1895 年傅蘭雅「時新小說」徵文活動兼具文化、文學、政治與宗教的多重
意義。許多作者從基督教義衍伸創發，注重心的治療與治理，並且將投身於宗教
的集體信仰，連結於國家的革新除弊。本文以望國新〈時新小說〉為例，結合文
學史脈絡、創作實踐與治心免病觀，探討「國」與「教」如何通過小說找到連
結，而教會的層第動員，又如何轉化為小說中傳教除弊的敘事。虔誠信教、一心
向善的宗教倫理，在敘事中和政治倫理結合，於是入教治心不再只是宗教性活
動，而也可以同時是自發性的政治參與。望國新〈時新小說〉的案例說明，基督
宗教應是近代中國個人道德公眾化的一條線索。

The “New Age Novel” story-prize competition commissioned by John Fryer in
1895 carries multifaceted cultural, literary, political, and religious signifi cance. Many
contributors creatively developed their ideas from Christian doctrines, emphasizing
both the healing and governance of the mind while promoting active engagement in
the collective values of “religion/nation.” Using Wang Gou-xin’s contributions to the
Shixin Xiaoshuo as a case study, this paper examines how “nation” and “religion” are
interconnected through fi ction, and how hierarchical mobilization within the church
was transformed into narrative strategies of preaching and social reform in literature.
Within these narratives, pious faith and the religious ethic of striving toward goodness
intertwine with political ethics. Consequently, religious mind-healing through
conversion transcends its purely spiritual dimension and simultaneously emerges as a
form of voluntary political participation. The case of Wang Gou-xin’s Shixin Xiaoshuo
illustrates that Christianity may serve as a key thread in the publicization of personal

morality in modern China.