A new book named Archival Materials on the Missionary Activities of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland in China (Volume 1) was published in May.
According to Chinese Christian Studies, the book features 1,816 selected historical documents and images that chronicle the missionary efforts of the Finnish Missionary Society in western Hunan Province and other regions since its entry into China in the early 20th century.
Spanning 1,928 pages and compiled by Paulos Huang, this book recorded that the Finnish Missionary Society, established by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland in 1859, began its work in China relatively late, with its first arrival in 1901. Beginning with Hannes Sjöblom, the first Finnish Lutheran missionary to China, the society contributed to church planting, education, evangelism, and social services in Cili County, Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, and the surrounding areas.
The book also notes that Finnish missionary activities in China were halted due to the political shifts in 1949. Pastor Päivö Parviainen (1912–2015) was the last Finnish Lutheran missionary to serve in mainland China, working there from 1946 until 1953.
Paulos Huang is an adjunct professor of world cultures at the University of Helsinki, Finland. He serves as editor-in-chief and publishing supervisor of the International Journal of Sino-Western Studies, chairman of the Nordic Forum for Sino-Western Studies, and chief editor of the Brill Yearbook of Chinese Theology. His academic interests include Chinese studies, Sino-Christian theology, East-West dialogue in the context of globalization, Finnish educational excellence, and the translation of Martin Luther's works.
