From Invisible to Visible: The Evolution of Space Formation of the Nineteenth Century Christian Missionary Work in Taiwan

摘要

The nineteenth century, Priest Mackay carried out the missionary work in Taiwan with the permission from The Presbyterian Church in Canada. The purpose of this study was to investigate how Mackay in a foreign land pioneer the missionary gathering space. MacKay gathered believers at temples, Under trees or in hotels at the early stage. As the believers became more, some families started to provide gathering space and donated. In small towns the churches were usually built in private homes or with small size while they were built tall and with Western-style in densely populated towns. Mackay established small schools where it was densely populated in order to cultivate future missionaries. Also in many churches drug stores were installed, by which it facilitated the distribution of western medication in northern Taiwan. The evolution of missionary spatial form reflected the attitude of Taiwanese people toward the foreign religion. And from the change in space it also reflected that the relationship between Taiwanese and Christianity were gradually being recognized.