Trope: Chinese word for crisis is composed of elements danger and opportunity (maybe 1937) or 1934

Garson O'Toole adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM
Fri Oct 22 17:30:17 UTC 2010


There is another match that is probably relevant in a volume that
Google Books and HathiTrust both date to 1935. This instance does not
contain an overt discussion of Chinese characters. Based on extracted
text it appears that ministers, leaders, and students from various
theological seminaries in the Boston area met together for
discussions. One topic of discussion was:

Wei Chi - Danger and Opportunity in China.

That is the full extent of the match in the volume I think. If there
is a connection to the Chinese word for crisis it is implicit. Perhaps
the topic discussion leader made the connection explicit.

The Missionary herald at home and abroad, Volume 131
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, General Council
of the Congregational and Christian Churches in the United States.
Board of Home Missions

http://books.google.com/books?id=-iTPAAAAMAAJ&q=%22wei+chi%22#search_anchor

(extracted text)
The topics for questions and discussion were: The World Upheaval;
Mexico's Will to Revolution; Birth Pangs of the New Idea; Conflict on
the Congo; Facing Forward in the Philippines; The Miracle of Modern
Turkey; Wei Chi — Danger and Opportunity in China; Partners in the
World Mission ; Demands of the New Day. It is our understanding that
similar conferences will be held in large cities throughout the East
and Middle West.

I have not checked this on paper. The date and other information could
be wrong. Duke does not have the volume but UNC does I think.
Garson

Garson O'Toole wrote
> Wonderful! Thanks Stephen. There is a match in the Google Books
> archive to a promising document with a GB date of 1932, but I have not
> been able to extract even an image snippet from the recalcitrant
> database. Here is the short text description and a link to the
> database item:
>
> Women and missions: Volumes 9-10
> 1932 - Snippet view
> Let us also share in the full realization that this momentous period
> is one of peculiar crisis for which Chinese Christians use the term
> "Wei Chi" (way jee), the two ideograms meaning "Danger — Opportunity."
> May we avoid the danger of ...
>
> http://books.google.com/books?id=sfXOAAAAMAAJ&

 Stephen Goranson wrote
>> According to Google Books:
>> Michigan Christian advocate: Volume 61, Issue 1, 1934
>>
>> United Methodist Church (U.S.). Detroit Conference, United Methodist Church (U.S.). West Michigan Conference - 1934 - Snippet view
>> "Wei-Chi"— Danger Plus Opportunity THE annual report of one of our Boards this ..
>> As the Chinese word for "crisis," it is rightly declared to be more expressive than our English word. It is composed of two words, "wei" (danger), and "chi" (opportunity). Does not this imported word suggest our missionary situation ? ...
>>
>> (I have sent for a paper copy from storage--the volume and year match-- to check)
>>
>> [ this seems rather similar in tone as well as date (zeitgeist?) to the "may you live in interesting times" story]
>>
>> Stephen Goranson
>> http://www.duke.edu/~goranson

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