The Great Encounter of China and the West, 15001800 [Paperback]

In this admirable introduction to the great period of China's interactions with the West, D. E. Mungello condenses a lifetime of study into a concise and accessible form. Especially valuable are his analyses of mutual artistic influences, of theories of language and race, and of the internal rivalries that split both Chinese intellectuals and the Catholic Church.The brevity of Mungello's book might suggest that it was meant only for freshmen-level surveys of world history or Chinese and/or Western history; however, this book, with its wealth of information and insight, can well serve upper-level students embarking on a more in-depth study of the problem of Sino-Western cultural interaction and interpretation, and general readers who seek to enhance their understanding of China and the profound misunderstandings that have so frequently characterized Sino-Western encounters in the past. . . . This [study] is the product of considerable erudition as well as interpretive sensitivity.Mungello has written an excellent summary on Chinese-Western relations (15001800). An essential book for historical, theological, and mission libraries, graduate and undergraduate students.Ingenious textbook . . . stepping back into the period 15001800 must represent the wave of the future, and it is good to see such a thought-provoking example of the practice here already.Mungello's work provides a welcome addition to the literature on the early period of the Sino-Western encounter. . . . Mungello combines admirable concision with astute insights into the complexities of class, culture, and religion, both within China and among the Westerners vying for trade, influence, and souls there.A very good book. It is well written and interesting.Small wonder that the admirable Jonathan Spence himself praises this book as an 'admirable introduction to the great period of China's interactions with the West'. Professor Mungello's work is a virtual parade of scholarly observations and analyses of an lã"