Abstract

Introduction. The article studies the conflicts between the Spanish Mendicant Orders (Dominican Order, Franciscan Order, etc.) as well as the Society of Foreign Missions of Paris with Portuguese Society of Jesus, which took place during the 17th and 18th centuries in China. Methods and materials. To study this issue, the author used the original historical materials recorded by Western missionaries working in China during the 17th and 18th centuries and research works by Chinese and international scholars related to the Chinese Rites Controversy as well as the process of introduction and development of Christianity in this country during the 17th and 18th centuries. The author combines two main research methods of History Science (historical and logical methods) with other research methods (systemic approach, analysis, synthesis, comparison, etc.) to complete the study of this issue. Analysis. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the struggle for faith of the peoples in the Far East, especially China, became the desirable goal of religious orders of Christianity. Therefore, during this period, Western missionaries belonging to various religious orders of Christianity, such as the Society of Jesus, Mendicant Orders, Society of Foreign Missions of Paris, etc., gradually entered this country. In the course of evangelization, the struggle for influence as well as the right to manage missionary affairs in China at that time created conflicts among Christian religious orders. It is manifested in the form of a debate about Chinese rituals. In fact, these conflicts not only caused great losses to the missionary career of contemporary Christian religious orders taking place in China but also made the relationship between China’s ruling authorities and The Holy See became very tense. Results. Based on the study of the conflicts among religious orders of Christianity in China during the 17th and 18th centuries, the article clarifies characteristics, the root and direct causes leading to this phenomenon, making a certain contribution to the study of the relationship among religious orders in the process of introduction and development of Christianity in China in particular and the history of East-West cultural exchange in this country in general in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Highlights

  • The article studies the conflicts between the Spanish Mendicant Orders (Dominican Order, Franciscan Order, etc.) as well as the Society of Foreign Missions of Paris with Portuguese Society of Jesus, which took place during the 17th and 18th centuries in China

  • The main contradiction and conflict occurred between the Spanish Mendicant Orders (Dominican Order, Franciscan Order, etc.) as well as the Society of Foreign Missions of Paris with Portuguese Society of Jesus – a force with great merit in bringing Christianity to introduce and develop in China from the late 16th century to the beginning of the 17th century [10, pp. 23-29]

  • Cultural contradictions that were essentially conflicts and disputes over the right to manage missionary activities among Christian religious orders in China in the 17th and 18th centuries could be divided into 2 phases: Phase 1: From the 30s to the 60s of the 17th century, the Spanish Mendicant Orders openly turned the issue of Chinese Rites into a formal and comprehensive controversy with the Portuguese Society of Jesus

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Summary

Introduction

From the first half of the 17th century to the middle of the 18th century “indigenous rites” became the subject of a largescale controversy among Christian religious orders in China. It was just the consequent of a previous controversy between the Jesuits and the Society of Foreign Missions of Paris about the issue of the Chinese rituals It marked a highly developed period of conflict between these two religious orders. It is not the main research object of the article, to help researchers and readers get an overview of the Qing dynasty’s official attitudes and views on the controversy of Chinese rituals took place in this period, the author selected and presented some essential contents in the evolution of the conflict between Emperor Kangxi and the Holy See about the issue of the Chinese rituals

Methods and materials
Results
Benoit de Mattos was a Portuguese
10 Alvare de Semedo was a Portuguese
11 Manuel Dias Sénior was a Portuguese
16 François Pallu was appointed as Vicar
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