Revival in Henan: The Work of the Holy Spirit Among Missionaries and Chinese Christians

In spite of the great political, economic, and social upheavals in China during the first half of the twentieth century, the 1920s to 1940s were a time of great revivals in churches throughout the nation. Led by indigenous Christians and characterized by manifestations of the Holy Spirit, these revivals often caused the Chinese to separate from the various missionaries and foreign organizations with which they had previously been affiliated. Yet when the Shandong Revival spread, missionaries in the Henan province participated in this movement along with the indigenous people. Southern Baptist missionaries Maudie Fielder and Katie Murray lived through this phenomenon, and the documents that they left behind give insight into their experiences. This thesis will examine these women’s papers found in the Texas Collection in order to show the unique way that this Revival in Henan simultaneously empowered Chinese Christians and strengthened their unity of spirit with the missionaries.