Apostolate through Books: On the Editing and Publishing of Chinese Catholic Books during late Ming and Early Qing dynasty

Abstract: As the carrier of thought and culture, books play significant roles in different cultural exchanges. Chinese Catholic books also have a vital role to play in the Sino-West cultural exchange during late Ming and early Qing dynasty. This article aims to analyze the Chinese Catholic books’ editing, printing, circulation, and the role of literati-scholars, the relationship between Catholic books and Catholic localization from the perspective of the cultural exchange. It firstly explores the background of Chinese Catholic books, with focus on the strategy of Jesuit and the process of printing technique at that time. Then discuses the types and amount of Catholic books according to some related bibliography. Followed that is to explain how these books to be published and circulated. Then it elaborates the roles of literati-scholars in the editing and publishing of these books, and the relations between these books and Catholic localization. The conclusion briefly points out the characteristics of these books’ editing and publishing, and these books’ influences upon Chinese Catholicism and society.
Keywords: late Ming and early Qing, Chinese Catholic books, editing and publishing, literati-scholars, localization