china

For three centuries, between 1500 and 1800, Europe and China experienced extensive contact, which had enormous influence on both cultures. The greatness of Chinese and European cultures was demonstrated by their ability to influence large areas of the world. While the influence was never equal in both directions, there was always at least some type of influence flowing in both directions, so that the movement was never entirely flowing one way. Similar tactics of cultural borrowing and assimilation were apparent in both directions. During the Enlightenment, Europe used Confucianism to support its goal of placing Christianity into Chinese culture. China’s literati used Christianity as well, as an attempt to remove Buddhist and Daoist influences from Confucian teachings. These three centuries saw a strong flow of influence from China to Europe, increasing European admiration for China within the time period.

The first substantive encounter between China and the West began when the Portuguese entered Southern China in the early 1500’s. Many Chinese, including some of the most creative thinkers of that time, responded to the information and teachings brough

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European landscapes were featured and techniques, such as realism, perspective, and shading, were used that fascinated Chinese artists. The foreign status of the missionaries and the association with Portuguese and Dutch traders also raised a fear of subversion.

Missionaries found that pictorial images played an important part in teaching the Chinese about Christianity. Scholar-officials were constantly on alert against subversive activity. The Chinese also felt like the Christian churches might upset the harmony of nature. The missionaries were also believed to practice some form of alchemy. A blend of Confucianism and Christianity was created in order to criticize Buddhism and Daoism to successfully convert prominent scholar officials. The Jesuit painter, Father Antonius even ran a school for Chinese painters, focusing on the Western style. Chinese feelings of cultural superiority became so ingrained in their minds that they didn’t even recognize their own decline. This caused the Jesuit effort to falter. One reason for the growth of this feeling was Confucian religious skepticism. The Jesuit had a ‘top-down’ approach in converting prominent scholar officials.

Anti-Christian feeling grew in China as the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries progressed.

With the founding of the Qing dynasty, the cultural atmosphere in China became less open to foreign influences.

Common topics in this essay:
Buddhism Daoism, Chinese Christian, Europe European, Christianity European, Chinese European, Confucianism Christianity, Southern China, Resurrection Trinity, Father Antonius, Ming Chinese, christian churches, prominent scholar officials, chinese culture, prominent scholar, anti-christian feeling, fear subversion, scholar officials, confucianism christianity, china west, christian faith, 1500 1800,

Approximate Word count = 895
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

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