The primary objective of this study is to re-tell the story of a largely neglected figure in the history of Christian missions in China, James Legge (1815-1897), from a modern missiological perspective. As a Scottish missionary from the Congregational (nonconformist) church background, Legge worked for the London Missionary Society in Hong Kong, a British Crown Colony, for almost thirty years. He later became the first Professor of Chinese at the Oxford University and probably the most important sinologist of the nineteenth century. This study tries to apply the "translation principle" proposed by A. F. Walls to illustrate that the career of Legge in scholarship, translation and evangelization has undergone a process of "conversion" and "transformation" which resulted in Legge' s constant revision of his viewpoints on Chinese cul tu re. Legge' s genuine appreciation and sympathetic understanding of the Chinese cultural heritage grew gradually and as a "converted" missionary Legge was willing to criticize severely the deed of all "Christian nations". Through the monumental task of translating the Chinese Classics into English, Legge not only served as a bridge-builder between two spheres of culture; he also came to the conclusion that the ancient religion of China was monotheistic and that the teaching of the Chinese sages like Confucius, Mencius, and Lao-tze (Laozi) would suggest valuable lessons to those who claimed themselves as Christians. He also declared that the terms "Shang Ti" (Shangdi) and "T'ien" (Tian) found in the Chinese Classics actually stood for the idea of the one true God in the Christian Scriptures. Several of Legge's Chinese colleagues like Ho Tsunshin (1817-1871), Wang Tao (1828-1897), and Hung Jen-kan (1822-1864) were involved in the two way translation of integrating Western ideas into the social, religious, cultural and political scene of nineteenth century China as well as assisting Legge to let the West know more about China. Moreover, though Legge failed to develop any kind of Chinese theology himself, with its emphasis on restoring one's historical past, his legacy still serves to remind the present-day Christians in mainland China and Hong Kong to remember and to revive their own cultural traditions. Along with all the overseas Chinese Christian communities, they have to dig their own wells so as to drink from their own spiritual fountains which would serve as a solid base for a more inculturated and liberating Chinese Christianity.

by Wong Man Kong. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 182-195). / Abstract --- p.1 / Acknowledgements --- p.3 / Introduction --- p.5 / Chapter PART ONE: --- BIOGRAPHICAL REMARKS / Chapter 1 --- THE MAKING OF A CHINESE MISSIONARY SCHOLAR --- p.10 / Missionary Zeal --- p.10 / James Legge's Family --- p.12 / "William Milne, William Charles Milne and James Legge" --- p.14 / James Legge's Choice for Career --- p.19 / Procedure or Obstacle: Legge's application to the L.M.S --- p.24 / Samuel Kidd and James Legge --- p.25 / Legge's Marriage --- p.29 / Was James Legge Extraordinary? --- p.30 / Chapter 2 --- WORKING AS A MISSIONARY --- p.32 / The Ultra-Ganges Mission --- p.32 / James Legge's appointment at the College --- p.35 / James Legge's Works and Vision for the Mission --- p.38 / James Legge and Relocation of the College --- p.42 / Missionaries' Perspectives on the Founding of Hong Kong --- p.46 / James Legge's View of the Opening of China and the Opium War --- p.53 / James Legge and Hong Kong Cadets --- p.58 / James Legge and the Union Church --- p.61 / Chapter PART TWO: --- THE USE OF EDUCATION / Chapter 3 --- JAMES LEGGE AND EDUCATION IN HONG KONG (1843-1873) --- p.66 / Education in 19th Century England --- p.67 / Education in the Early Colonial Period of Hong Kong --- p.70 / Morrison School --- p.71 / The Anglo-Chinese College in Hong Kong and James Legge --- p.75 / James Legge And the Grant-in-Aid System --- p.85 / James Legge's Appointment in Education Committee --- p.91 / James Legge and Secular Education in Hong Kong --- p.93 / James Legge and His Text Book Circle of Knowledge --- p.97 / James Legge's Labour in Education: A Retrospect --- p.100 / Chapter 4 --- JAMES LEGGE AND CHINESE STUDIES AT OXFORD --- p.106 / The Establishment of the Chair of Chinese Professorship --- p.107 / Analysis of Questions in the Davis Chinese Scholarship --- p.114 / San Zi Jinq --- p.116 / Emphasis on the Pre-Zhou and Zhou periods --- p.118 / Emphasis on Translation --- p.119 / Chapter PART THREE： --- THE USE OF TRANSLATION / Chapter 5. --- JAMES LEGGE AND TERM QUESTION --- p.123 / Motivation of James Legge's Participation in Bible Translation --- p.124 / James Legge's Position in the Controversy --- p.128 / Confucianism in Relation to Christianity： A Manifesto of His View towards the Term Question --- p.133 / Encounter of Confucianism and Christianity --- p.136 / Chapter 6. --- JAMES LEGGE AND WANG TAO --- p.141 / The Meeting of Legge and Wang --- p.142 / Wang's Assistance to Legge's Translation --- p.146 / Chapter 7. --- Conclusion --- p.156 / Chapter Appendix One: --- Resolutions Made by the Board of Mission of the L.M.S. towards Her China Mission after the Opium War --- p.160 / Chapter Appendix Two: --- An Examination Paper for the Cadets in Hong Kong --- p.162 / Chapter Appendix Three: --- James Legge's Publications at Oxford University --- p.163 / Chapter Appendix Four: --- Subscribers for the Chair of Chinese Professorship --- p.167 / Chapter Appendix Five: --- Questions of Davis Scholarship --- p.169 / Pictures --- p.177 / Bibliography --- p.182 / Glossary --- p.196

by Wong Man Kong. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 306-328). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.