传教士东来与西学传播

The Missionaries' Coming to the Orient and the Spread of Western Culture

从唐朝初年到清朝灭亡千余年间,中西社会历史背景的差异和中国封建统治者对外来传教士执行不同的政策,决定了传教士进入中国的逆顺难易有所不同,在中国所处地位和作为也不尽相同。传教士东来经过了从时断时续发展到持续不断,从以个人来华、在上层中间活动为主发展为以团体来华、深入民间活动为主的历史过程。传教士东来中国不仅手捧圣经,同时也负载着西方最新的科学文化知识,具备在较高层次上从事文化交流的某种素质和条件,除了传播"福音"之外,还参与了众多的科学文化活动,扮演着传播"西学"的重要角色,对中国社会的进步产生了一定的影响。

Over a thousand years from the early Tang Dynasty to the end of Qing Dynasty, the entry of western missionaries and their social status were largely determined by the differences between the social and historic backgrounds of China and western countries and the different policies to the outside missionaries carried out by the Chinese feudal rulers. The entry can be divided into several stages from the early occasional to the constant, from the individual to the group visiting, and from their activities with the people of high social status to the ones among the local people. The missionaries brought not only the Bible, but also the latest scientific and cultural knowledge with them. They had the qualification to perform the function of culture interchange. In addition to introducing Gospel, they took part in various scientific and cultural activities. By playing a very important role in propagating 'the Western Culture', they exerted tremendous influence on the development of the Chinese society at that time.