History of Chinese Christian Hymnody: From Its Missionary Origins to Contemporary Indigenous Productions

“Dr. Hsieh is to be commended for showing us in engaging sequence, the big picture and the small vignette. Both are necessary for a people’s hymnody to take root. Both are necessary for the student to be properly drawn into the academic discipline of hymnology. Both are necessary if the essential duet of the universal church and the local congregation is to be rehearsed and performed.” – Prof. Terry W. York, George W. Truett Theological Seminary

“Fang-Lan Hsieh has produced an authoritative history of Chinese hymnody that could have only been written by someone who understands the intricacies of the Chinese language and its diverse dialects, the subtleties of the various Chinese poetic styles, and the complexities of the history of Christianity in China. It is a captivating and well-documented study, beginning with the introduction of Christianity and the tradition of its hymnody by western missionaries, who focused on the translation of western hymns. Biographical details of significant hymn translators and compilers are supplied as well as publication details of each major hymnal.” – Dr. R. Allen Lott, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

ABBREVIATION OF MISSION ORGANIZATIONS
ILLUSTRATIONS
TABLES
FOREWORD
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
1. Early Missionaries and Chinese Hymnody
HYMNAL COMPILERS
Robert Morrison
William Milne
John Robert Morrison
Walter H. Medhurst
James Legge
HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
Opium Wars and Treaties
Mission Work in the Nineteenth Century
Taiping Rebellion, 1851-1864
The Chinese Recorder, 1867-1941
Compilation of New Hymnals
Translation of Hymn Texts
Wen-li or Colloquial Style
Creation of the Romanized Characters
2. Vernacular Hymnals from the Mid-Nineteenth to the Early Twentieth Century
MISSION WORK IN THE FOOCHOW AND AMOY AREA
HYMNALS IN THE FOOCHOW AND AMOY DIALECTS
William Young
William C. Burns
Alexander Stronach
John Van Nest Talmage
Carstairs Douglas
Robert Samuel Maclay
Charles Hartwell
Franklin and Bertha S. Ohlinger
Tsung Choò She Chang (????), 1891
Cáng Ci? Séng S? (????), 1898
Hymns and Tunes, 1898
Hymns for the Revival Society (???????), 1906
Sacred Songs with Tunes (????), 1906
Foochow Union Hymnal (????), 1915
HYMNALS IN CANTON, CHAOWCHOW, AND SWATOW DIALECTS
Rudolph Lechler
John Chalmers
George Piercy
George Smith
R. H. Graves
Hymn-Book of the Basel Mission, 1884
Gospel Hymns (????), 1903
C. L. Cheung and Margaret T. A. Davies
HYMNALS IN NINGPO AND HANGCHOW DIALECTS
Divie Bethune McCartee
Edward Clemens Lord
William A. P. Martin
Elias B. Inslee
Ningpo Hymn-Book, 1858
Henry Van Vleck Rankin
Samuel Newell D. Martin and Henry Van Vleck Rankin
George E. Moule
HYMNALS IN THE SHANGHAI DIALECT
Tarleton Perry Crawford
William Muirhead
A. B. Cabaniss
James W. Lambuth
Charles R. Mills
Kiangnan Hymn and Tune Book (???????), 1923
3. Mandarin Hymnals from the Mid-Nineteenth to the Early Twentieth Century
Joseph Edkins and William C. Burns
John L. Nevius
John L. Nevius and Calvin W. Mateer
Jonathan Lees
Henry Blodget and Chauncey Goodrich
Calvin W. Mateer and Julia B. Mateer
William Scarborough
Griffith John
Benjamin Helm
China Inland Mission Hymn Book (????), 1895
Shansi China Inland Mission Hymnal, 1901
Hymns of Praise (????), 1901
Leland Wang
Baptist Hymns of Praise (????), 1932
John E. Su
William C. Newbern
Ora F. Woodberry
4. Indigenization of Chinese Hymns
MAY FOURTH MOVEMENT
AN ECUMENICAL CHINESE CHURCH
TZU-CHEN CHAO
BLISS M. WIANT
Christian Fellowship Hymns (?????), 1931
Hymns for the People (?????), 1931
A UNION HYMNAL
Hymns of Universal Praise (????), 1936
5. Chinese Hymnals from the Mid- to the Late Twentieth Century
Chinese Hymnary (????), 1951
Sèng-Si (Hymns; ??), 1964
Hymnody (??), 1972
New Songs of Praise (????), 1973
Hymns of Praise (???), 1978
The New Hymnal (?????), 1983
Hymns for God’s People (????), 1985
Hymns of Life (????), 1986
Chinese Praise (????), 1992
Hymns of Praise (????), 1994
Hymns of United Worship (??????), 1997
6. Chinese Hymnals of the Twenty-First Century CENTURY PRAISE (????), 2001
HYMNS OF UNIVERSAL PRAISE (????), 2006
SENG-SI (??), 2009
CONCLUSION
Appendix 1: Significant Chinese Hymnals (1818-2009)
Appendix 2: Incipits of Chinese Hymn Tunes
Appendix 3: Chinese Hymn Tunes in Chinese Hymnals
Appendix 4: People Related to Chinese Hymnody
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX

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