In 1860, at the age of 24, Young John Allen (林乐知) traveled from the United States to Shanghai with his wife and their infant (less than one year old) after a seven-month sea voyage to begin his missionary work in China. Adopting the Chinese name Lin Lezhi (林乐知) from the saying “一物不知，儒者知耻” (“A scholar should feel shame at knowing nothing”), he worked at the Jiangnan Arsenal Translation Office in Shanghai as an English teacher in the mornings and a translator in the afternoons.

Over 16 years, Allen translated more than ten works covering foreign history, geography, and natural sciences, including History of Europe, History of the World, Elementary Chemistry, Elementary Astronomy, Political Systems of Various Nations, Elementary Natural History, Elementary Geography, History of Germany, History of Russia, History of India, Eastern Intercourse Records, and Annual Records of Nations, among others.

Chief Editor of Globe Magazine for 30 Years

Allen founded the Wanguo Gongbao (万国公报, Globe Magazine), published monthly with an initial circulation of over 4,000 copies. By 1903, circulation had grown to 54,000, making it the most widely circulated periodical in Shanghai at the time.

Globe Magazine served as a reservoir of Western knowledge and a comprehensive source of new ideas, highly valued by Chinese intellectuals. Between 1868 and 1907, it published for 34 years (with a five-year hiatus), covering topics such as the Sino-Japanese War, the Hundred Days’ Reform, the Boxer Rebellion, late Qing reforms, and Sun Yat-sen’s revolutionary activities, along with commentary.

It introduced Western advances in physics, chemistry, mathematics, astronomy, geography, biology, medicine, manufacturing, railways, shipping, postal systems, agriculture, fisheries, and mining. Biographies of scientists like Newton, Darwin, and Copernicus were also featured. The magazine became a window into Western culture, enlightening its readers. Notable Chinese reformers like Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao drew heavily on its content, and Sun Yat-sen even published open letters through it. The writer Lin Yutang later recalled Allen as his childhood idol, describing him as the most influential figure in his life. Even Japanese officials were avid readers via copies sent from the Shanghai Japanese Consulate.

Studying Chinese Culture and Networking with Elites

Allen deeply studied Chinese culture and built connections with influential figures. He was awarded the fifth-rank official title by the Qing government. He understood that to spread Christianity effectively in China, one must first win over the scholars (“shi”), who were the foundation of both officials and merchants. Between 1860 and 1870, he established relationships with scholars and officials such as Feng Guifen, Yan Liangxun, Wang Fengzao, Chen Lanbin, Shen Yigui, Ying Baoshi, Li Hongzhang, Ding Richang, Zhang Zhidong, Zhang Yinhang, and Lü Haihuan. These reform-minded elites valued Allen’s broad knowledge of Western learning, enabling him to propagate Christianity from the top down.

Explaining Christianity through Confucianism

Allen emphasized explaining Christian teachings through the lens of Confucianism. He aligned the “Three Bonds and Five Constants” (三纲五常) with Christian principles, demonstrating their essential harmony. He argued that Confucian virtues such as Ren (benevolence), Yi (righteousness), Li (propriety), Zhi (wisdom), and Xin (faithfulness) corresponded to Biblical teachings of love, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, and faith. For Allen, Confucius and Jesus were morally aligned, making his approach culturally resonant for Chinese intellectuals.

While Allen equated Confucianism with Christianity, he also sought to modernize Chinese knowledge and thought, believing that scholars needed Western science and modern perspectives to be receptive to the Christian message. His “Jesus plus Confucius” approach reflected a fusion of Chinese and Western culture, making his message more acceptable to officials and elites.

Founding the Chinese-Western Academy for 30 Years

Allen also established modern schools in Shanghai to cultivate new talent, being more proactive than contemporaries like Li Hongzhang or Zhang Zhidong. Along with missionaries Calvin Wilson Mateer, Gibert Reid, and William Martin, he helped form the China Education Society to expand modern education.

In 1881, Allen founded the Chinese-Western Academy (中西书院). The first branch was located in the French Concession at Baxianqiao, funded by the church for facilities and by donations for books. A second branch opened in Hongkou on Wusong Road. Eventually, both branches merged into a new campus on adjacent land he purchased, officially named the Chinese-Western Academy, with Allen as the superintendent.

He designed a three-tier education system (elementary, intermediate, advanced) emphasizing “Chinese and Western knowledge equally,” covering mathematics, science, geography, and politics. Students studied Bible and prayer rituals but were not required to become Christians. The academy flourished for 32 years, producing graduates who served in Qing foreign affairs, customs, foreign trade, modern factories, the Beiyang Navy, foreign firms, and overseas study programs. Allen also founded a girls’ school in Shanghai. By 1912, the academy moved to Suzhou and merged into Dongwu University.

Honors and Legacy

Allen was recognized by the Qing government with fifth-rank and later fourth-rank titles. In 1905, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt received him personally. He returned to Shanghai in 1906 and continued his educational and missionary work until his death in 1907 at the age of 71. Upon his death, the Globe Magazine ceased publication.