“The arrival of Christianity in China and its diffusion from the 7th to the 16th century”,
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| Year of publication | 2021 |
| Type | Chapter of a book |
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| Description | This chapter will consider the presence of the very first Christian communities in China from the 7th century to the 16th century. It will analyze specifically the spread and diffusion of the Church of the East, known as Jingjiao ?? (literally, luminous religion) in Chinese, during the Tang dynasty (618-907) and the arrival of Franciscan missionaries during the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). The first part of this chapter will be devoted to the historiography of those early encounters, the perception of the Jingjiao Christian communities in China since the 17th century and the recent studies on Silk Road religions and the importance of Eurasian studies. Subsequently, it will take into consideration the historical relevance of those events, the process of evangelization and different proselytizing methods adopted during the given period. It will include an analysis of the importance of the figure of Alopen during the Tang dynasty China and the reconstruction of the trips by Giovanni da Pian del Carpine and Odoric of Podernone during the Yuan dynasty. Conversely, it will also analyze the artistic and visual elements produced in the given period that played a role in the diffusion of Christianity in China and along the trading routes from Europe to China. Finally, it will also include an account of the main characteristics of the specific Chinese Christian communities during the given period and their overall relevance and I will discuss the importance of Christianity in China from the Tang to the Yuan dynasty. |