A GARGANTA : THE CHINA JESUITS AND THE COLLEGE OF MACAO, 1579-1623
This article argues that the Colégio de Macao functioned as the China mission's indispensable administrative, staffing, and training hub, while also serving as a financial nexus and safe haven, shaping the Society of Jesus' approach to East Asia from 1579 to 1623. Positioned on the doorstep of Ming...
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| Published in: | Review of Culture |
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| Format: | Articles |
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Instituto Cultural de Macau
January 2003
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| Online Access: | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40005/2701 |
| Summary: | This article argues that the Colégio de Macao functioned as the China mission's indispensable administrative, staffing, and training hub, while also serving as a financial nexus and safe haven, shaping the Society of Jesus' approach to East Asia from 1579 to 1623. Positioned on the doorstep of Ming China, the college was central to organizing and sustaining Jesuit expansion beyond Macao's gates, but its effectiveness was contingent on the dynamic fortunes of Japan missions. The author contends that the college's strong ties to Japan—and to the Macanese mercantile world—paradoxically constrained resource flows and political alignments for the China mission once Japan's own missions faced volatility. The study demonstrates that, although the college was well placed to support China, the evolving antagonisms between China and Japan and the logistical realities of the Ming court forced Jesuits in China to lean on self-reliance and internal networks rather than institutional support from Macao. Through critical synthesis of Jesuit correspondence, provincial reports, and colonial records, the article reconstructs the college's governance and its impact on mission strategy. The results underscore the intertwined fortunes of Macao, Japan, and China in shaping early modern Jesuit enterprise in East Asia. |
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| ISSN: | 1682-1106 |