Dr. Kevin Xiyi Yao’s new book The Hunan Bible Institute: A Stronghold of Fundamentalist Bible Training in China, 1916—1952 was released in Taiwan last month, introducing a history of the Hunan Bible Institute interwoven with the history of the fundamentalist movement in the early 20th century in China.
The Hunan Bible Institute (HBI), established in 1916 and closed in 1952, witnessed an important and turbulent era in Chinese Protestant Christianity. In terms of the historical environment, HBI saw various revolutions, campaigns, movements, wars, and polity changes. When it came to church development, it was a time of growing in maturity and independence, in which Chinese churches expanded ministries in mission, education, and medical care.
As a key fundamentalist institution in China, “HBI exerted considerable influence on the formation of conservative Protestant Christianity in China, by training church leaders and providing a fundamentalist ministry platform”, shared Dr. Yao, associate professor of World Christianity and Asian Studies at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
With its seven chapters, the Chinese book reveals the historical background, founding, development and expansion, and ministries of HBI, important Chinese ministry leaders involved, as well as its organizational changes since the time of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, and under the government of the People’s Republic. Particularly, it examines a time of multiple tensions, between fundamentalism and liberalism, between HBI and the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (which partially funded and supervised HBI), as well as between the Chinese Church’s independence and the foreign missions’ control.
Kevin Xiyi Yao is also the author of The Fundamentalist Movement among the Protestant Missionaries in China, 1920-1937 (2003) and The Protestant Pacifism in China (2008).
- Translated by Grace Song
8月初，姚西伊的新书《教会的公仆: 湖南圣经学院简史 1916-1952》在台湾出版，本书介绍了湖南圣经学院的历史。
出版社台湾基督教文艺出版社表示，湖南圣经学院自1916 年正式在长沙建校，到1952 年关闭。它的历史正好涵盖了中国基督新教历史上一个非常关键的时期。就教会的外部大环境来说，近代中国社会历经晚清、辛亥革命、五四运动、北伐战争、南京十年、日本侵华，到国共内战，见证了十分动荡不安的时代。就教会自身的发展和演变而言，则是本土教会的成熟和自立，从传教到教育、医疗等各项事工的成长，多数都可圈可点。尤其是这个时期教会的神学和事工明显呈现多样化的趋势。本土复兴运动风起云涌，新宗派纷纷出现。随着十九世纪中期以来在华传教运动的演变，以及北美教会内基要主义与自由主义（现代主义）斗争的激化，中国教会和在华西方传教士群体在二十世纪初也大致分化为基要主义和自由主义两大阵营。双方围绕着圣经权威等教义问题和传教运动方向与重心等议题发生了明显对立。可以说，湖南圣经学院的历史从多方面反映了中国教会这个时期的一些主要发展趋势。对于基要主义运动来说，圣经学校是其最重要的活动平台之一。而湖南圣经学院则是一个典型个案。在二十世纪三十年代，其福音布道等事工影响之大与其华人教授团队实力之强都相当突出，比当时号称基要派神学教育大本营的华北神学院有过之而无不及。
姚西伊（Kevin Xiyi Yao）
北京市人，天津南开大学历史学硕士，美国门诺会联合圣经神学院（Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries）神学研究硕士（Master of Theological Studies），波士顿大学神学博士（Doctor of Theology）。2003－2011年，任教于香港中国神学研究院。2012年至今，任教于美国哥顿－康维尔神学院（Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary）。主要著作：《为真道争辩—在华基督新教传教士基要主义运动（1920-1937）》（香港：宣道，2008）；《中国基督教唯爱主义运动》（香港，基道，2008）。
《教会的公仆: 湖南圣经学院简史 1916-1952》目录：
总序
梁序
自序
第一章 导论
一、中国神学教育史的分期
二、中国神学教育机构的分类
三、圣经学校的定义与地位
四、北美圣经学校运动的历史回顾
五、从洛杉矶圣经学院（Bible Institute of Los Angeles）到拜欧拉大学（Biola University）
第二章 湖南圣经学院的酝酿：葛荫华早期的事工
一、湖南早期传教史概述
二、逐家布道团与圣经学校
三、南岳秋令圣经学校
第三章 湖南圣经学院从正式创立到走向辉煌
一、创立
二、迅速而平稳的发展
三、领导架构的建立
第四章 各项事工的全面发展
一、逐家布道团的发展
二、南岳秋令查经聚会和学校
三、其他事工的开展
四、「大萧条」的冲击
第五章 华人教会领袖与湖南圣经学院
一、陈崇桂与《布道杂志》
二、成寄归与「司可福函授圣经课程」
三、由湖圣华人教员开展的其他事工
四、三十年代中期中西同工的严重分歧
第六章 从抗日战争到中共建政
一、机构重组与完善的尝试
二、抗日战争当中的湖南圣经学院
三、抗战胜利之后的恢复
四、中共建政之后的生存与结局
第七章 结论
参考书目
新书速递|《教会的公仆: 湖南圣经学院简史1916-1952》在台湾出版
Dr. Kevin Xiyi Yao’s new book The Hunan Bible Institute: A Stronghold of Fundamentalist Bible Training in China, 1916—1952 was released in Taiwan last month, introducing a history of the Hunan Bible Institute interwoven with the history of the fundamentalist movement in the early 20th century in China.
The Hunan Bible Institute (HBI), established in 1916 and closed in 1952, witnessed an important and turbulent era in Chinese Protestant Christianity. In terms of the historical environment, HBI saw various revolutions, campaigns, movements, wars, and polity changes. When it came to church development, it was a time of growing in maturity and independence, in which Chinese churches expanded ministries in mission, education, and medical care.
As a key fundamentalist institution in China, “HBI exerted considerable influence on the formation of conservative Protestant Christianity in China, by training church leaders and providing a fundamentalist ministry platform”, shared Dr. Yao, associate professor of World Christianity and Asian Studies at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
With its seven chapters, the Chinese book reveals the historical background, founding, development and expansion, and ministries of HBI, important Chinese ministry leaders involved, as well as its organizational changes since the time of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, and under the government of the People’s Republic. Particularly, it examines a time of multiple tensions, between fundamentalism and liberalism, between HBI and the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (which partially funded and supervised HBI), as well as between the Chinese Church’s independence and the foreign missions’ control.
Kevin Xiyi Yao is also the author of The Fundamentalist Movement among the Protestant Missionaries in China, 1920-1937 (2003) and The Protestant Pacifism in China (2008).
- Translated by Grace Song
New Book on History of Hunan Bible Institute Published in Taiwan
