Karl Ludvig Reichelt

Early Years and Coming to China

Karl Ludvig Reichelt was born on 1 September 1877 in Barbu, a small town near Arendal in southern Norway. He grew up in an atmosphere of devout faith, received the call to mission as a young man, and resolved to go far to the East to spread the gospel.

Turning to the Buddhists

In October 1903, sent by the Norwegian Missionary Society, he arrived by ship in Shanghai and went on at once to central China, beginning mission work in the Hunan and Hubei region. From his first days in China he was drawn to the deep religious traditions of this ancient land. In 1906 he visited the Buddhist monastery on Mount Wei (Weishan) in Ningxiang and saw for himself the disciplined life of the monks. Deeply moved, he resolved from then on to devote himself to bringing Christ to Buddhists, especially to monks.

A Theology of Points of Contact

For many years afterward Reichelt immersed himself in the scriptures of Chinese Buddhism, visited famous mountains and ancient temples, and conversed with monks about the Way. He did not favour preaching by confrontation and negation; instead he looked in Buddhist vocabulary and forms of practice for "points of contact" with the gospel, and regarded sincere seeking in other religions as light prepared by the Holy Spirit. Such a mission approach, respectful of the other's faith, was quite rare in the missionary world of the time.

Ching Fung Shan in Nanjing

Around 1922 he founded Ching Fung Shan (景风山) in Nanjing, a Christian monastery-retreat and hospitality centre set up especially for Buddhist and Daoist believers, where wandering monks could experience the Christian faith for themselves. But the times were turbulent and war was frequent, and the work could not be sustained.

Tao Fong Shan in Hong Kong

In 1930 Reichelt moved south to Hong Kong and founded the Tao Fong Shan Christian monastery-retreat (道风山基督教丛林) in Sha Tin. He invited the Danish architect Johannes Prip-Møller to design a group of Chinese-style halls and pavilions in the manner of a Buddhist temple, to welcome Buddhist and Daoist seekers through familiar forms. The emblem of the community is a cross in a lotus, signifying the gospel taking root in the Eastern heart. Tao Fong Shan thus became the embodiment of his lifelong mission ideal.

Mission through Writing

Reichelt wrote steadily throughout his life. His works include Religions of China (中国宗教; Norwegian original Kinas religioner, 1913) and others, which introduced Chinese religion to the West and also explored ways of bringing the gospel to Buddhists. On 13 March 1952 he died of illness at Tao Fong Shan and was laid to rest on the holy ground he had cleared with his own hands.

A Pioneer of Dialogue

Later generations have widely honoured him as a pioneer of mission to Buddhists and of religious dialogue between Christianity and Buddhism. His attempt to approach the hearts of another culture with humility and respect was controversial in its day, yet it left lasting inspiration for later interreligious exchange.