Following the traces of Christians and Christian communities in Northwestern China from 1920 to 1936 = 追尋1920到1936年間中國西北基督徒及其教會的足跡

This article is based primarily on published texts describing experiences during the period from 1920 to 1936 and written by three British itinerant female evangelists who were supported by the China Inland Mission (subsequently CIM):the unusual “Trio” of single women CIM missionaries who were Mildred Cable(蓋羣英，1878-1952),Evangeline French(馮貴珠，1869-1960)and her younger sister, Francesca French(馮貴石，1871-1960).Along with information drawn from some other sources retrieved from Chinese archives in northwestern Chinese provinces,we discuss the varied nature of the lives of Christian converts and Christian churches in Gānsù(甘肅)and Xīnjiāng(新疆)provinces during these years of Republican China. Of particular importance for these matters in Xīnjiāng are two books the Trio wrote about two British male missionary colleagues who worked as itinerant missionaries in Xinjiang Province:George W. Hunter(胡進潔，1862-1946)and Percy C.Mather(馬爾昌，1882-1933).On the basis of these different sources, this paper focuses on identifying and interpreting the recorded experiences of these missionaries as they encountered various converts and Christian communities in these regions. It attempts to offer a critical interpretation of these sources which involve hermeneutically sensitive readings and some critical reflections about the nature of Christian missions and communities in these provinces during the Republican period.

1920到1936年間，內地會「三姐妹」（三位內地會的單身女傳教士－蓋羣英、馮貴珠、馮貴石）在中國的大西北巡迴佈道，並將她們的獨特經歷刊布於世；尤為重要的是，其中涉及到兩位長期駐守新疆的英籍內地會傳教士（胡進潔和馬爾昌）和他們的工作。本文主要討論這些著述中所展現的甘肅、新疆等地基督徒及其教會的多樣生活。通過對傳教士個人記述和地方檔案史料的參照，本文旨在剖別和詮釋這些傳教士與大西北多元文化背景中的基督徒和教會相遇的經歷。對史料中所記錄的民國時期西北傳道工作和基督徒團體的生活提出詮釋性的剖析和批判性的反思，是本文所要嘗試的研究。