EDITORIAL社論
This issue of *Revista de Cultura* proposes, in editorial format, a reading of continuity between Francis Xavier and Alessandro Valignano within the framework of the "spiritual conquest" of East Asia. Starting from Xavier’s death on Sanchoão (December 1552) and Macau’s role as a strategic platform f...
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| Published in: | Review of Culture |
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| Format: | Articles |
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Instituto Cultural de Macau
July 2006
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| Online Access: | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40019/3744 |
| Summary: | This issue of *Revista de Cultura* proposes, in editorial format, a reading of continuity between Francis Xavier and Alessandro Valignano within the framework of the "spiritual conquest" of East Asia. Starting from Xavier’s death on Sanchoão (December 1552) and Macau’s role as a strategic platform from 1557 onward, the text reconstructs how Jesuit projects were articulated with maritime dynamics and the fragile balances of Luso-Chinese circuits. It argues that, although Xavier’s death went largely unnoticed by Portuguese merchants fearful of trade disruptions, the Society of Jesus later succeeded in transforming the missionary’s memory into a powerful devotional and institutional engine. Methodologically, the editorial is organized as a historiographical synthesis: it establishes chronologies, contextualizes places and networks (Goa, Malacca, China, Japan), and relates the circulation of knowledge to the circulation of people. As results, the "religious cartography" produced by Xavier through his voyages stands out, along with the establishment of priority objectives for missionization in China and Japan. The decisive turn is attributed to the 1570s, when Valignano promoted adaptationist methods, including language learning, the decoding of Chinese civilizational practices, and integration into daily life in Japan, contributing to Catholic expansion and the Jesuit opening in China (Zhaoqing, 1583), with a direct impact on Matteo Ricci’s later mission. |
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| ISSN: | 1682-1106 |