The history of the missions of the Jesuits The Society of Jesus is a Catholic religious order of clerks regular whose members are called Jesuits in China China is an ancient civilization extending over a large area in East Asia seen variously as a nation or multinational entity[citation needed] is part of the history of relations between China and the Western world The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term that can have multiple meanings depending on its context (e.g., the time period, the region or social situation). Accordingly, the basic definition of what constitutes "the West" varies, expanding and contracting over time, in relation to various historical. The missionary efforts and other work of the Society of Jesus The Society of Jesus is a Catholic religious order of clerks regular whose members are called Jesuits, or Jesuits, between the 16th and 17th century played a significant role in continuing the transmission of knowledge, science, and culture between China and the West, and had an impact on Christian culture in Chinese society Christianity in China is a growing minority religion that comprises Protestants , Catholics (天主教 Tian zhu jiao, or Lord of Heaven Religion), and a small number of Orthodox Christians. Although its lineage in China is not as ancient as beliefs such as Confucianism, Taoism, or Mahayana Buddhism, Christianity has existed in China since at least today.
The first attempt by the Jesuits to reach China was made in 1552 by St. Francis Xavier Francis Xavier was born in the family castle of Xavier, Spain in the Kingdom of Navarre on 7 April, 1506 according to a family register. He was born to an aristocratic family of Navarre, the youngest son of Juan de Jaso, privy counsellor to King John III of Navarre (Jean d'Albret), and Doña Maria de Azpilcueta y Xavier, sole heiress of two noble, Spanish priest and missionary and founding member of the Society of Jesus. Xavier never reached the mainland, dying after only a year on the Chinese island of Shangchuan. Three decades later, in 1582, Jesuits once again initiated mission A Christian mission has been widely defined, since the Lausanne Congress of 1974, as that which is designed "to form a viable indigenous church-planting and world changing movement." This definition is motivated by a theologically imperative theme of the Bible to make God known, as outlined in the Great Commission. The definition is work in China, led by several figures including the Italian Matteo Ricci Matteo Ricci was born in 1552 in Macerata, today a city in the Italian region of Marche and then part of the Papal States. Ricci started learning theology and law in a Roman Jesuits' school. He entered the congregation in 1571, and in 1577 he filed an application to be a member of a missionary expedition to India. His journey began in March 1578, introducing Western science, mathematics, astronomy, and visual arts to the imperial court The Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning since the founding of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE until the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven (Chinese: 天子 tiānzì), a title that predates the Qin unification, the Emperor was recognized as the ruler of &, and carrying on significant inter-cultural and philosophical dialogue with Chinese scholars, particularly representatives of Confucianism Cultures and countries strongly influenced by Confucianism include China , Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam, as well as various territories settled predominantly by Chinese people, such as Singapore. Japan was influenced by Confucianism in a different way. At the time of their peak influence, members of the Jesuit delegation were considered some of the emperor's most valued and trusted advisors, holding numerous prestigious posts in the imperial government.[citation needed] Many Chinese, including notable former Confucian scholars,[vague] adopted Christianity and became priests and members of the Society of Jesus.
According to research by D.E. Mungello, from 1552 (i.e., the death of St. Francis Xavier) to 1800, a total of 920 Jesuits participated in the China misson; of whom 314 were Portuguese, and another 130 were French.[2] In 1844 China may have had 240,000 Roman Catholics, but this number grew rapidly, and in 1901 the figure reached 720,490.[3] Many Jesuit priests, both Western-born and Chinese, are buried in the cemetery located in what is now the School of the Beijing Municipal Committee.[4]
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