Muslim–Christian Dialogues: The Dialogical Context of the Chinese Muslims and Missionaries from the West for the Well-Being of Fostering Healthy Relations

The missionaries’ agendas to meet South Asian had brutal effects on Christianity in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. There are pieces that have critiqued the roles of missionaries, dismantling the agendas of Western Christianity, introducing the South to Western Jesus. Despite this misconceived mission of some of the missionaries, this article argues for the role of missionaries in a positive way, on the one hand, discussing their role in Asia. Eastern Christianity and Chinese Muslims of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries met similar challenges; however, the efforts of missionaries such as George K. Harris (1887–1962) in the twentieth century played an important role in contextualizing literary content for the needs of Chinese Muslims. On the other hand, the role of Isaac Mason (1870–1939) in evangelizing Chinese Muslims and producing literary works promoting social welfare activities for the development of Chinese Muslims is also discussed. This article challenges theological discourses that emphasize the notion of Asian Christianity or Western Christianity of Christendom, as this confines missiological discourse to fostering the world’s well-being. Rather than approaching the cases of George K. Harris and Isaac Mason as isolated studies, this study approaches the cases of both missionaries as analytical missiological discourse, not coerced for the local community but approached for the broader perspectives engaging with the Muslim community. Therefore, this study reflects not only the works of these missionaries but also their efforts in establishing relations for the prosperity and dignity of the well-being of the Chinese nation, especially the Muslim community in China. It also argues that the imagery of Western Christianity, through the role of missionaries in China, fosters dialogical relations between Chinese Muslims and Christians for the well-being of the Chinese nation.