The Catholic Church and chinese world between colonialism and evangelization (1840-1911)

The book deals with the history of the Catholic Church in China after 1840 - when the first Opium War marked the start of strong European penetration - until the collapse of the Empire and to the proclamation of the Republic, including the Boxer Uprising. John Paul II has referred to these events on several occasions in recent years and in particular to the issue of the relationship between the Catholic Church and European colonialism in China, inviting scholars to carry out rigorous historical studies and a critical examination of Christian responsabilities. It is along these lines that the book analyses the attitude shown toward China, as well as towards its culture and its people, by the Holy See and several missionary orders and congregations between the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century. It also offers a starting point for the historical reconstruction of this very complex period.