A scholar illustrated the story of a normal Chinese Christian a hundred years ago to demonstrate how Christianity could possibly merge with Chinese culture in today's context.
In the academic symposium themed “Individuals, Organizations, and Cultures Spanning across China and the West” held by the Shanghai Society of History and the history faculty of Shanghai University on September 25, Dr. Qiang Yu, associate editor-in-chief of the Journal of Research for Christianity in China, delivered a speech titled “The Intermediary in Cross Culture: A Record by a Hangzhou Christian”.
“Qiyu Ruan was committed to the historical progress of the Sinicization of Christianity, setting an example for today’s integration of Christianity with Chinese culture,” the scholar highlighted.
Qiyu Ruan was born in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, in 1891 and passed away in 1946.
Dr. Yu said, “He was a graduate of Hangzhou Medical Training College run by the Church Mission Society of Hangzhou. As a famous integrated traditional and western medicine expert, he later worked in the Hospital of Universal Benevolence and compiled the Universal Benevolence Medical Journal.”
He continued, “At the same time, he encountered a shift in his Christian beliefs, claiming to disengage Sicheng Church (with the background of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America). He moved to meet in the Christian Assembly (founded by Watchman Nee).”
“Ruan was a nobody, but he became the cross-culture intermediary owing to his integrative medicine and the thought of indigenization of Christianity in the era of the encounter of Chinese and western cultures.”
In 1912, Ruan was enrolled in Hangzhou Medical Training College founded by the Scottish Anglican missionary doctor David Duncan Main. He was one of the seven cohorts of graduates. After graduation, he served in the Hospital of Universal Benevolence and worked concurrently as the editor of the Universal Benevolence Medical Insurance.
In 1925, he studied at Tieqiao Correspondence Chinese Medicine School. Ruan joined the Chinese Medical Society in 1932.
Outraged by the discrimination against Chinese medicine and the inundated sales of western medicine, he put the promotion of Chinese medicine as one of his top priorities. He even proposed to write a new drug book on integrative medicine.
Ruan had another identity – being a Christian. Hangzhou Medical Training College, the earliest local western medicine school, stressed evangelism and religious activities apart from training professionalism and a medical mind. Ruan became a Christian under the influence of the Christian atmosphere.
Watchman Nee, the founder of the Christian Assembly or Little Flock, claimed that the church constituted all the people who believed in Christ and belonged to him, urging Christians to separate themselves from any denomination which itself was sinful. Afterward, Ruan claimed to break off relations with his mother Anglican church (Sicheng Church) and joined the Christian Assembly.
He said, “Please note that I’m not leaving the church, but the denominational union. I’m not persuaded by anyone, but guided by the Holy Spirit. I didn’t leave the church because of any dissenting opinion. I’m obeying God’s commandment.”
Dr. Yu concluded, “We can tell his change between Chinese and western cultures: Ruan underlined the integrative medicine by learning from each other’s good points for common progress; in terms of personal faith, he focused on the Sinicization of Christianity, divorced from the western denominational course, setting an example for today’s integration of Christianity with Chinese culture.”
- Translated by Karen Luo
2021年9月25号，为期一天的“跨越中西的个人、组织与文化”学术研讨会在上海举行。上午场中，《中国基督教研究》副主编俞强博士以《跨文化的中间人：一个杭州基督徒的记录》为题分享了他对百多年前一位中国本土基督徒阮其煜的生平的挖掘。这位学者评价说：“（阮其煜）他投身到基督教中国化的历史进程中，为今日基督教与中国文化的融合做了一种示范。”
阮其煜的生平事迹
阮其煜，浙江杭州人，生于1891年，殁于1946年，生平事迹不甚详。根据俞强博士的分享：“阮其煜原是杭州圣公会开办的广济医校的毕业的学生，后来在广济医院工作，并主持编撰《广济医刊》，是近现代著名的中西医结合专家。”“同时，（他）在基督信仰上也经历过一次转变，宣称脱离思澄堂（思澄堂是美国北长老会背景的，为纪念张澄斋牧师，取名“思澄堂”），他参与基督徒聚会处的活动。”
俞强博士强调说：“阮其煜是一个小人物，但是面对中西方文化相遇的大时代，他持有中西医结合的观点和基督教本色化的思想，因此他成为了跨文化的中间人。
志在沟通中西医学的代表人物
民国初年，阮其煜进入苏格兰籍圣公会传教医生梅藤更在杭州创办的浙江广济医学专门学校学习，是广济医校的第七期毕业生。之后在广济医院任职，兼任《广济医保》编辑。1925年时年36岁的阮其煜报名参加了铁樵函授中医学校，1932年，阮其煜参加了中国医药学社。
鉴于当时社会上排斥和歧视中医药的风气盛行，面对西药在中国市场的泛滥，阮其煜痛心疾首。他认为：“医疗药物为民生日用需用制品，我国幅员之广，产药之富，远胜邻国，故提倡中药，是为当务之急。”
为了使一般的西医明了（中医药的）重要功效并加以应用，阮其煜倡议编写了一部中西医结合的新药物书《本草经新注》。
强调基督教本土化 脱离西方的宗派路线
阮其煜，他是一个传播西方医学的医刊主编，也是志在沟通中西医学的代表，（同时）他还有一个身份，就是基督徒。
广济医院（广济医学专门学校）是杭州最早的西医学校。在学校里除了运用西方的先进的医学教育方法和医学器材培养了学生的医学知识和医学素养之外，还非常注重传播基督教的福音，重视宗教活动。由此，阮其煜长期受到基督教氛围的影响，成为一名基督徒。
根据当时聚会处的创办人倪柝声的神学观点：“ 召会（聚会处）乃是所有信入基督和属于基督的人所构成的。许多弟兄姐妹之所以脱离宗派，就是因为宗派是一个罪恶。我们除了归于基督的名之下，实在没有任何的名称。”
后期，阮其煜在杭州公开宣言脱离宗派，之后引起舆论轩然大波。他脱离了圣公会（思澄堂），进入了“召会（聚会处）” 。宣言中，他说：“圣经中没有宗派之分，有宗派是罪恶的事，故请从今天把我们的名字从思澄堂的生命册上除掉，这不是个人情感有事，乃是顺服圣经的教训。”
阮其煜与其他人争辩的过程中说：“请注意，我不是离开教会，乃是离开有宗派的公会。我不是受任何人的劝导，乃是由于圣灵的引导，不是因为什么意见而离开教会，乃是顺从神的命令。阮其煜充分的阐明他脱离宗派的原因是公会组织中是违反了圣经的命令：人夺走了耶稣的权柄，用人的方法夺去了圣灵的工作。不能让圣灵自由的运行。”
俞强博士说：“我们看到了阮其煜在中西方文化之间的转变：在中西医方面，阮其煜强调中西医结合，取长补短，相辅相成；在个人信仰上的思辨，他强调基督教中国化，脱离西方的宗派路线——因此我们看到他投身到基督教中国化的历史进程中，为今日基督教与中国文化的融合做了一种示范。”
https://www.christiantimes.cn/news/35752/%E5%AD%A6%E8%80%85%E8%AE%B2%E5%BA%A7%7C%E9%80%8F%E8%BF%87%E7%99%BE%E5%B9%B4%E5%89%8D%E4%B8%80%E4%BD%8D%E6%9D%AD%E5%B7%9E%E5%9F%BA%E7%9D%A3%E5%BE%92%E7%9A%84%E6%95%85%E4%BA%8B-%E7%9C%8B%E5%9F%BA%E7%9D%A3%E6%95%99%E4%B8%8E%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%E6%96%87%E5%8C%96%E7%9A%84%E8%9E%8D%E5%90%88?page=1
学者讲座|透过百年前一位杭州基督徒的故事 看基督教与中国文化的融合
A scholar illustrated the story of a normal Chinese Christian a hundred years ago to demonstrate how Christianity could possibly merge with Chinese culture in today's context.
In the academic symposium themed “Individuals, Organizations, and Cultures Spanning across China and the West” held by the Shanghai Society of History and the history faculty of Shanghai University on September 25, Dr. Qiang Yu, associate editor-in-chief of the Journal of Research for Christianity in China, delivered a speech titled “The Intermediary in Cross Culture: A Record by a Hangzhou Christian”.
“Qiyu Ruan was committed to the historical progress of the Sinicization of Christianity, setting an example for today’s integration of Christianity with Chinese culture,” the scholar highlighted.
Qiyu Ruan was born in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, in 1891 and passed away in 1946.
Dr. Yu said, “He was a graduate of Hangzhou Medical Training College run by the Church Mission Society of Hangzhou. As a famous integrated traditional and western medicine expert, he later worked in the Hospital of Universal Benevolence and compiled the Universal Benevolence Medical Journal.”
He continued, “At the same time, he encountered a shift in his Christian beliefs, claiming to disengage Sicheng Church (with the background of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America). He moved to meet in the Christian Assembly (founded by Watchman Nee).”
“Ruan was a nobody, but he became the cross-culture intermediary owing to his integrative medicine and the thought of indigenization of Christianity in the era of the encounter of Chinese and western cultures.”
In 1912, Ruan was enrolled in Hangzhou Medical Training College founded by the Scottish Anglican missionary doctor David Duncan Main. He was one of the seven cohorts of graduates. After graduation, he served in the Hospital of Universal Benevolence and worked concurrently as the editor of the Universal Benevolence Medical Insurance.
In 1925, he studied at Tieqiao Correspondence Chinese Medicine School. Ruan joined the Chinese Medical Society in 1932.
Outraged by the discrimination against Chinese medicine and the inundated sales of western medicine, he put the promotion of Chinese medicine as one of his top priorities. He even proposed to write a new drug book on integrative medicine.
Ruan had another identity – being a Christian. Hangzhou Medical Training College, the earliest local western medicine school, stressed evangelism and religious activities apart from training professionalism and a medical mind. Ruan became a Christian under the influence of the Christian atmosphere.
Watchman Nee, the founder of the Christian Assembly or Little Flock, claimed that the church constituted all the people who believed in Christ and belonged to him, urging Christians to separate themselves from any denomination which itself was sinful. Afterward, Ruan claimed to break off relations with his mother Anglican church (Sicheng Church) and joined the Christian Assembly.
He said, “Please note that I’m not leaving the church, but the denominational union. I’m not persuaded by anyone, but guided by the Holy Spirit. I didn’t leave the church because of any dissenting opinion. I’m obeying God’s commandment.”
Dr. Yu concluded, “We can tell his change between Chinese and western cultures: Ruan underlined the integrative medicine by learning from each other’s good points for common progress; in terms of personal faith, he focused on the Sinicization of Christianity, divorced from the western denominational course, setting an example for today’s integration of Christianity with Chinese culture.”
- Translated by Karen Luo
Scholar: Story of a Hangzhou Christian Can Show Us How to Integrate Christianity With Chinese Culture
