Life of Father Francis Fureze (Jesuit) (The Hermetic Philosophy in China and Europe)

Author: (American)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: This book follows the life of Father Jean-Fran?ois Foucquet, a French Jesuit missionary in China between 1699 and 1722, introducing the basic situation of the Exotists, a group of Jesuits dedicated to studying ancient Chinese classics and exploring their connections with the Old Testament. It outlines major events that influenced Sino-Western cultural exchange in the 17th and 18th centuries—such as the Chinese Rites Controversy, power struggles within the mission territories, and the historical exchanges between the Kangxi court and the Roman Curia. Additionally, through Father Foucquet's activities after returning to Europe, the book depicts the nascent French Sinology in Europe, as well as the ancient Chinese chronology debates closely related to European Sinology and early modern European intellectual history, and the state of Chinese-language books in 18th-century Europe. The book also raises profound questions of intellectual history, such as the cultural and comparative cultural significance of the Exotists' thought, which was long ignored as heretical; the interplay between controversy and power struggles in the Rites Controversy; and whether the motivations and practices of Jesuits in spreading European scientific knowledge to China were as negative as described by Joseph Needham, among others. The English version of this book was first published in 1982 and remains a pioneering work on the Exotists, whose value continues to endure. The author extensively read Father Foucquet's works and letters—most of which are unpublished manuscripts—and meticulously listed them, providing readers with a comprehensive and extensive bibliography in multiple languages, making the book a valuable reference tool as well.