In the sixteenth century, the vast and sophisticated empire of
China lay almost entirely unknown to Western travellers. As global
trade expanded, this land of reputedly boundless wealth, pale-faced
women, and indecipherable tongues began to feed the fantasies of
European merchants and adventurers. The Catholic Church, meanwhile,
saw in this great people millions of souls who would be damned
unless the Christian message could be brought to them. In this
book, Mary Laven tells the extraordinary story of the first Jesuit
mission to China. Confronting enormous challenges, the Italian
priest Matteo Ricci and a tiny handful of learned companions gained
permission from the notoriously xenophobic Wanli emperor to settle
in the fabled Forbidden City. Living among eunuchs and mandarins,
wearing the clothes of Confucian scholars, Ricci and his associates
strove to master the language and culture of their hosts. At the
same time, they energetically preached the virtues of Western art
and science. In Mission to China Mary Laven brings this remote
world vividly to life.
General
Imprint: |
Faber and Faber
|
Country of origin: |
United Kingdom |
Release date: |
2012 |
First published: |
2012 |
Authors: |
Mary Laven
|
Dimensions: |
198 x 126 x 20mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
304 |
Edition: |
Main |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-571-22518-7 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
0-571-22518-7 |
Barcode: |
9780571225187 |
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