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Instructing the Heavenly King: Joseph Edkins's Mission to Correct the Theology of Hong Xiuquan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2019

CARL S. KILCOURSE
CARL S. KILCOURSE*
Affiliation:
Department of History, Politics and Philosophy, Manchester Metropolitan University, Geoffrey Manton Building, Rosamund Street West, ManchesterM15 6LL; e-mail: c.kilcourse@mmu.ac.uk
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Abstract

This paper examines Joseph Edkins's failed attempt to correct the theology of Hong Xiuquan during his trip to Nanjing in March and April 1861. Through his debates with individual rebels and his written exchange with Hong, Edkins learned that the Taipings were unwilling to accept ‘orthodox’ teachings and scriptural interpretations that conflicted with their established belief system. Challenging exclusionary and pathologising discourses, the paper shows that Hong's response to Edkins's efforts was rooted not in his ‘irrational’ modes of thinking, but in his desire to preserve both his revelation-based worldview and the personal authority that it legitimised.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Ecclesiastical History , Volume 71 , Issue 1 , January 2020 , pp. 116 - 134
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019

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References

1 ‘The Taiping heavenly chronicle’ (1862 [written 1848]), in Michael, Franz and Chang, Chung-li (eds), The Taiping Rebellion: history and documents, II: Documents and comments, pts i–iv, Seattle, Wa 1971, 51–76 at pp. 53–4, 57–8, 62Google Scholar; Taiping tianri 太平天日 (Taiping heavenly chronicle; 1862 [written 1848]), 3–4, 10, 16 (Cambridge University Library, Wade Collection. FC.171.7(5). F 63).

2 For discussion of Hong's mission and its impact on his theology see Kilcourse, Carl S., Taiping theology: the localization of Christianity in China, 1843–64, New York 2016, 49–63, 95–9CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

3 ‘The Taiping heavenly chronicle’, 57, 59 (original translation revised); Taiping tianri, 9, 12–13.

4 See Kilcourse, Taiping theology, 2–4, 82–5.

5 Hamberg, Theodore, The visions of Hung-Siu-tshuen, and origin of the Kwang-si insurrection, Hong Kong 1854, 8–13Google Scholar.

6 P. M. Yap acknowledged that the available data relating to Hong's ‘illness’ could be deemed inadequate ‘from the scientific point of view’: ‘The mental illness of Hung Hsiu-ch’üan, leader of the Taiping Rebellion’, Far Eastern Quarterly xiii (May 1954), 287–304 at p. 289Google Scholar.

7 Brine, Lindesay, The Taeping Rebellion in China: a narrative of its rise and progress, based upon original documents and information obtained in China, London 1862, 67, 352Google Scholar.

8 Yap, ‘The mental illness of Hung Hsiu-ch’üan’, 296.

9 Ibid. 299–300.

10 Shih, Vincent Y. C., The Taiping ideology: its sources, interpretations, and influences, Seattle, Wa 1967, 448Google Scholar; Yu-wen, Jen, The Taiping revolutionary movement, New Haven 1973, 17Google Scholar.

11 One exception is Stephen Platt's monograph, which refers explicitly to Hong's ‘madness’ in its analysis of the Taiping Rebellion: Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom: China, the West, and the epic story of the Taiping Civil War, New York 2012, 115, 338Google Scholar.

12 Jenner, W. J. F., ‘China and freedom’, in Kelly, David and Reid, Anthony (eds), Asian freedoms: the idea of freedom in East and Southeast Asia, Cambridge 1998, 65–92 at p. 86Google Scholar; Yeo, K. K., ‘Chinese Christologies: images of Christ and Chinese cultures’, in Murphy, Francesca Aran (ed.), The Oxford handbook of Christology, Oxford 2015, 393–407 at p. 395Google Scholar.

13 Lodwick, Kathleen L., How Christianity came to China: a brief history, Minneapolis, Mn 2016, 19–20CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

14 Bushell, S. W., ‘Obituary notices: Rev. Joseph Edkins, D.D.’, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland xxxviii (Jan. 1906), 269–71 at p. 269CrossRefGoogle Scholar; MacGillivray, D. (ed.), A century of Protestant missions in China (1807–1907): being the centenary conference historical volume, Shanghai 1907, 661Google Scholar.

15 Wylie, Alexander, Memorials of Protestant missionaries to the Chinese: giving a list of their publications, and obituary notices of the deceased, Shanghai 1867, 187Google Scholar.

16 Edkins, Joseph, The religious condition of the Chinese: with observations on the prospects of Christian conversion amongst that people, London 1859, 269–70Google Scholar.

17 Ibid. 285–6.

18 Ibid. 270.

19 Rengan, Hong, ‘Hong Rengan's letter inviting Joseph Edkins to an interview’ (21 July 1860), in Michael, Franz and Chang, Chung-li (eds), The Taiping Rebellion: history and documents, III: Documents and comments, pts v, vi, Seattle, Wa 1971, 1111–14 at p. 1112Google Scholar.

20 Li Xiucheng, ‘Li Xiucheng's letter to Joseph Edkins and Griffith John inviting them to visit Suzhou’ (22 July 1860), in Michael and Chang, The Taiping Rebellion, iii. 1114–16 at pp. 1115–16.

21 Edkins first articulated his cautiously optimistic attitude in his and John's account of their first trip to Suzhou: ‘Visit of Messrs. Edkins, John, Macgowan, and Hall, to the Chinese insurgents’, Missionary Magazine and Chronicle xxiv (Oct. 1860), 270–7Google Scholar.

22 Edkins, Joseph, ‘Letter of the Rev. Joseph Edkins to the foreign secretary’ (30 July 1860), Missionary Magazine and Chronicle xxiv (Nov. 1860), 298–9 at p. 299Google Scholar.

23 Idem, ‘A report by Rev. Joseph Edkins’ (1860), in Clarke, Prescott and Gregory, J. S. (eds), Western reports on the Taiping: a selection of documents, London 1982, 241–6 at p. 241Google Scholar. This report was originally published in the North China Herald, 11 Aug. 1860.

24 Idem, ‘Report’, 241.

25 Ibid. 243.

26 Ibid.

27 John, Griffith, ‘Visit of missionaries to Soo-chow; conferences with Hung-Jin’ (16 Aug. 1860), Missionary Magazine and Chronicle xxiv (Nov. 1860), 299–302 at p. 302Google Scholar.

28 Ibid. 302.

29 Edkins, Joseph, ‘Narrative of a visit to Nanking’, in Edkins, Jane R., Chinese scenes and people: with notices of Christian missions and missionary life in a series of letters from various parts of China, London 1863, 241–307 at p. 266Google Scholar.

30 Ibid.

31 Ibid. 267–8.

32 Ibid. 269.

33 Ibid.

34 Ibid. 287–8.

35 Ibid. 288.

36 Ibid.

37 Ibid. 288–9.

38 Ibid. 290.

39 Ibid. 289.

40 Ibid.

41 Ibid. 290–1.

42 Ibid. 291.

43 Ibid. 288.

44 Ibid. 272–3.

45 Ibid. 292.

46 Ibid.

47 Ibid.

48 Ibid.

49 Ibid. 294–5.

50 Ibid. 294.

51 Ibid. 295.

52 Ibid. 294.

53 Ibid. 293.

54 Ibid. 294–5.

55 Ibid. 295–6.

56 ‘The T'ien Wang's comment on Edkins’ essay on God’, in Michael and Chang, The Taiping Rebellion, iii. 1204–5; Joseph Edkins, Shangdi youxing wei yu wuxing nai shi lun 上帝有形為喻無形乃實論 (That God has a visible form is figurative; that God is without visible form is true [with Hong Xiuquan's comments and corrections]), 1 (British Library, Chinese Collections, Asian and African Studies Department. Or. 8143); Edkins, ‘Narrative’, 296.

57 ‘The T'ien Wang's comment on Edkins' essay on God’, 1204 (original translation revised); Edkins, Shangdi youxing wei yu wuxing nai shi lun, 1; Edkins, ‘Narrative’, 296.

58 Edkins, Shangdi youxing wei yu wuxing nai shi lun, 1; Edkins, ‘Narrative’, 296–7.

59 Edkins, Shangdi youxing wei yu wuxing nai shi lun, 1; Edkins, ‘Narrative’, 297.

60 Edkins, Shangdi youxing wei yu wuxing nai shi lun, 1; Edkins, ‘Narrative’, 297.

61 ‘The T'ien Wang's comment on Edkins’ essay on God’, 1205 (original translation revised); Edkins, Shangdi youxing wei yu wuxing nai shi lun, 2.

62 Prior to his death in 1852 the Western King, Xiao Chaogui, similarly acted as the mouthpiece of Jesus.

63 ‘Book of declarations of the divine will made during the Heavenly Father's descent to earth [II]’ (1853), in Michael and Chang, The Taiping Rebellion, ii. 197–220 at pp. 203–6; Tianfu xiafan zhaoshu 天父下凡詔書 (Book of declarations made during the Heavenly Father's descent to earth [II]; 1853), 8, 10–12 (National Library of Australia, <http://nla.gov.au/nla.gen-vn2029594>).

64 For discussion of Yang's charismatic practices and the fratricidal chaos of 1856 see Kilcourse, Taiping theology, 143–53.

65 Edkins, ‘Narrative’, 299.

66 Ibid. 273–4.

67 Ibid. 274.

68 Ibid. 299.

69 Ibid. 293.

70 Ibid. 270.