairman of China Christian UniversityCommittee, then he made the church education approved by the Chinese people.All in all, to the true Indigenous of the Church in China, Timothy Tingfang Lewcontribution not only reflected in its interpretation of the character of the church, butalso promote the development of Chinese Church reflect its Indigenization Movement.