Cultures Colliding

Reviews / Votes

"In this exceptionally well-argued and carefully documented study, John Haddad shows that many of the American missionaries to China were anything but uncritical agents of empire, capital, and churchly authority. Transformed by their direct experience with the Chinese people, missionaries became major institutional players in modern Chinese history within terms set largely by the Chinese themselves."-David A. Hollinger, Preston Hotchkis Professor Emeritus of History at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of Protestants Abroad: How Missionaries Tried to Change the World but Changed America "Beautifully written and convincingly articulated, Cultures Colliding is a must-read for anyone who is interested in American missionary history in China or in overall Sino-American relations. With a focus on individuals, Haddad sheds light on fascinating shared journeys, experiences, dreams, nightmares, and frustrations between Chinese and Americans during the critical moments in China and the United States during the second half of the nineteenth century. The book examines the twisted path from American missionaries' initial zeal to change China to eventually focusing on something that the Chinese wanted. We all should read Cultures Colliding today during the challenging times in Sino-American relations."-Xu Guoqi, Professor of History at the University of Hong Kong, and author of Chinese and Americans: A Shared History "This thoroughly researched work is highly recommended for readers interested in the history of Christian missions to China. The inclusion of biographical information for many of the people involved enhances the text."-Library Journal "American missionary history is frequently seen as one-sided persuasion. The models created were new to the Christian church and extended to many large institutions, some of them (for example, Beijing University) still existing. American missionary Henry Luce...was a part of this effort in China. He employed an 'institutions model' of missionary work that went beyond the simple 'convert the heathen' model of the traditional church. Haddad argues that this change in approach can be attributed to life in rural China. This book is well argued and well documented.... Summing Up: Recommended."-Choice "Haddad's eminently readable book traces what he calls a 'seismic shift' in the decades between 1860 and 1900 as American Protestant missionaries sought to bring China to Christ. Through twelve chapters of hair-raising stories of danger, hardship, and more than occasional pig-headedness, Haddad shows how missionaries shifted from preaching Christ to building hospitals, schools, and voluntary organizations that met Chinese needs and welcomed Chinese leadership.... Haddad's narrative charts a remarkable shift in Chinese missions that began with a collision and ended with cooperation. That's a story the world still needs to hear."-Pacific Historical Review "By drawing so extensively from missionary sources, Haddad is able to present a robust account of the American Protestant missionaries in China in the latter half of the 1800s. The book will be of interest primarily to educated laypeople who are curious about the missionary enterprise in China, as Haddad presents a compelling tale of hardship, subsequent adjustment, and finally (modest) success. Cultures Colliding is also a very welcome addition to literature on American and Chinese engagement and does not (despite the title) ultimately suggest incommensurability, but rather shows people on both sides adjusting to each other, thus indicating a way forward in our current age of Sino-American distrust."-The Journal of Religion