The “consequences” and the mechanics of the transformation are not spelled out, but appear to feature Catholic martyrdom amidst Communist campaigns (p. How do the various instances of missionary chauvinism and allegations of sexual impropriety and child neglect dotted between 18 relate to each other? The organizing argument offered in the introductory and concluding chapters is that the foreigners “generated consequences that helped to transform a mission church into an indigenous religion” (p. However, the strands of information are frequently not clearly linked to a larger argument or narrative, and so their significance is left to the reader to deduce (for example, the ends of chapters 3 and 5). The limitations of these sources and subjects are expertly identified. Consultation of sources in multiple languages (French, German, Italian, Chinese) yields fine detail about assorted foreign priests, institutions, and Chinese individuals such as Confucian Catholic Ma Xiangbo (馬相伯, 1840–1939) and martyr Zhang Boda (Beda Chang 張伯達, SJ, 1905–1951). A broader observation is that the meticulous research behind this book could be tied together more effectively. The ease with which this conclusion is reached sits uncomfortably with this reader at the least, some reference to relevant secondary sources seems called for. In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Įxotic fantasy of having sexual relations with someone of a very different culture or race has an enduring power in human history” (p.
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