The Dutch Reformed Church in the Seventeenth Century Formosa

• Main Authors: Hsin Cha, 查忻
• Other Authors: Wei-ying Ku
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2011
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/93381609800703216690

博士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 歷史學研究所 === 100 === In 1624, the Dutch, who was trying to trade with the Ming empire, has finally settled down at Tayouan, a sandbank located in southwestern coast of Formosa. The Dutch Reformed Church could therefore set up its church. By efforts of the first two ministers, namely Georgius Candidius and Robertus Junius, Christianity was spread to the Sirayan people who lived in the southwestern plain of Formosa. By 1643 there were more than 5,000 aborigines baptised, which was, without doubt, a miracle of Protestant mission in that period. Till the Dutch was defeated by Koxinga and withdrew from Formosa in 1662, the Dutch Reformed Church has set up many churches and schools for the aborigines, and at least 7,000 aborigines were baptised. This research, mainly based on the original Dutch archival materials, as well as published archives and current researches, tries to analyse the development of the Dutch Reformed Church in Formosa. The research first aims on the development itself through following analyses and observation. Firstly, By dividing the Dutch Refomred mission in Formosa into four regioins, the observation focuses on the difference of missionary development of each region. Secondly, Analyses also focus on the teaching materials of Christian Doctrines compiled in Sirayan-Formosan as well as Favorlanger-Formosan. Thirdly, an observation also focuses on the development of the Dutch community of the Dutch Reformed Church in Formosa. The research then aims on the particularity of the development. By placing Formosa in the context of the development of Christianity after the Reformation, some comparisons with the Catholic missions as well as the Dutch Reformed Churches under VOC or WIC are also proceeded. This research comes into the following conclusions. Firstly, the missionary activities of the Dutch Reformed Church in different regions of Formosa exists obvious diversity, which reveals the passivity and unsystematisation of the Dutch mission. Secondly, Not only VOC, but also the Dutch Reformed Church in the seventeenth century was not aggressive in missionary work. Lastly, the passivity of the Dutch mission finally set up some boarders, and only few groups could cross these boarders and became one of the Dutch Reformed community.