並列摘要
In considering the grand collection of editions of the Book of Common Prayer, or its derivatives, produced by missionaries to China throughout the nineteenth century, two factors emerge: language and form. While the practicalities of print production and reliance on previous translations of the scriptures play a role in the history of the texts, the choices made and books produced reflect profound theological questions over the meaning and performance of liturgy. The struggle to find and appropriate language register for translation of the prayer book developed from initial attempts at an accurate, readable classical form, through to the burgeoning production of colloquial and dialect editions in the second half of the century. The physical form of the texts underwent significant changes during the same time span, a material acculturation taking place whereby the physical texts were gradually sinicized. This paper teases out the complex interactions between theology and print, and considers the vexing question of why so many missionaries, including those from nonconformist backgrounds, should choose to produce ornate editions of the BCP in Chinese.