Joseph de Premare came to China from France in 1698 and worked as a missionary in Jiangxi until 1724 when he was banished to Canton by the Chinese government. While in exile at Canton, he composed the "Notitia Linguae Sinicae" a treatise on the structure of the Chinese language which formed the basis of academic sinology in Europe for more than a century, and was reprinted as late as 1893. In this study, Knud Lundbaek provides a comprehensive picture of Premare's philological and theological ideas, prominent among which was the concept of "figurism". The book also describes the intellectual milieu in which de Premare moved, including other famous figurist Jesuit scholars such as Joachim Bouvet and Jean-Francois Foucquet. This biography is a contribution to the history of European sinology as well as to the study of China's relations with the West.

The image of a voice in the wilderness evokes an outcast who has been condemned and banished by society. That image fits the scholar-priest Joseph de Prémare who spent the last thirty-eight years of his life (1698-1736) mainly in remote areas of China. He was condemned to silence by not only his religious superiors, but also by intellectuals in Europe. He was silenced because his Figurist theories were regarded as dangerous and implausible. And yet the irony of this silencing is that Father Prémare was one of the most knowledgeable Sinologists of all time. As a missionary in towns in the southern province of Jiangxi, he was freed from many pastoral duties by an assisting catechist and able to devote himself to intensive study of Chinese texts. He was practically a scholar-hermit who left the urban, politicized atmosphere of Beijing after only two years to return to Jiangxi province. There he cultivated Chinese literati who helped him assemble a remarkable collection of classical texts. He was prolific in producing a wide body of works in philology, history, philosophy, religion and drama. Faced by critics who were claiming that Chinese culture was alien to Christianity, Prémare joined the effort led by his fellow Jesuit Joachim Bouvet to save the Christian mission in China from destruction. The Figurists were radical in arguing that the ancient Chinese texts, like the Old Testament, anticipated the coming of Christ long before his birth. They claimed that Chinese commentators erred in viewing these ancient texts as records of history when in fact they were works of metaphorical and figurative meaning. Influenced by a Chinese scholar, Prémare made a philological analysis of Chinese characters to explain his theory. When Figurism was condemned by his religious superiors, Prémare attempted to circumvent their prohibition by sending his manuscripts to the proto-Sinologist Etienne Fourmont in Paris, asking that they be published anonymously. Fourmont criticized Prémare’s theories and failed to publish them. By the time of his death, Prémare had sent most of his manuscripts to Paris where they remained buried for many years.

In the twenty-first century, China has emerged as the leading challenger to U.S. global dominance. China is often seen as a sleeping giant, emerging out of poverty, backwardness, and totalitarianism and moving toward modernization. However, history shows that this vast country is not newly awakening, but rather returning to its previous state of world eminence. With this compelling perspective in mind, D. E. Mungello convincingly shows that contemporary relations between China and the West are far more like the 1500-1800 period than the more recent past. This fully revised second edition retains the clear and concise qualities of its predecessor, while developing important new social and cultural themes such as gender, sexuality, music, and technology. Drawing from the author's thirty years of experience teaching world history, this book illustrates the importance of history to students and general readers trying to understand today's world.

Based on manuscripts from the once inaccessible former Jesuit library of Zikawei in Shanghai, this book breaks new ground in focusing on the generation that followed Matteo Ricci and other luminaries of the early China mission. Unusual in its coverage of both Jesuits and their Chinese literati converts, The Forgotten Christians of Hangzhou traces the development of the Christian presence in seventeenth century Hangzhou through the work of Jesuit fathers Martino Martini and Prospero Intorcetta, and Confucian scholar Zhang Xingyao, whose struggle to demonstrate the compatibility of Neo-Confucianism with the "Lord of Heaven Teaching from the Far West" forms the focus of D. E. Mungello's penetrating study. Zhang and his fellow literati converts were in almost all respects highly orthodox Confucians who nevertheless regarded Christianity as complementary to, and in some respects transcending, Confucianism. Their search for an intellectual blending of the two religions shows that, contrary to important recent studies, Christianity was inculturated into seventeenth-century China far more than has been realized. Prior to their dissolution at the hands of a hostile imperial government a century later, the Hangzhou Christians had built one of the most beautiful churches in East Asia, a seminary for training young Chinese priests, a library and printing center, and a Jesuit cemetery. The church and cemetery have since been reopened and the works of Hangzhou Christians are preserved in libraries in Shanghai, Beijing, and Paris. These architectural and literary monuments help reconstruct the features of one of China's most colorful and historical cities and the experiences of some of her most remarkable inhabitants. The Forgotten Christians of Hangzhou not only tells us their story but adds a new dimension to our knowledge of the assimilation of Christianity by Chinese culture - a process that is still under way today.

In The Early Dutch Sinologists Koos Kuiper gives a detailed account of the studies and work of the 24 Dutchmen trained as “interpreters” for the Netherlands Indies before 1900. Most began studying at Leiden University, then went to Amoy to study southern Chinese dialects. Their main functions were translating Dutch law into Chinese, advising the courts on Chinese law and checking Chinese accounts books, later also regulating coolie affairs. Actually their services were not always appreciated and there was not enough work for them; later many pursued other careers in the Indies administration or in scholarship. This study also analyses the three dictionaries they compiled. Based on a wealth of primary sources, it gives a fascinating picture of personal cross-cultural contacts.

For the Chinese, the drive toward growing political and economic power is part of an ongoing effort to restore China's past greatness and remove the lingering memories of history's humiliations. This widely praised book explores the 1500-1800 period before China's decline, when the country was viewed as a leading world culture and power. D. E. Mungello argues that this earlier era, ironically, may contain more relevance for today than the more recent past. This fully revised fourth edition retains the clear and concise quality of its predecessors, while drawing on a wealth of new research on Sino-Western history and the increasing contributions of Chinese historians. Building on the author's decades of research and teaching, this compelling book illustrates the vital importance of history to readers trying to understand China's renewed rise.

For the Chinese, the drive toward growing political and economic power is part of an ongoing effort to restore China's past greatness and remove the lingering memories of history's humiliations. This widely praised book explores the 1500–1800 period before China's decline, when the country was viewed as a leading world culture and power. Europe, by contrast, was in the early stages of emerging from provincial to international status while the United States was still an uncharted wilderness. D. E. Mungello argues that this earlier era, ironically, may contain more relevance for today than the more recent past. Building on the author's decades of research and teaching, this compelling book illustrates the vital importance of history to readers trying to understand China’s renewed rise.