The Study On American Baptist Missionary Union And The Anti-Christian Movement In Swatow

The spread of modern Christianity in China has complex political and cultural significance.The activities of American missionaries in China conceal the political intention of the US government to "build a cultural empire in China with the help of missionaries".In the 1920s,the nationalist movement soared.Christianity,as an important symbol of imperialist power in China,was severely attacked,and the anti-Christian movement broke out.The rise and development of anti-Christian movements are also closely related to local politics and society,showing a distinct regional character.The special geographical location of Swatow and its marine cultural and cultural traditions provide a good social foundation for the development of the mission of the American Baptist Missionary Union.The American Baptist Missionary Union adopted missionary strategies such as educational missions to cater to the needs of Swatow society at the time for modern Western science and culture.Thanks to the benign interaction between the two,the American Baptist Missionary Union in modern times developed rapidly in Swatow and gradually established a close interactive relationship with the local society.This interaction not only facilitates the smooth development of the American Baptist Missionary Union cause,but also accumulates various contradictions and tensions that emerged during the interaction,and also accumulated energy for the anti-Christian movement in Swatow in the 1920s.The anti-movements in Swatow area were driven by local political forces.Guangdong is the source of the National Revolution.The anti-Christian movement in Swatow was supported by the Guangzhou Revolutionary Government,and the anti-Christian movement in Swatow appeared particularly active.The American Baptist Missionary Union's extensive connections with the Swatow society through secular work such as education have made missionaries and Chinese believers,students not simply religious relationships.There is a big difference.It is difficult to simply determine that,after the rise of the anti-religious movement,both China and foreign countries were determined to move towards an antagonism.Whether as a group or as an individual,missionaries and students as the participants of both parties in this movement have shown distinct characteristics of subjectivity in the process.In the anti-Christian movement,church student groups have different experiences and feelings.Some students actively participated in the anti-Christian movement,and some students performed more negatively,and many students held a anti-Christian attitude.Although students are the promoters of sports,they are not the determinants of sports.What really works is the pressure of the National Government.For female missionaries,the anti-Christian movement is just an experience in their missionary career.Although the anti-Christian movement had an impact on them,the intensity of the impact was not high.In contrast,the male missionaries represented by Ellison Hildreth paid more attention to this movement.In order to get rid of the dilemma caused by the anti-Christian movement,Ellison Hildreth proposed his own solution:advocate the revision of the treaty on the basis of equality between China and foreign countries.Although the solution may not have any practical impact on the political operation,especially the national government's contractual amendment movement,it still makes sense as a missionary to reflect on Chinese nationalism,especially the anti-Christian movement.Of course,Ellison Hildreth basically stayed at the level of responding to the current situation,and its plan did not break out of the field of vision of missionary.