以女俗论教化:晚清来华传教士的“文明”教程

Measuring the Degree of Civilization by Women's Custom:Western Missionaries' “Civilization” Course in Late-Qing China

鸦片战争之后,来华传教士在"文明"的征服中为了证明文明的西优中劣,提出了以女俗作为衡量一国之教化优劣的标准,并基于基督教平等观念批评中国之女俗是暴虐女子的野蛮习俗和中国教化低劣的明证。为了推进在中国的福音事业,来华传教士为中国人设定了一套"文明"教程,以西比中,把对中国"野蛮"女俗的批评和对西方"文明"女俗的宣介当作了传教之外的另一种课业。作为文化征服的一种手段,传教士的"文明"教程虽然未能帮助基督教实现收编中国的梦想,但影响了当时以及后来许多求变的中国士人,在一定程度上推动了中国世风的西化。

After the Opium War, the Western missionaries in China proposed a criterion to measure the degree of a country＇ s civilization by its women＇ s custom so as to prove that Western civilization was superior to its Chinese counterpart. On the basis of the Christian idea of equality, they regarded Chinese women＇ s custom as a barbarous custom of abusing women and a proof of the inferiority of its civilization. In order to promote the Gospel cause in China, the Western missionaries put forward a set of ＂civilization＂ course for Chinese people, and took their criticism on Chinese women＇ s ＂barbarous＂ custom and their propaganda of the Western women＇ s ＂civilized＂ custom as another task besides their missionary work. As a means of cultural conquest, the Western missionaries＇ ＂civilization＂ course failed to realize Christianity＇ s dream of assimilating Chinese people, but influenced many Chinese scholars who sought for change, and to some extent, Westernized the common practices of Chinese society.