A Jesuit in the Forbidden City : Matteo Ricci, 1552-1610

Jesuitten Ricci grundlagde den katolske mission i Kina og var således en pioner for kristendommens udbredelse i Kina. Samtidig forklarede han Europa om den kinesiske kultur. Ricci tilbragte 28 år i Kina og er ifølge bogen selv i dag en af de bedst kendte vesterlændinge i Kina Abstract: The remarkable life of the Italian Jesuit Matteo Ricci, one of the most famous missionaries of all time and the founder of the Catholic Mission in China. This is the first critical biography to use all relevant sources, not only in western languages but in Chinese as well. Read more... A 16th century Italian Jesuit, Matteo Ricci was the founder of the Catholic Mission in China and one of the most famous missionaries of all time. A pioneer in bringing Christianity to China, Ricci spent twenty eight years in the country, in which time he crossed the cultural divides between China and the West by immersing himself in the language and culture of his hosts. Even 400 years later, he is still one of the best known westerners in China, celebrated for introducing western scientific and religious ideas to China and for explaining Chinese culture to Europe. The first critical biography of Ricci to use all relevant sources, both Chinese and Western, A Jesuit in the Forbidden City tells the story of a remarkable life that bridged Counter-Reformation Catholic Europe and China under the Ming dynasty. Hsia follows the life of Ricci from his childhood in Macerata, through his education in Rome, to his sojourn in Portuguese India, before the start of his long journey of self-discovery and cultural encounter in the Ming realm. Along the way, we glimpse the workings of the Portuguese maritime empire in Asia, the mission of the Society of Jesus, and life in the European enclave of Macau on the Chinese coast, as well as invaluable sketches of Ricci's fellow Jesuits and portraits of the Chinese mandarins who formed networks indispensible for Ricci's success. Examining a range of new sources, Hsia offers important new insights into Ricci's long period of trial and frustration in Guangdong province, where he first appeared in the persona of a foreign Buddhist monk, before the crucial move to Nanchang in 1595 that led to his sustained intellectual conversation with a leading Confucian scholar and subsequent synthesis of Christianity and Confucianism in propagating the Gospels in China. With his expertise in cartography, mathematics, and astronomy, Ricci quickly won recognition, especially after he had settled in Nanjing in 1598, the southern capital of the Ming dynasty. As his reputation and friendships grew, Ricci launched into a sharp polemic against Buddhism, while his career found its crowning achievement in the imperial capital of Beijing, leaving behind a life, work, and legacy that is still very much alive today. A 16th century Italian Jesuit, Matteo Ricci was the founder of the Catholic Mission in China and one of the most famous missionaries of all time. A pioneer in bringing Christianity to China, Ricci spent twenty-eight years in the country, in which time he crossed the cultural divides between China and the west by immersing himself in the language and culture of his hosts. Even 400 years later, he is still one of the best known Westerners in China, celebrated for introducing Western scientific and religious ideas to China and for explaining Chinese culture to Europe. The first critical biography of RIcci to use all relevant sources, both Chinese and Western, A Jesuit in the Forbidden City tells the story of a remarkable life that bridged Counter-Reformation Catholic Europe and China under the Ming dynasty. Hsia follows the life of Ricci from his childhood in the central Italian town of Macerate, through his education in Rome, to his sojourn in Portuguese India, before the start of his long journey of self-discovery and cultural encounter in the Ming realm. Examining a range of new sources, Hsia offers important new insights into Ricci's long period of trial and frustration in Guangdong province, where he first appeared int he person of a foreign Buddhist monk. After this came his crucial move to Nanchang in 1595 that led to his sustained intellectual conversation with a leading Confucian scholar and subsequent synthesis of Christianity and Confucianism in propagating the Gospels in China. With his expertise in cartography, mathematics, and astronomy, Ricci quickly won recognition, especially after he had settled in Nanjing in 1598, the southern capital of the Ming dynasty. As his reputation and friendships grew, Ricci launched into a sharp polemic against Buddhism, while his career found its crowning achievement in the imperial capital of Beijing, leaving behind a life, work, and legacy that is still very much alive today List of Figures 9 List of Plates 10 List of Maps 11 Abbreviations 12 Prologue 13 1. Macerata and Rome 18 2. Portuguese Seas 43 3. Macao 68 4. Zhaoqing 95 5. Ruggieri 114 6. Shaozhou 133 7. Nanchang 158 8. Nanjing 186 9. Beijing 219 10. The True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven 241 11. Laying the Foundations 262 12. The Man of Paradox 285 Epilogue 304 Appendix: Magistrate’s Verdict in Adultery Accusation against Michele Ruggieri 326 Notes 328 Chinese Glossary 348 A 348 B 348 C 348 D 348 E 349 F 349 G 349 H 350 J 350 K 351 L 351 M 352 N 352 O 352 P 352 Q 352 R 353 S 353 T 354 W 354 X 355 Y 356 Z 356 Bibliography 359 Index 368 A 368 B 368 C 368 D 369 E 369 F 370 G 370 H 370 I 370 J 370 K 371 L 371 M 371 N 372 O 372 P 372 Q 372 R 373 S 373 T 374 U 374 V 374 W 375 X 375 Y 375 Z 375 Content: Prologue 1. Macerata and Rome 2. Portuguese Seas 3. Macau 4. Zhaoqing 5. Ruggieri 6. Shaozhou 7. Nanchang 8. Nanjing 9. Beijing 10. True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven 11. Laying the Foundations 12. The Man of Paradox Epilogue Appendix: Magistrate's Verdict in adultery accusation against Michele Ruggieri Notes Chinese Glossary Bibliography Index