The Spanish Franciscan Missionary Research in China during the Ming-Qing Transition: 1579~1732

Author: Cui Weixiao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: In the field of research on the history of Catholicism spreading to China, especially on the activities of Catholicism in China during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the research direction of Chinese historians and scholars has largely focused on the Jesuits who came to China. In 1552, the Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier arrived at Shangchuan Island in the Guangdong sea area, marking the beginning of Catholicism's mission in China. In the study of the history of Catholicism spreading to China, the research has basically concentrated on the missionary activities of the Jesuits in China and their exchanges in various fields such as Chinese and Western culture, science, technology, and others. Meanwhile, the study of mendicant orders like the Franciscans and Dominicans who came to China at the same time has been overlooked. This book analyzes and discusses the missionary activities of the Franciscans who came to China during the Ming and Qing dynasties from 1579 to 1732 for over a hundred and fifty years. Additionally, this book will analyze the stance and actions of Spanish Franciscan missionaries in the "Chinese Rites Controversy" and study the Franciscans from the perspective of the overall spread of Catholicism in China. Therefore, it can be said that this book has its own unique contribution in filling the gap in this research field.