Description
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Li’s discussion of the ways Catholic literacy created for rural women a separate and often private world, an image that contrasts with the easy assumption of oppressive hierarchy within Catholic communities. . . . Li shows that for lay Catholics such as the letter writers, catechistic literacy provided a forum for the exploration not only of identity, but also of faith."
-- Thomas David DuBois * Nan Nu *
"This meticulously researched book . . . [demonstrates] how Catholicism became a tool for rural Chinese women to empower themselves and break away from the social restrictions imposed by traditional Chinese society."
-- Hongyan Xiang * China Review International *
"As a novel work on the MEP and Catholic women from rural Northeast China, this contributes to an enriched understanding on gender and religion in an Asian context. This book is certainly a noteworthy work that will capture the interest of many scholars."
-- El-Lim Kim * Asian Journal of Women's Studies *
"There is much rich material woven into this examination of the interaction between gender and literacy in 19th century Catholicism in China."
* IIAS Newsletter (International Institute for Asian Studies) *
Table of ContentsPreface
1. Christianity, Gender, and Literacy in Northeast China
2. Religion, Women, and Writing in Rural China
3. Religious Knowledge and Behavior
4. Establishing Faith in Local Society
5. Institutionalization and Indigenization
6. Faith, Gender, and a New Female Literacy in Modern China
Epilogue
Appendix
Glossary
Notes
Bibliography
Index
