While previous works on the history of Christianity in China have largely centered on the scientific and philosophical areas of Catholic missions in the Middle Kingdom, China's Saints recounts the history of Christian martyrdom, precipitated as it was by cultural antagonisms and misunderstanding. Anthony Clark shows that Christianity in China began and grew under similar circumstances to those during the Roman Empire, with the notable exception that Catholic missionaries were not successful at producing a "Chinese Constantine."
One of the principal results of Catholic martyrdom in China was the increased indigenization of Christianity. During the reconstruction of mission churches, hospitals, and orphanages after the hostilities of the Boxer Uprising (1898â"1900), the Roman Catholic tradition of venerating martyrs was attached to the reinvigoration of Christian communities. Not only did Catholic architecture accommodate to Chinese sensibilities, but causes for sainthood were also begun at the Vatican to add Chinese names to the Church's list of saints. The implications of Clark's work extend beyond the subject of Christianity in China to the broader fields of cultural, social, economic, political, and religious history. This pioneering study follows the trails of Western missionaries and Chinese converts as they negotiate the religious and cultural chasms that existed between the West and China, and it demonstrates that these differences resulted in two very different outcomes. Whereas converts appear to have bridged the cultural divide, often to the point of self-sacrifice, political and cultural tensions on the macro level sometimes ended with forceful conflicts. This book contributes to a deeper understanding of cultural and religious interaction, and provides an account of an heretofore unstudied chapter in the history of Christianity on the global landscape.
Industry Reviews
Based on thorough archival studies, and a profound knowledge of Chinese culture, this book not only contributes substantially to the comparative study of Christian martyrdom but also to the understanding of enculturation. * Theological Studies *
Still, this English-language portrayal of some of China's Catholic saints, the discussion of martyrdom in the Chinese context and the processes involved in preparing martyrs for beatification and canonization will appeal to the general reader. That this book targets a wider readership is indicated by the author's decision to Anglicize the given names of continental European missionaries as well as by his use of the colloquial term "nuns" instead of the canonically more accurate term "sisters" for the martyred Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. * Religious Studies *
China's Saints is an original and insightful study that examines the transmission and appropriation of martyrologies within the Catholic Church....Using martyrdom as an analytical tool, Clark reinterprets the indigenization of Catholicism, the frequent outbreaks of church-state conflicts, and the Catholics' responses to state persecution. His findings throw light on the production and reception of the martyrologies, and the transformation of Christianity from a heavily persecuted religion into a fast-growing spiritual movement today.... When reading China's Saints, it is hard not to sympathize with these courageous individuals. Its engaging style and readability should appeal to everyone. * The Catholic Historical Review *
Clark extensively draws on sources from numerous archives and gives a deep and thorough analysis of the mission and martyr cases. . . .Clark provides new insights into the Chinese Church unraveling the standard image of the 'rational' mission of the seventeenth century, which proved to be not as rational as often thought as the missionaries of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries longed to become martyrs for their faith. * Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient *
China's Saints is a well-researched history that is a must-read for those looking for an accessible yet scholarly work on the piety and the sacrifices of prior generations on China's soil . . . [The book is] for all who are interested in Christianity in China, Catholic and otherwise, past and present. * Mission Studies *
"Clark's work is important research, in that hither to little know or largely forgotten histories have now been gathered together for the perusal, and benefit, of all. The work will be of interest to teachers and students of religious studies, Asian and Chinese history and cultural studies, amount others."-The Chinese Historical Review -- Fr. Jeremy Clarke S.J., The Chinese Historical Review
