A few days ago, a professor gave a lecture about the influential Protestant revivalism in China from 1905 to 1949 and its founder Li Shuqing. It involved an online lecture titled “The History of Protestant Revivalist Preaching in Modern China”.
Professor Ping Liu, is a scholar of modern Jewish philosophy, Biblical studies, and the history of Christian thought. His research interests include Chinese as well as foreign Christian history and Biblical studies.
The reason why Professor Liu regards 1905 as the beginning of the revival of Protestantism in China lies in the founder Li Shuqing. Li Shuqing (1875-1908), considered a pioneer of Protestant revivalism in China, was once a military doctor, which was quite a good job in that era. Lu Xun, a famous Chinese writer, quit medicine for literature, and Li quit medicine for preaching. At that time, Li saw that healing the body could not fundamentally solve China's chronic poverty, weakness, and ignorance, believing that healing the soul was the fundamental change of the whole life.
Here are some key points about Li Shuqing shared by Professor Liu.
Li died young, but his short life was of great significance to the history of Protestant revivalism in China. Liu has combed through three stages of Li's life: the early years, the turning point of his life, and his revival preaching.
Born in Suzhou in 1875, Li was the son of a pastor who was later transferred to Jiading County, Shanghai. Growing up in a church school, at the age of 13, he went to Shanghai to study at St. John's University founded by the Episcopal Church. In 1891, while studying at St. John's University, he was baptized in the Episcopal Church to become its member.
In 1893, Li Shuqing was enrolled in Viceroy's Hospital Medical School, Tianjin, to learn Western medicine. Since the school was managed by the Qing government at that time, students were given a monthly allowance of more than a tael (about 1.3 ounces) of silver. After graduation, they would become fourth- or fifth-rank officials and serve in the Beiyang Fleet, receiving a salary of more than 100 taels monthly and being a military medical officer. Li lived a Bohemian life, like any other student of his school.
In 1895, John Woodberry and his wife were sent to China by the Missionary Society and settled in Tianjin. John and his wife set up the Beulah Chapel for students of Beiyang Medical School and Beiyang Naval Academy in Tianjin to preach to those who knew English.
After that, influenced by John Woodberry and his wife, Li started to read the Bible. In 1895, he repented and was baptized by a pastor of the Missionary Society in March 1896.
In 1897, Li Shuqing stayed in the school for teaching as one among the fourth batch of graduates of Viceroy's Hospital Medical School, but because of his enthusiasm to preach the Gospel, he did not listen to the advice of the headmaster. He gave up the post of military doctor, which offended the headmaster. Then he was detained in the school for two years. During these two years, he preached to students, citizens, and local gentlemen in Tianjin. He rode on horseback to hundreds of villages and towns on the outskirts of Tianjin, preaching and nurturing new believers in the church.
In the winter of 1899, 26-year-old Li Shuqing went south to Shanghai with a couple of Woodberry. Li Shuqing worked with them to create the Beulah Chapel. After that, he quit because he did not like to do any work other than preaching and did not want to be a church leader. In the 1890s, the Tianjin Beulah Chapel Missionary Society, which was founded and led by Li, became the first group in China to preach abroad.
From the Spring of 1900 to 1905, he served as a professor of English and Biblical studies at East-West Academy in Shanghai and Soochow University in Suzhou. He married Wen Huiyu in 1900, a stepdaughter of a local Cantonese gentleman, Wen Bingzhong.
Li Shuqing began the revival preaching in October 1905 while teaching at Soochow University. He resigned from his teaching post at the end of 1905. After that, he held revivalism sessions in Shanghai and Nanjing and preached in Wuhu, Ningbo, Hangzhou, Shaoxing, Jiangyin, Luzhou (Hefei), Zhenjiang, Ningguo, Changsha, Yantai, and Zhoujiakou. During this period, he and China's first female revivalistYu Cidu led the Revival meeting.
In October 1906, Wuchang Church invited Pastor Li Shuqing from Jiangsu to preach for three days. After hearing Li's sermon, Chen Chonggui went to visit him. After hearing his exhortation, Chen was greatly enlightened and became born again by repenting his sins. Thereafter, Chen determined to be a full-time pastor and began to serve God in the winter of 1907.
Li was inspired by John Woodberry and his wife, and then he also enlightened many others, including Chen Chonggui, Cheng Zigui (a famous pastor in the history of Protestant revivalism in China), Cheng Zhiyi, and Yu Ligong's mother.
In addition, Li Shuqing was engaged in some literary work. In 1906, he translated J.A. Seiss' three-volume Exposition of the Book of Revelation into Chinese. In June 1907, he founded the quarterly newspaper Gospel Guide.
On August 14, 1908, Li died after constantly overworking, with his last words, "Live or die, I belong to the Lord!"
Li Shuqing died at an early age. After his death, many people wrote articles to mourn him. One of the articles said, "Few people in the country have answered God's call since the 20th century, and Li Shuqing is the one who answered the call like Abraham."
Li Shuqing also has an unfinished dream. He attempted to establish China's own seminary, hoping to train people of pure faith. In 1909, Yu Cidu established prayer and scripture study classes in Shanghai, which became the first local missionary training institute in China to fulfill his wish.
During Li Shuqing's short life, he only spent three years as a full-time missionary, without achieving anything ground-breaking, but the following characteristics of Li Shuqing are worth thinking about.
He would always be blunt with people. He never lied or hid his own real thoughts.
He never talked about his own difficulties, sufferings, weaknesses, and how poor he was. Fourth, he never talked about his.
Li was very cautious about money. He gave up work, but he did not accept any regular money or property from other people and did not accept public fundraising for him.
Li Shuqing used a lot of parallel sentences, which were colloquial, emotional, and touching.
Li Shuqing was a pioneer of missionary work for college students, and his successors were Ding Limei and Calvin Chao. Li was one of the three giants of student missionary work in modern China. He preached the gospel to students during his teaching at East-West Academy and Soochow University. However, due to his early death, this work was not fully carried out.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
日前，刘平教授以“近现代中国新教奋兴布道史”为题透过网络学术讲座的方式，探讨了1905年-1949年期间中国比较有影响力的新教奋兴运动以及奋兴运动的奠基人李叔青。
刘平教授，哲学博士，现代犹太哲学、圣经学、基督教思想史等领域的学者，研究方向包括中外基督教历史和圣经研究等方面。
刘平教授之所以把1905年作为中国新教奋兴史的开始，其原因在于奠基人李叔青。李叔青（1875-1908），被认为是中国新教奋兴布道先驱，他曾经是一名拥有银饭碗的军医。鲁迅先生弃医从文，而李叔青先生弃医从教。因为在那个时代，李叔青看到医治肉体，不能从根本上解决中国长期积贫积弱、愚昧的状况，认为医治灵魂才是改变整体生命的根本。
下面是刘平教授分享李叔青的一些要点
李叔青英年早逝，但他短暂的一生对于中国新教奋兴布道史意义重大。刘平教授为我们梳理了李叔青的人生三阶段：早年、生命转折、奋兴布道。
李叔青1875年出生于苏州，父亲是牧师，后调至嘉定县。李叔青从小在教会学堂学习，13岁，前往上海的美国圣公会创办的圣约翰书院读书。1891年在圣约翰书院求学期间，在美国圣公会受坚信礼，成为圣公会教友
1893年，李叔青入天津北洋医学堂学习西医，因当时北洋医学堂属清政府，学生每月有一余两银子津贴。学成后将获得五或六品顶戴，服务于北洋水师，享有百余两月薪、军医官官衔等。李叔青此时与其他学生一样生活放荡不羁。
1895年伍约翰夫妇受宣道会派遣来华，驻天津。伍约翰夫妇为向天津的北洋医学堂和北洋水师学堂学生传教设一礼拜堂“守真堂”(Beulah Chapel)，向懂英文的人传道。
此后，李叔青受伍约翰夫妇影响透过读经，于1895年认罪悔改，获得重生得救的确据。并于1896年3月由宣道会牧师施浸礼。
1897年李叔青作为北洋医学堂第四届毕业生被留校，但因热心传福音，不听总办劝告，放弃军医官职位，而得罪总办，被软困在医校内两年。在这两年内，他在天津向学生、市民和地方绅士们传道。骑马到天津郊区数百村镇巡回布道，在教会中牧养新信徒。
1899年冬，26岁的李叔青随伍约翰夫妇南下上海。李叔青参与伍约翰夫妇创建的守真堂工作，后因不喜欢从事布道之外的工作，不愿意做教会领袖而退出。 19世纪90年代，李叔青所领导的“天津守真堂布道会”是中国第一个向海外宣教的团体。
1900年春-1905年，先后在上海的中西书院及苏州东吴大学堂担任英文及圣经教授。并在1900年娶粤绅温秉忠(荩臣)之义女温惠玉为妻。
李叔青在苏州东吴大学任教期间，也就是1905年10月开始奋兴布道。并于1905年底辞去教职。 之后至上海、南京举办奋兴布道会，再到芜湖、宁波、杭州、绍兴、江阴、庐州(合肥)、镇江、宁国、长沙、烟台、周家口等多地布道。期间与中国第一位女奋兴布道家余慈渡主持奋兴布道大会。
1906年10月，武昌教会邀请江苏李叔青牧师前来布道3天。陈崇桂听李叔青讲道后前去拜访，听他劝勉之后大受感动，经历悔改重生经验。此后，陈崇桂立志做专职传道人，并于1907年冬开始专职传道。
李叔青被伍约翰夫妇点燃，然后他也点燃了很多人，包括陈崇桂，成寄归（中国新教复兴史上的名牧），诚质怡、于力工的母亲等。
此外，李叔青还有一些文字工作: 1906年，他翻译塞斯(J.ASeiss)的三卷本《启示录注解》。1907年6月，创办季报《福音指引》。
1908年8月14日，李叔青积劳离世。临终语是:“或生或死，我都是属主!”
李叔青英年早逝，去世后，很多人写文章悼念他。其中一篇文章大意是，“20世纪以来国内回应上帝呼召的人很少，而李叔青是像亚伯拉罕一样回应呼召的人。”
李叔青还有个梦想，也是他的未竟之志：在中国做自己的神学院，希望栽培信心纯一的人。1909年余慈渡在上海创建祈祷查经处，成为中国第一个本土传教士培训所，帮助他完成心愿。
李叔青短暂的一生中，只有三年的时间全职传教，没有轰轰烈烈的壮举。但李叔青的行事特征值得我们思考:
1、他对人从不会说婉转的话。是就说是，不是就说不是。
2、他待人接物永远遵循四不原则：一，不讲自己的难处；二，不说自己的苦处；三，不言自己的穷处；四，不谈自己的短处。
3、李叔青对于金钱特别谨慎，放弃工作，但不接受任何人财物上定期供应，不接受会众为他公开募款。
4.李叔青大量使用排比句，语言口语化、情感化，直指人心。
他是大学生传教工作先驱，后继者有丁立美、赵君影。李叔青是近现代中国学生传教工作三巨人之一，他在中西书院以及东吴大学任教期间对学生传福音。但是因为去世较早，这方面工作没有完全开展起来。
学术讲座｜近现代中国新教奋运动及奠基人李叔青
A few days ago, a professor gave a lecture about the influential Protestant revivalism in China from 1905 to 1949 and its founder Li Shuqing. It involved an online lecture titled “The History of Protestant Revivalist Preaching in Modern China”.
Professor Ping Liu, is a scholar of modern Jewish philosophy, Biblical studies, and the history of Christian thought. His research interests include Chinese as well as foreign Christian history and Biblical studies.
The reason why Professor Liu regards 1905 as the beginning of the revival of Protestantism in China lies in the founder Li Shuqing. Li Shuqing (1875-1908), considered a pioneer of Protestant revivalism in China, was once a military doctor, which was quite a good job in that era. Lu Xun, a famous Chinese writer, quit medicine for literature, and Li quit medicine for preaching. At that time, Li saw that healing the body could not fundamentally solve China's chronic poverty, weakness, and ignorance, believing that healing the soul was the fundamental change of the whole life.
Here are some key points about Li Shuqing shared by Professor Liu.
Li died young, but his short life was of great significance to the history of Protestant revivalism in China. Liu has combed through three stages of Li's life: the early years, the turning point of his life, and his revival preaching.
Born in Suzhou in 1875, Li was the son of a pastor who was later transferred to Jiading County, Shanghai. Growing up in a church school, at the age of 13, he went to Shanghai to study at St. John's University founded by the Episcopal Church. In 1891, while studying at St. John's University, he was baptized in the Episcopal Church to become its member.
In 1893, Li Shuqing was enrolled in Viceroy's Hospital Medical School, Tianjin, to learn Western medicine. Since the school was managed by the Qing government at that time, students were given a monthly allowance of more than a tael (about 1.3 ounces) of silver. After graduation, they would become fourth- or fifth-rank officials and serve in the Beiyang Fleet, receiving a salary of more than 100 taels monthly and being a military medical officer. Li lived a Bohemian life, like any other student of his school.
In 1895, John Woodberry and his wife were sent to China by the Missionary Society and settled in Tianjin. John and his wife set up the Beulah Chapel for students of Beiyang Medical School and Beiyang Naval Academy in Tianjin to preach to those who knew English.
After that, influenced by John Woodberry and his wife, Li started to read the Bible. In 1895, he repented and was baptized by a pastor of the Missionary Society in March 1896.
In 1897, Li Shuqing stayed in the school for teaching as one among the fourth batch of graduates of Viceroy's Hospital Medical School, but because of his enthusiasm to preach the Gospel, he did not listen to the advice of the headmaster. He gave up the post of military doctor, which offended the headmaster. Then he was detained in the school for two years. During these two years, he preached to students, citizens, and local gentlemen in Tianjin. He rode on horseback to hundreds of villages and towns on the outskirts of Tianjin, preaching and nurturing new believers in the church.
In the winter of 1899, 26-year-old Li Shuqing went south to Shanghai with a couple of Woodberry. Li Shuqing worked with them to create the Beulah Chapel. After that, he quit because he did not like to do any work other than preaching and did not want to be a church leader. In the 1890s, the Tianjin Beulah Chapel Missionary Society, which was founded and led by Li, became the first group in China to preach abroad.
From the Spring of 1900 to 1905, he served as a professor of English and Biblical studies at East-West Academy in Shanghai and Soochow University in Suzhou. He married Wen Huiyu in 1900, a stepdaughter of a local Cantonese gentleman, Wen Bingzhong.
Li Shuqing began the revival preaching in October 1905 while teaching at Soochow University. He resigned from his teaching post at the end of 1905. After that, he held revivalism sessions in Shanghai and Nanjing and preached in Wuhu, Ningbo, Hangzhou, Shaoxing, Jiangyin, Luzhou (Hefei), Zhenjiang, Ningguo, Changsha, Yantai, and Zhoujiakou. During this period, he and China's first female revivalistYu Cidu led the Revival meeting.
In October 1906, Wuchang Church invited Pastor Li Shuqing from Jiangsu to preach for three days. After hearing Li's sermon, Chen Chonggui went to visit him. After hearing his exhortation, Chen was greatly enlightened and became born again by repenting his sins. Thereafter, Chen determined to be a full-time pastor and began to serve God in the winter of 1907.
Li was inspired by John Woodberry and his wife, and then he also enlightened many others, including Chen Chonggui, Cheng Zigui (a famous pastor in the history of Protestant revivalism in China), Cheng Zhiyi, and Yu Ligong's mother.
In addition, Li Shuqing was engaged in some literary work. In 1906, he translated J.A. Seiss' three-volume Exposition of the Book of Revelation into Chinese. In June 1907, he founded the quarterly newspaper Gospel Guide.
On August 14, 1908, Li died after constantly overworking, with his last words, "Live or die, I belong to the Lord!"
Li Shuqing died at an early age. After his death, many people wrote articles to mourn him. One of the articles said, "Few people in the country have answered God's call since the 20th century, and Li Shuqing is the one who answered the call like Abraham."
Li Shuqing also has an unfinished dream. He attempted to establish China's own seminary, hoping to train people of pure faith. In 1909, Yu Cidu established prayer and scripture study classes in Shanghai, which became the first local missionary training institute in China to fulfill his wish.
During Li Shuqing's short life, he only spent three years as a full-time missionary, without achieving anything ground-breaking, but the following characteristics of Li Shuqing are worth thinking about.
He would always be blunt with people. He never lied or hid his own real thoughts.
He never talked about his own difficulties, sufferings, weaknesses, and how poor he was. Fourth, he never talked about his.
Li was very cautious about money. He gave up work, but he did not accept any regular money or property from other people and did not accept public fundraising for him.
Li Shuqing used a lot of parallel sentences, which were colloquial, emotional, and touching.
Li Shuqing was a pioneer of missionary work for college students, and his successors were Ding Limei and Calvin Chao. Li was one of the three giants of student missionary work in modern China. He preached the gospel to students during his teaching at East-West Academy and Soochow University. However, due to his early death, this work was not fully carried out.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
Academic Lecture: Modern and Chinese Protestant Revivalism Movement and Its Founder Li Shuqing
