Paul Hattaway, Tibet: The Roof of the World. The fourth book in The China Chronicles. London: SPCK, 2020.
As I have said before, with this series of books on the history of Christianity in each of China’s provinces, Paul Hattaway has established himself as perhaps the foremost living scholar of Chinese Christianity. So far, I have read four volumes and have found them to be not only informative but also inspiring. The narrative flows quickly and easily, with gripping stories of Chinese Christians and Western missionaries, set in the context of the history of China and documented from an array of sources.
After I finished Tibet, I decided to review it before the author’s volume on Zhejiang, the third book in the series. This is perhaps the first attempt to write a complete history of Christianity in Tibet, where the author and his then-pregnant wife lived among the nomads for a while as he compiled material for his study. “The genesis for this book comes from my own personal love for, and interaction with, the Tibetan people over approximately 30 years” (18-19). He has also conducted extensive research, the results of which he makes available to us.
Not only is Tibet a fascinating and little-known province of China, but the progress of the gospel in that forbidding land is replete with the stories of almost unimaginable courage, perseverance, and suffering. Once again, Hattaway has risen to the challenge of providing a general history with enough brief biographies of intrepid witnesses of Christ to present us with a balanced picture of the history and current state of Christianity in Tibet.
Background
As in previous volumes in The China Chronicles, the author first introduces us to the history, geography, and peoples of Tibet. We learn that Tibet was for centuries divided into hundreds of small political units, ruled over by kings of varying degrees of sovereignty. There are three major groups of people: The U-Tsang, the Kham, and the Amdo. Tibetan Buddhism is unique. Traditional Buddhism is really a veneer over a vast body of legends, superstitions, rituals, and practices that have kept the people in spiritual bondage for millennia. This folk religion is called Bon.
What Hattaway calls “the dark arts” of Tibetan priests and magicians are so seemingly bizarre that they tempt Westerners to incredulity, were it not for the undisputed accounts of objects moving from one place to another and human bodies becoming like iron under the power of an amulet. The religion also encourages sexual immorality: traditionally, a girl was not considered marriageable unless she could show evidence of having had sexual encounters with multiple partners. Despite his smiling face and intellectual sophistication, the Dalai Lama regularly consults the spiritual leader of Tibet, who is said to be the mouthpiece of a god.
When Christians have tried to penetrate the mountain barriers of Tibet, they have had to endure not only huge physical obstacles, but even more daunting spiritual opposition. As Hudson Taylor famously said, “To make converts in Tibet is similar to going into a cave and trying to rob a lioness of her cubs” (18).
The History
Hattaway follows the pattern of earlier volumes in the series by tracing the story of Christianity in Tibet from the earliest times. He presents evidence that the “Nestorians,” or Syrian Church of the East, preached their version of Christianity there as early as the sixth century.
The Roman Catholics came next, with heroic attempts to penetrate the almost impassable mountains to live and serve among the Tibetans. The author introduces us to such intrepid missionaries as Antonio Andrade, a Jesuit who made several trips to the region of Guge, whose king warmly welcomed him and his colleagues and gave royal support to their mission. Sadly, when this ruler was overthrown by a neighboring monarch, the Christians were brutally eliminated. Hattaway concludes that what seemed to be – and was, for a while – a great breakthrough ultimately “delivered little as the missionaries had relied totally on the favor of the king” (36).
A hundred years later, the Italian Ippolito Desideri succeeded in gaining residence in Lhasa, where he lived for five years. He took the time to learn Tibetan, gaining such fluency that he was able to speak and write Christian works “that are still considered classics by both Tibetan and Western scholars” (41). Hattaway comments: “Desideri’s brilliant academic mind and focus on studying the Tibetan language places him above almost all other Christian missionaries to Tibet throughout history” (41). His missionary career was cut short when the Vatican reassigned Tibet to the Capuchin Fathers. He left Lhasa in 1721, only three years after his arrival. His linguistic and literary achievements in this brief time span approach the fabulous.
Protestants
Though he does not ignore the missionary labors of Roman Catholics, Hattaway focuses more on the growth of the Protestant church in China.
The 1870s and 1880s
He records the pioneer journeys and ministry of China Inland Mission (CIM) missionaries, beginning with James Cameron, who made epic journeys to and through most of the provinces of China, including the Kham region in 1877.
Cameron found that the Roman Catholics had been there long before him and had planted churches. The evangelicals had to learn how to adapt quickly to an environment rife with killing, banditry, and ferocious strife between Han, Hui, and Tibetans. They were struck by the endemic violence of the Tibetans, for whom life was cheap. So many Amdo were massacred that their area was still depopulated decades later.
Literature distribution was a major emphasis of the early missionaries, who sold or gave away tracts in Mongolian and Tibetan.
After Cameron, George Parker and his Chinese wife “Minnie” reached out to Tibetans living over the border in China for many years. Similarly, the Moravians, beginning with William Heyde and Edward Pagel, spread the gospel through various ways in Ladakh, in northern India, where many Tibetans lived or traveled on their way somewhere else.
The 1890s
Other missionaries followed this strategy in the 1890s, when workers from the Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA) took up residence in southern Gansu, located strategically near the border of China and Tibet. Their children grew up among Amdo Tibetans; many returned later to serve in the same area. Cecil Polhill of the CIM moved to Qinghai Province in 1888. After his marriage to Eleanor Marsden in 1888, they settled in northwest Sichuan, where they proclaimed Christ to Tibetans. Despite horrific suffering at the hands of irate Tibetan Buddhists, they and their Chinese associate persevered, drawing the admirations of many Chinese and Tibetans alike.
Some of the most courageous and persistent missionaries were women, one of whom was Annie Taylor. “Of all the heroic stories of missionaries who spread the gospel of Jesus Christ in Tibet, few are as intense and compelling as that of Annie Taylor” (65). Another was Susie Rijnhart, who would not give up her zeal for evangelizing the Tibetans even after her husband died. Hattaway excels in brief biographies, of which these two are outstanding.
The 1900s
Hattaway continues his gripping narrative with stories of both Roman Catholic and evangelical missionaries and Tibetan believers who, despite fierce and barbaric persecution from the lamas, endured even unto death. The power of the written word kept manifesting itself. One New Testament portion sold by a CIM missionary to a Tibetan in China was read by the man’s brother, the head of a monastery in Tibet, who sent him back for the whole New Testament. The monks read and discussed it eagerly, finding in its pages the true light for the first time.
Christian & Missionary Alliance workers William Christie, “the Apostle of Tibet,” and his wife Jessie carried on a remarkable ministry of preaching, teaching, healing (Jessie was a nurse), and exorcism for almost three decades. Hattaway’s account of their career is alone “worth the price of the book” – but then we could say that about many more such brief biographies in this volume.
The 1910s
Evangelical missionaries saw slow progress, but occasionally were greatly encouraged. In 1917, a living buddha wrote to a Norwegian missionary that he had read the New Testament and wanted to believe in Jesus, but needed more information about the Christian religion. The prince of a remote tribe bought 500 Scripture portions because his people were interested in the Christian message. The Tibetans were especially moved by the story of the Prodigal Son, so posters with the parable were put up and gospel booklets distributed to continue sowing the seed of the Word.
Hattaway relates how CIM missionaries Harry French Ridley and his wife Sarah ministered to the people without regard to their own health or lives, eventually gaining respect and seeing some converts. A living buddha came year after year to obtain portions of the New Testament and was thrilled when he was finally given a copy of the whole book. The Dalai Lama, who became good friends with Ridley, expressed his belief that Christianity was superior to Buddhism and would someday replace it.
Even after Sarah died, Ridley persevered in his ministry to the people of Xining, who “took special pride in him because he spoke their strange dialect, and its weird tones and expressions could be recognized wherever he went” (117).
Albert Shelton, a medical doctor, was so respected among evangelicals that they called him the “Prince of Tibetan Missionaries.” He and his wife Flora lived in a remote town called Batang, where they carried on a “full-service” ministry that included a kindergarten and a school for older students; a hospital, with mobile clinic work in the area around the town; and a church, with Sunday school classes. The wives visited women in their homes in the country. The Sheltons and other missionaries tried to help the poor, beggars, and destitute children, teaching them vocational skills to equip them to make money.
“Skilled as a surgeon, fluent in Tibetan, compassionate in his ministry to people, he ministered to both Chinese and Tibetans in many war situations and was respected equally by all, who recognized him as a man of God” (128). Hattaway tells his story with his usual verve in another “worth the price of the book” mini-biography.
The 1920s
During this turbulent era, missionaries were not allowed to enter the regions ruled by the government in Lhasa, so they reached out to Tibetans elsewhere. Once again, Hattaway narrates the actions and experiences of dedicated missionaries, like Marian Grant Griebenow (who preferred to be called “Mr. G.”) and his wife Blanche, who lived among the Amdo at Labrang. Their children grew up with their Tibetan age-mates, winning trust for the whole family. M. G. became a blood brother to a bandit in a covenant that paid rich dividends later. These stories are simply thrilling to read.
Huston Edgar and his wife Lily are the subjects of another tale of total dedication, identification with the people, and literature distribution in a remote and dangerous region. Another chapter describes the “faithful and courageous” 41-year career in Tibet of Victor Plymire, whose epic journeys and powerful evangelistic ministry cannot help but inspire us to a greater level of consecration to God and the gospel.
One great strength of Hattaway’s writings is that he does not shirk controversy or gloss over the faults of famous Christians. His treatment of Sadhu Sundar Singh, a man of intense spirituality, immense courage, and wide influence, balances appreciation of the evangelist’s great piety and zeal with frank admission of why he was criticized in his own time and since then.
The 1930s
We should not think that all the missionaries who went to Tibet stayed and enjoyed great success. Instead, the “frequent turnover of missionaries caused the work [among the Amdo] to stagnate, with many choosing to go home after having invested years learning the Amdo language. Although a steady trickle of new recruits did arrive in the region, most soon gravitated toward the much easier Chinese work. Discouragement and loneliness were the main reasons why so many workers abandoned Tibet” (190).
On the other hand, “those who patiently endured the challenges of life in Amdo often later experienced wonderful advances in the work,” among whom were CIM medical missionaries Vaughan Rees and his wife, who were based in southern Gansu (190). Frank and Annie Learner opened a “Gospel Inn” in a town frequented by Tibetans, Hui, and Han Chinese, where they offered warm hospitality, gospel presentations with singing, and literature – all free of charge – to more than ten thousand visitors within a ten-year period. Learner even had a chance to meet and share the gospel with the current Dalai Lama when he was a little boy of four years old.
The 1940s
“The 1940s saw an increase in the number of Tibetan Christians as the large amount of faithful sowing of God’s Word finally began to reap a harvest” (204) Literature distribution had taken the Christian message deep into Tibet, where lamas and ordinary folk eagerly read about the new religion, one of life and hope.
The end of the missionary era came when the Communists gained power in China and began to expel all missionaries. Before they left, however, many missionaries saw the results of decades of faithful labor, as testimonies of Tibetans who had believed came to them from all over the country.
A separate chapter traces the saga of the translation and publication of the Tibetan Bible, which took ninety years and the dedicated, exhausting work of several heroic Tibetan Christians in the face of vicious spiritual warfare that stymied one attempt after another until, in 1948, the entire Book was printed and distributed.
The 1950s
When Chinese Communist forces attacked Tibet in 1950, everything changed. Not only were missionaries expelled, but thousands of Tibetans were savagely tortured and killed, including Christians. Hattaway tells of John Ding and his wife Ju Yiming, Han Chinese who went to Tibet to preach the gospel. They were arrested and thrown into prison. Yiming finally died from torture, but John lived through intense suffering until he was released in 1981. During the years of his confinement, Ding was able to preach the gospel to Tibetans who were suffering with him. He later received a letter from the government exonerating him of all the alleged “crimes” for which he had been in jail for twenty-two years. He died in the 1990s.
Other brave Han Chinese volunteered to carry the message of Christ to the Tibetans. The “Back to Jerusalem” movement brought believers from other provinces to the northwest, but their activities were brought to an end by the Communists.
The 1960s and 1970s
Information ceased to come from China generally, including Tibet, for almost twenty years, but the gospel still advanced. Hattaway includes the powerful testimony of Nyima Cothan, a Tibetan monk who came to Christ through the help of several foreign missionaries in India and Bhutan, where he had fled for safety. He and his wife later served God among Tibetan refugees in the Himalayas.
The 1980s and 1990s
As China gradually opened, some Western missionaries went to Tibet, including the children of former missionaries. Sometimes using medical care to demonstrate God’s love, they have had many opportunities to continue the work of their parents.
More importantly, Han Chinese house churches, which were going through an epochal revival, learned of the spiritual needs in Tibet and sent evangelists. Thousands more Christians settled in Tibet as part of China’s new policy of raising the population of Tibet through Han who took up residence there. Among them were many Christians. Despite initial hostility from the locals, believers gradually won a hearing for the gospel.
God used signs and wonders, as well as the sacrificial service of self-denying Han Chinese missionaries, to open hearts to the gospel. Churches began to spring up all over Tibet.
The 2000s
“In the new millennium, the Spirit of God continued to move on the hearts of Tibetan people, and the Chinese Church made more progress in its vision to reach Tibet” (275). Han Chinese Christians had to overcome obstacles, such as the lack among Tibetans of any belief in a creator God, as well as inexperience in how to send and support missionaries. Gradually, they have begun to overcome these, and small house churches have been planted.
Recently, pro-Tibetan independence Westerners have joined Tibetan Buddhists and Chinese Communists to oppose any efforts to reach Tibetans with the Christian message.
God has also used non-Han Chinese. The Lisu, who live in mountainous areas in Yunnan, have a strong Christian history. Dwelling among them are many Tibetans, with whom the Lisu believers have effectively shared the gospel. Following the leading of the Holy Spirit, foreign Christians, including South Koreans, on short-term missions have also been able to lead some Tibetans to Christ.
The last short biography in the book relates the amazing experiences of a former monk who became a Christian partly through the healing prayer of a Swedish missionary in India. This narrative is not for the faint-hearted, for it exposes the darkness, hypocrisy, sexual degradation, and violent brutality of many Tibetan Buddhist monks. More than that, however, this former monk’s dramatic testimony reminds us of the light, the love, and the power of Christ, his followers, and the gospel.
As in other volumes of the China Chronicles, Hattaway provides priceless extracts from letters by Tibetan believers to the church outside. These frequently told of miracles that changed lives. On the average, however it took ten and a half years after first hearing the gospel for a Tibetan to trust in Christ. Hattaway again stresses that, despite the impression of Tibetan Buddhists as peaceable people, Christians are often beaten and even killed by lamas and ordinary Tibetan Buddhists.
These letters highlight the potent effect of Christian radio broadcasting, which can penetrate high mountains and “impassable” political barriers to speak to the hearts of hopeless Tibetans.
Hattaway warns against inflated claims of thousands of converts, however. Growth has been slow, gradual, but steady. Nevertheless, “Jesus Christ is gradually being revealed as the true king of Tibet. God is taking a glorious inheritance for His Son out of Tibet, as a remnant emerges on the Roof of the World” (305). As in other volumes of this series, an appendix gives a town-by-town census of known Christians, based on extensive research.
Conclusion
This powerful book, with dozens of wonderful stories, shows how God has used courageous, self-sacrificing missionaries, Chinese Christians, and Tibetan believers to call out for himself a Tibetan people. In the process, medical ministry, literature – especially the Bible – friendship and hospitality, and faithful, persistent proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ have all been employed to evoke faith. Often working on the perimeter of Tibet, Christ’s witnesses have sometimes been able to glorify him in Lhasa and other centers of Tibetan religious and political power.
At the same time, almost imaginable spiritual opposition has inflicted loneliness, discouragement, sickness, persecution, torture, and death upon those who dare to challenge Satan’s rule over Tibetans. In spite of this intense spiritual warfare, the Spirit of Christ has enabled his messengers to persevere and has transformed the lives of thousands of Tibetans.
Despite the length of this review, it has only highlighted a few major people and events. I enthusiastically encourage you to read and re-read this marvelous work of Christian history.
G. Wright Doyle