從馬偕在台宣教的歷程－探討宣教士養成的重要性

Exploring the Importance of the Formation of Missionaries from Mackay's Mission in Taiwan

謝大立(Ta-Li Hsieh)

《華神期刊》 9期 (2018/12) Pp. 112-148

並列摘要

The 19th century is a great era for Christian missions, when western churches sent thousands of missionaries across the world, and with them the Gospel was spread to the remote ends of the earth. This dissertation aims to explore the significance of the formation of missionaries in overseas cross-cultural missions, primarily through the case study of George Leslie Mackay's missions in northern Taiwan by the Canada Presbyterian Church. Before Mackay set off from Canada for his mission destination in October, 1871, what preparation had he made for this cross-cultural mission trip? What challenges and pressure had he encountered and bore after his arrival in Taiwan? As a frontier missionary, Mackay had to organize and utilize limited resources to survive in the mission country. To maximize the effect of his mission, Mackay also had to merge into the local society as fast as he could, preach the gospel with all his might, and cultivate local missionaries at the same time. However, all these efforts required the recognition and support from his homeland mission, and the tension caused by long-distance communication had been inevitable. A varied of challenges from within the local culture of the targeted mission land, as well as the relationships with the homeland mission and with other missionaries were the ＂yoke＂ a missionary had to take in his overseas cross-cultural mission. In light of this, this dissertation focuses on the challenges Mackay had encountered in his mission experience in northern Taiwan, including the challenge of the ＂integration of the Gospel and culture＂ and that of the ＂management of assets and human resources＂, and traces back the formation process Mackay had been through before becoming a missionary, including the formation of faith, theological equipment and mission training. By paying attention to the ways a missionary coped with the actual situations of his mission country, and to the subtle influence from his past training and equipment, this research serves as a useful reference for Chinese churches today.

並列關鍵字

cross-cultural mission ； the Gospel and culture ； missionaries ； images ； Mackay ； integration ； management