By comparing the role and influence of early Christian missionaries with those of Christian NGOs today, this book critically assesses the idea of a Christian 'civilizing mission' within the context of China. It provides a local, non-Han perspective based on a rich array of historical, ethnographical, and empirical sources.
"This book is original and innovative. It takes an important and topical theme which has become very popular within a range of disciplines, and takes the time and effort to see whether it can be applied in the Chinese context, and how that application might cause the disciplines to rethink their stance toward the general theme." - Dr Anthony J. Langlois, Senior Lecturer, School of Political and International Studies, Flinders University