Description
Book SynopsisChina’s Old Churches, by Alan Sweeten, surveys the history of Catholicism in China (1600 to the present) as reflected by the location, style, and details of sacred structures in three crucial areas of north China. Closely examined are the most famous and important churches in the urban settings of Beijing and Tianjin, as well as lesser-known ones in rural Hebei Province. Missionaries built Western-looking churches to make a broad religious statement important to themselves and Chinese worshippers. Non-Catholics, however, tended to see churches as sociopolitically foreign and culturally invasive. The physical-visual impact of church buildings is significant. Today, restored old churches and new sacred structures are still mostly of Western style, but often include a sacred grotto dedicated to Our Lady of China--a growing number of Catholics supporting Marian-centered activities.
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments List of Illustrations Special Terms and Acronyms List of Abbreviations 1 An Introduction to Old Churches 2 Church Building and Church Buildings 3 The Historic Churches of Central Beijing 4 Greater Beijing’s Old Church Sites and Churches 5 Tianjin’s Old Sacred Structures 6 Old Churches in Hebei’s Small Cities, Towns, and Villages 7 The Churches of Rural Zhuozhou, Past and Present 8 The Catholic Legacy Appendix 1: Chinese Catholics, Estimates by Year and Place Appendix 2: Additional Ecclesiastical Divisions for Zhili/Hebei Appendix 3: Currency Exchange Rate Estimates Appendix 4: The South Church’s Stelae Appendix 5: The North Church’s Stelae Appendix 6: The West Church’s Stone Tablets Appendix 7: The Government Memorial at Tianjin’s Wanghailou Church Glossary Bibliography Index
