History of Missions Exam 3: China, Africa, and Global Missionaries

When did Christianity first reach China?

635 AD

Which group brought Christianity to China?

The Church of the East (the Nestorians)

What caused Christianity to vanish in China?

It depended on imperial favor and blended too far into Chinese religion.

What heresy taught that Jesus was a created being?

Arianism

What did Docetism claim about Jesus?

Jesus only seemed to be human; his body was an appearance.

What is Ebionism / Adoptionism?

The belief that Jesus was a mere man whom God adopted as Son.

What did Apollinarianism assert about Jesus?

Jesus had a human body but the divine Word replaced his human mind.

What is Nestorianism?

The belief that Jesus was two persons, divine and human, loosely joined.

What did Monophysitism teach about Jesus' nature?

Jesus had one nature only, with the divine absorbing the human.

Who were the Nestorians?

Followers of Nestorius, who formed the Church of the East after being condemned.

Who took Christianity to China in the 7th century?

Alopen (Aluoben), a Nestorian bishop from Persia.

What evidence supports Alopen's mission to China?

The Nestorian Stele (Xi'an Tablet), a stone monument dated 781.

What led to the disappearance of Nestorian Christianity in China?

Emperor Wuzong's persecution of foreign religions in 845.

What was the impact of using Chinese and Buddhist terms in Nestorian Christianity?

It made the message understandable but blurred the gospel into syncretism.

Who founded the Jesuits?

Ignatius of Loyola in 1540.

What was the role of the Jesuits in early missions?

They became the leading Catholic missionary order in Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

What did the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) accomplish?

It divided newly found lands between Spain and Portugal.

Who was Matteo Ricci?

A Jesuit in China who adapted the faith to Chinese culture.

What was the Clapham Sect?

Evangelical Anglicans in London who fought the slave trade.

How did the slave trade develop?

The Portuguese began carrying captives from West Africa in the 1400s.

Who was Kimpa Vita?

A Kongo prophetess who led an African-rooted Christian movement.

What was the average life span of Europeans in West Africa in the early 1800s?

Often less than a year or two, mostly from malaria and other fevers.

Who was Olaudah Equiano?

An Igbo man enslaved as a boy whose autobiography became a tool against the slave trade.

What did Samuel Ajayi Crowther achieve?

He became the first African Anglican bishop and translated the Bible into Yoruba.

What was the impact of the Royal Navy after Britain banned the slave trade in 1807?

They freed captives from slave ships and landed them at Freetown, Sierra Leone.

What was the result of close alignment of Christianity with governments?

The church thrives while the government is friendly but is swept away when the government turns.

What was the early history of Portuguese missions in the Kongo?

Early Portuguese work faded and remained shallow.

When did missions in Africa begin to grow significantly?

Growth exploded in the 1900s.

What is the receptivity philosophy in missions?

To allocate resources where people are most responsive rather than where they resist.

Which groups were more open to Christianity in Africa?

Animist sub-Saharan peoples were more open than Muslim North Africa.

What were some criticisms of missions in Africa in the 1800s?

They were tied to colonialism, attacked African culture, were paternalistic, costly, and divided by denomination.

Who was Robert Moffat?

Scottish missionary to the Tswana in South Africa, translated the Bible into Setswana.

What was David Livingstone known for?

Scottish doctor and missionary-explorer who crossed Africa and found Victoria Falls.

What significant event did Henry M. Stanley accomplish?

He found Livingstone in 1871 and later mapped the Congo River.

What was George Grenfell's mission goal on the Congo?

To open a chain of mission stations up the Congo River.

What were Alexander Mackay's accomplishments in Uganda?

Built infrastructure, translated Scripture, and trained Ugandans in skills and faith.

Who was Mary Slessor?

Scottish missionary known for saving twin babies and earning respect as a local magistrate.

What was the significance of the 'three rounds' of missions in China?

They represent the Nestorian, Catholic, and Protestant efforts to spread Christianity.

What was the impact of the Opium Wars on missions in China?

They opened ports for missionaries but also associated Christianity with foreign military intervention.

Who was Robert Morrison?

The first Protestant missionary to China, who translated the Bible into Chinese.

What did Morrison learn about the relationship between missionaries and foreign governments?

Missionaries risk being seen as agents of foreign powers if they rely on them.

What was Hudson Taylor's unique approach to missions?

He founded an interdenominational mission that wore Chinese dress and operated without guaranteed salaries.

What was the Boxer Rebellion?

An anti-foreign, anti-Christian uprising in China that resulted in the deaths of many missionaries and Christians.

What was the Gützlaff plan?

A proposal to train Chinese evangelists to carry the gospel inland, which ultimately failed.

What were Hudson Taylor's main convictions?

God supplies all needs, every province must hear the gospel, and he identified with the Chinese.

What legacy did Hudson Taylor leave?

Opened every inland province in China and inspired the Student Volunteer Movement.

What was the significance of the Treaty of Nanking?

It opened five ports to British trade and allowed missionaries to operate in China.

What did the term 'the Bible followed the flag' imply?

Missions were often tied to colonialism and the expansion of Western influence.

What role did military intervention play in missionary work in China?

Western military power facilitated treaties that allowed missionaries access to China.

What was the outcome of the First Opium War?

Britain gained control of Hong Kong and opened five ports to trade.

What was the impact of the Boxer Rebellion on missions?

It led to increased hostility towards Christianity and resulted in many missionary deaths.

What was the main goal of the China Inland Mission (CIM)?

To spread Christianity throughout the inland provinces of China.

What were common difficulties faced by missionaries?

Disease, hard climate, isolation, language barriers, fear of violence, shipwrecks, and bad examples from traders.

What method of transportation did early missionaries primarily use?

Sailing ships.

Who was the captain of the ship Duff that carried missionaries to the Pacific Islands?

Captain James Wilson.

What year did John Harris and William Crook land on the Marquesas?

1797.

Why did missionaries go to Hawaii?

Inspired by Opukahaia's story and the overthrow of the kapu religious system.

Who led the first American mission to Hawaii?

Hiram Bingham, with Asa Thurston.

What significant act did Kapiolani perform in 1824?

Defied the volcano goddess Pele by eating sacred berries.

Why did many women become missionaries?

Men's boards couldn't fill the field, and women could reach other women and children.

What contributions did women missionaries make?

Education, medicine, evangelism, rescue homes, and Bible translation.

What is Mary Slessor known for?

Scottish missionary in Nigeria who saved twins and outcast children.

What did Hudson Taylor found?

The China Inland Mission in 1865.

Who was David Livingstone?

Scottish missionary-explorer of Africa, advocating for Christianity and the end of the slave trade.

What was the role of Father Damien?

Belgian priest who served lepers on Molokai, Hawaii.

What did Jim Elliot and his companions do?

They were killed by the Waodani in Ecuador in 1956 while trying to evangelize them.

What was the significance of Obookiah (Opukahaia) for Hawaiian missions?

His life and death inspired the Hawaii mission.

What was the China Inland Mission known for?

Faith missions and adapting to Chinese culture.

What critical issue involves how far missionaries should adapt to local cultures?

The balance between contextualization and preserving the gospel.

What was a consequence of missions aligning with governments?

It made Christianity appear foreign and led to backlash.

Who was A. B. Simpson?

Founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance in 1887.

What did Gladys Aylward do?

Led orphans to safety during war in China.

What was the impact of women missionaries in the field?

They became the majority of the missionary force and often did the hardest work.

What was the significance of the 1910 Edinburgh conference?

It was chaired by John R. Mott and focused on the evangelization of the world.

What did Amy Carmichael achieve?

Rescued children from temple prostitution in India.

What was the role of the Student Volunteer Movement?

Promoted missionary work among students.

What was the legacy of the Waodani killings?

It inspired a generation of new missionaries and led to significant changes among the Waodani.