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This book offers a study of the cosmogonic works by Fr. Angelo Zottoli S.J., a Jesuit missionary who has received relatively little attention by modern scholars, but who deserves a special recognition for his theological and philosophical ideas. More generally, the book aims to shed light on the importance of cosmogony in the cross-cultural and interdisciplinary environment of Xujiahui, the area in modern Shanghai where Zottoli flourished. It shows how through Zottoli's teaching and sermons he was able to reimagine his own cosmogonic ideas, his personality, and his relationship with local Chinese converts. Among Zottoli's most famous students was Ma Xiangbo ( 1840-1939) and Zottoli played a crucial role in Ma's intellectual formation.
A wider familiarity with Zottoli's works is not only interesting in and of itself, but also paves the way to future studies on the complex and multifaceted relationship between European missionaries and Chinese students in Shanghai during the nineteenth century.
List of contents
Angelo Zottoli and His Mission.- The Labyrinth of Zi-ka-wei.- A Cosmogonic Journey: Zottoli's Works and Ideas about the Cosmos.- Zottoli's Works in Dialogue with Chinese Culture and Jesuit Spirituality.- The Qu pi xun meng , (Cathchism Illustrated with Examples or Using Parables to Instruct The Ignorant, 1869-1870), An Introduction to Zottoli's Chinese Roman Catholic Cosmogony.- The Fifth Chapter of The Qu pi xun meng and The Main Cosmogonic Ideas.- The Sixth Chapter of The Qu pi xun meng: The Role of Humans in the Cosmos and The Nature of Evil.- A Cross-Road of Dreams and Hopes.
About the author
Antonio De Caro is a Postdoctoral Scientific Researcher within the Centre for Early Medieval Studies at Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. He earned his PhD degree at Hong Kong Baptist University under the supervision of Prof. Lo Ping Cheung. After his doctoral studies he has been awarded with the prestigious Young Scholar Award by the EACP (European Association for Chinese Philosophy).
Report
"This book explores the life of Angelo Zottoli ... and his cosmological thought. ... The study of Angelo Zottoli's theological and philosophical ideas shows how Zottoli reconceived his cosmology through his teaching and preaching in Shàngh i, revealing the importance of cosmogenesis in the cross-cultural and interdisciplinary context of Zi-ka-wei. The book contributes to the study of both the history of Christianity in China and the history of the development of Christian theology in China." (Wei Xiong, Religious Studies Review, Vol. 49 (2), June, 2023)
