Ep. 98 | The Great Jesuit Scholars: Ricci, Schall, and Verbiest
In this longer than usual episode, we feature the three giants of the Jesuit China Mission of the 16th and 17th centuries. In addition to their work in introducing Catholicism to China, these three men, Matteo Ricci, Johann Adam Schall von Bell, and Ferdinand Verbiest made a collective contribution to the scholarship of China that has not been matched to this day.
They were the first to write books and dictionaries unlocking the intricacies of Mandarin. Their ways of building bridges with the Chinese served as a model for later generations of Western scholars and diplomats who went to China.
With the rise in the popularity of Buddhism, during the Han Dynasty, ivalries began to arise among the three religions as they jockeyed for positions in the halls of power.