Jesuits in China

The Jesuit Mission The Jesuits in China represented one of the most significant events in the relations between China and the West. The Mission had a great impact in so many ways resulting in the revolution of China in a variety of fields.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Jesuits in China specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moreover, it has always served as a near perfect example of the interactions of two totally different cultures in the late imperial period. The missionary efforts in the county also played a huge role in the introduction as well as the spread of western knowledge, culture and science in China (Brockey, 2007). It is now an established fact that the mission was the foundation of the Christian culture in China. Up until the nineteenth century, before the Catholic and Protestant missions had gained influence in China, the Jesuit missionaries were very influential members of the Chinese societ y. In the 16th century, various prominent Jesuit missionaries initiated missions in China by communicating with Chinese scholars who were representatives of Confucianism. They also introduced mathematics, astronomy, visual arts and western science (Hsia, 2009). The role of Matteo Ricci As evidenced by the impact of his works in China, Matteo Ricci is the most famous Jesuit missionary. He was a great scholar who was able to influence many people through his intelligence and humble personality (Spence, 1984). Ricci’s contribution to the development and cultural exchange in China included the maps of the world and China that he drew. This fascinated the Chinese, and he went a step further to translate Chinese classics into English for the European readers. His approach to the mission was somewhat different which made him stand out as he did not try to force the Chinese to convert but engaged them in conversation and presented them with gifts such as clocks hence building up curi osity among the Chinese. Within no time, the Chinese were interested in finding out more about Europe and Christianity. Scientific Achievements The Jesuit mission in China was a blend of Christianity and scientific competence, not to mention, eastern and western science. In this respect, the Jesuits were regarded very highly in China. As a matter of fact, in the seventeenth century, two Chinese emperors displayed their admiration and respect for the missionaries by living close to them and giving them high ranking posts with great responsibilities in China (Cohen, 1999). For instance, Ferdinand Verbiest, a renowned mathematician and astronomer was among one of the missionaries who stimulated Chinese researches in scientific fields. He was given the position of president of the mathematics bureau. In the performance of his tasks and duties, he made a draft of the solar and lunar eclipses; worked on the invention of a steam engine for ships, and he even reformed the Chinese calendar ( Hsia, 2009).Advertising Looking for research paper on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another influential Jesuit missionary who won favor among the Chinese officials was Antoine Thomas. He had been trained by Verbiest and had great achievements to the scale of establishing a new itinerary between Europe and China and he also established the base of the metric system (Hsia, 2009). Philosophical Achievements The Jesuits also had accomplishments in the field of humanities. In the 17-18th centuries, they translated some of the Chinese classics for the many interested European readers. The result of this was a rich cultural exchange between the two belief systems despite the fact that communication was still poor at the time. Some of the Chinese philosophical texts were an inspiration for many European writers. The likes of Leibniz were inspired by the Chinese books which contributed to his reflection on a world language, as well as his binary system in mathematics (Brockey, 2007). The Rites controversy This was a struggle that broke out after the death of Ricci and lasted well over ten decades. Early in the eighteenth century, a dispute arose within the church regarding rituals and offerings to the emperor; this was at the time considered by the church to constitute idolatry (Spence, 1984). It was among one of the main reasons why the promising mission of the Jesuits in China stalled (Spence, 1984). The root of the problem was based on Ricci’s contention that converts were still allowed to practice the ceremonial rites of Confucianism and ancestor worship which he considered to be purely social and political in nature (Spence, 1984). The Dominicans, however, were of the contrary opinion, regarding Ricci’s position. In fact, they ensured that the case was taken to Rome leading to much more controversy. Over time, the Jesuits appealed to the emperor concerning the issue and he agreed to en dorse Ricci’s position. The emperor’s confusion was quite clear; missionaries were in dispute within his jurisdiction, therefore, he decided that the justified reaction was to consider expelling all foreign Christians from China. Thanks to the discovery of the Nestorian monument in 1623, the Jesuits had the emperor rule against all missionaries who opposed Ricci’s position (Brockey, 2007). The monument was influential in proving that Christianity was indeed not a new religion in China as the Chinese often expressed. The monument was solid evidence that Christianity had been introduced into the country about a thousand years before.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Jesuits in China specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Age of inquisition The Spanish Franciscans did not give up the fight against the Jesuits. Eventually, they were able to convince the Pope at the time that Jesuit mission s were dangerously accommodating Chinese practices that were not entirely consistent with Christian practice. This raged on until 1742 when Pope Benedict XIV officially forbade the worship of ancestors and disagreed with the Jesuits (Brockey, 2007). As a matter of fact, once Pope Clement XIV dissolved the Jesuits, many Christians were persecuted and the congregation scattered. Despite all this, the congregation remained strong. In addition, the financial policies of the Jesuit missionaries also contributed to a lot of controversy especially among the Chinese on the nature of the religion. There was tension between the locals and the foreigners as the missionaries were involved in a variety of business ventures. They were landlords of various properties; organized money lending operations and greatly contributed to the development of the silk industry in China for trade with the West (Stockwell, 2003). Conclusion As has been mentioned, the Jesuits approach to missionary duty was tact ful and genius. Their approach, which included the accommodation of some of the Chinese practices, was their strong point. They had managed to plant a church with totals well into the hundreds of thousands by 1901 (Brockey, 2007). All in all, they succeeded in rendering not just Christianity to the Chinese population but spreading western culture and education, especially science as they were well educated and equipped with skills in western knowledge, literature and culture. They also managed to deal with the tensions that emerged when the two civilizations came together, and the results are still evident to date with Christianity still prevalent in China. References Brockey, L. M. (2007). Journey to the East: the Jesuit mission to China, 1579-1724. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. Cohen, J. (1999). The sextants of Beijing: global currents in Chinese history. New York: W.W. Norton Co. Hsia, F. C. (2009). Sojourners in a strange land: Jesuits and their s cientific missions in late imperial China. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.Advertising Looking for research paper on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Spence, J. D. (1984). The memory palace of Matteo Ricci. New York, N.Y.: Viking Penguin. Stockwell, F. (2003). Westerners in China: a history of exploration and trade, ancient times through the present. Jefferson, NC: McFarland Co. Publishers. This research paper on Jesuits in China was written and submitted by user Xavi A. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Mesopotamia vs. Egypt Essays

Mesopotamia vs. Egypt Essays Mesopotamia vs. Egypt Paper Mesopotamia vs. Egypt Paper The reason is that Egypt , although following Mesopotamia footsteps n some aspects, was in a deferent area, had deferent people, different mindsets, resources. No two colonization are completely alike; they all have their own quirks and unleashes. While Mesopotamia used cuneiform as a form of writing, Egypt used hieroglyphics. Hieroglyphics featured picture symbols standing for words, syllables, or individual sounds, and they were written on papyrus. Mesopotamia carved wedge- shaped symbols into clay tablets; this process is called cuneiform. Cuneiform is much more simple, less time-consuming, and cheaper In comparison to hieroglyphics. The season for this could be that Mesopotamia and Egyptians had access to different resources: Mesopotamia had vast plains for clay, while Egypt had the Nile River to produce papyrus reed. Also, the reason could be their purposes for writing were different. Cuneiform was ideal for record-keeping, while hieroglyphics were ideal for stories in the pyramids. Mesopotamia and Egypt both had leaders, but the image of each of these leaders is different. Mesopotamia was made up of city-states, while Egypt was more unladed and centralized. Because of this. Mesopotamia had many kings, and Egypt had one Pharaoh that controlled everything. The Pharaoh decided all punishments, depending on his mood of the day, made all rules, and had control over Egypt, its people, and their activities. He was seen as divine, while the Mesopotamia kings were not. The Mesopotamia kings had control, but they followed Hamburgs Code of Law. They did not have the ability to control all of the city-states, so each had their own king with his own set-up. Egypt was more collected, and this Is why the Pharaoh had more control. The kings had to compete with another, while the Pharaoh was the sole leader. While both Mesopotamia and Egypt had social structure with social classes, the setup was different. Egyptian women had more rights and opportunity than Mesopotamia women. Mesopotamia had a patriarchal society, and Egypt did not. This could be, because Egypt was wealthier. Therefore, Egyptian women had opportunities to work outside of the house and farms. Egyptians had less of a need for slavery than Mesopotamia. Cuneiform records show slavery as a huge for in economy and labor. The Mesopotamia had to maintain the Tigris and Euphrates and their irrigation system, farm, etc. In order to do this, they needed help. On the other hand, the Egyptians had an understanding throughout the civilization that everyone needs to take part in keep up of the Nile River. If the people of an area didnt maintain their specific part of the river, they would be punished. This Is Just another way Egyptians were more unlace, odometer kneeing less outside Nell. Also, pertaining to social class, the Pharaoh had more power than the Mesopotamia kings. The Pharaoh was looked at as divine, godly, god on earth; the kings were Just like the kings of Great Britain. They ruled, made decisions, gave orders, etc. , but they arent worshipped religiously as the Pharaoh was. Thats why the Pharaoh was in higher rank in the different social structures of the two civilizations. Mesopotamia and Egypt share many differences, but their similarities are also prominent. Religion is Just one common area. Both Mesopotamia and Egypt had polytheistic religious beliefs. They had many gods for different roles in life. For example, Mesopotamia sky god, Kneel, played a big role in their life, while Amen-Ra played a big role in Egypt life. Both groups had many other gods with different roles. They both believed that their gods were related to nature in some way, and tauter had a huge impact on their religion, they held celebrations, festivals, etc. To worship, and they built monuments for worship. The reason for natures role in religion could be that being agricultural societies, they needed an explanation for natures forces. Just as the Greeks used myths to explain scientific ideas, they used gods to explain why natural things happened. The numerous gods gave them the answer they needed to their many questions for mother nature. Another similarity would be the idea of agriculture. They both depended on agriculture greatly, and they used it to their advantage. They relied on agriculture and domestication of animals for economic reasons. Also, they used the flooding of the nearby river(s) in each area to their advantage. The people of Mesopotamia and Egypt used the flooding of the Tigris, Euphrates, and/or the Nile Rivers to fertilize their crops; the silt was extremely helpful. Lastly, they both had a form of irrigation to make these flooding a positive experience, as well as to regularly irrigate. They had these similarities and advantages, because both civilizations were located near rivers,. They had access to this water, its advantages, and its uses.