Victorian Kuniongs and Pioneer Chinese Christian Women: Gender, Christianity, and Literacy with Esther Hu (Boston University)

This talk presents the work of Anglican single female missionaries (kuniongs) who perished during the Gutian Incident of 1895. It explores these questions: What compelled these (often self-funded) “lady missionaries” to come to China and what work did they do? In a period fraught with transnational tension and conflict, how would one characterize the relationship between the kuniongs and their local Chinese communities? How did Victorian kuniongs forge partnerships with pioneer Chinese Christian women within the framework of the gender-based missions theory of “women’s work for women”? Finally, how did Christianity pose a major challenge to gender norms in nineteenth-century China and other areas in “the East” in the realm of female education and literacy? FREE and OPEN to the public.

When 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm on Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Location Pardee School, 121 Bay State Road