We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
China's 'Christian General' Feng Yuxiang, the Evangelist Jonathan Goforth and the Changde Revival of 1919.
- Authors
Mariani, Paul P.
- Abstract
General Feng Yuxiang (1882-1948), China's 'Christian General', had already been a Christian for about six years before he decided systematically to evangelise his troops while they were stationed in northern Henan. He was convinced that Christianity would save his men and, in the process, would save China. To this end, Feng invited the Canadian missionary Jonathan Goforth (1859-1936) to hold a remarkable series of revivals in the late summer of 1919. During these revivals, which were modelled on the work of the evangelist Charles Finney, Feng himself broke into prayer in front of his men, and eventually 507 of Feng's troops were baptised. By the time of Goforth's second visit to Feng - a little over a year later - over 5,000 of the 9,000-man brigade had been baptised. This study will rely on Goforth's journal from 1919, Feng's own diaries, and other material to see how Goforth and Feng worked together to Christianise a significant segment of Feng's army. So did the 'Christian General' ultimately form a 'Christian Army' or even an indigenous church? Did Goforth's revivals in Feng's army have any long-term effect? Was Feng a convinced Christian, a Chinese patriot or simply an opportunist? This study seeks to answer these questions.1
- Subjects
CHINA; FENG Yuxiang, 1882-1948; CHRISTIANITY; EVANGELIARIES; GOFORTH, Jonathan
- Publication
Studies in World Christianity, 2014, Vol 20, Issue 3, p238
- ISSN
1354-9901
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3366/swc.2014.0094