Roger A. Blondeau

Throughout the Seventeenth Century western mathematics and astronomy stood at a much higher level than that of the Chinese. Since much of Chinese court ritual was based on celestial events, and the emperor had to be perceived as in control of celestial movements, Jesuit priests were given prestigious positions at court to design the annual calendar and predict the movement of celestial bodies. This led to a century long tug and pull of the Chinese seeking to benefit from western knowledge while keeping religion at bay and the Catholic church trying to introduce and spread Christianity in China. This book is a detailed biography of the Jesuit Ferdinand Verbiest, preceded by a long description of the arrival of Matteo Ricci in China and talking up position at the Imperial court in Beijing. There is a long bibliography of works authored by the Jesuits in Chinese and Latin and source references to libraries across China and Europe where these works can be found.… (mehr)