Catholic Literature in the Context of Chinese Culture: From Ming/Qing Dynasties to Contemporary

Catholic Literature in the Context of Chinese Culture is not well defined until now. General speaking, it started from 16th Century and was developed based on the mission works of the early Missionaries, such as Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) and his confreres. From 16th to 19th Centuries, the Catholic and Protestant missionaries came into China for spreading the Christian Faith. They translated the Chinese Classics, rewrote some biblical stories or stories of Saints. And, the believers wrote their spiritual works. They wrote poems or documented their reflections on the Faith. From the 19th century until the 20th century, the Catholic Literatures disconnected gradually its function as a kind of tool for spreading the Faith. It focused more on its aesthetic facet as the genres of literature. This article aims to explore the origin, texts, developments and characteristics of Catholic Literature from 17th Century to contemporary in the context of Chinese culture, with the hope to present its special genres, functions and variations.