The history of 17th century Christian mission in the East is often told through the lives and works of Jesuits Matteo Ricci and Roberto de Nobili. But there is another story: that of Alexandre de Rhodes, S.J. (1593-1660) and his Catechismus, the first Christian theological work in Vietnamese. Mission and Catechesis explores how de Rhodes contributed to the Christianity's inculturation in Vietnam centuries ago. Considered the founder of Vietnamese Christianity, de Rhodes personally baptized thousands, organized the church in ...
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The history of 17th century Christian mission in the East is often told through the lives and works of Jesuits Matteo Ricci and Roberto de Nobili. But there is another story: that of Alexandre de Rhodes, S.J. (1593-1660) and his Catechismus, the first Christian theological work in Vietnamese. Mission and Catechesis explores how de Rhodes contributed to the Christianity's inculturation in Vietnam centuries ago. Considered the founder of Vietnamese Christianity, de Rhodes personally baptized thousands, organized the church in Tonkin and Annam, launched the "order of catechists, " and successfully lobbied to establish the hierarchy there. De Rhodes also left a permanent cultural legacy through his promotion of the romanization of Vietnamese script -- which is used to this day as the national standard. Part One reviews Indo-China's history, and the emergence of the land that we now call Vietnam. Phan capably guides readers through the intricacies of the Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist ways intertwined in Vietnamese life. Part Two presents de Rhodes' masterwork, the Catechism for Those Who Desire to Receive Baptism Divided into Eight Days. Phan shows how it represents an extraordinary achievement of both translation and inculturation. As de Rhodes outlines the essentials of the Christian faith in Vietnamese cultural and religious terms, it becomes clear how thoroughly he understood the sensibilities of his catechumens. For scholars of mission studies, church history, and Asia, as well as those involved in concrete issues of inculturation and catechesis today, Mission and Catechesis provides a fascinating history and a unique example of the how and why of inculturation.
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