China's old churches : : the history, architecture, and legacy of Catholic sacred structures in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei Province / / by Alan Richard Sweeten.

• Superior document: Studies in the History of Christianity in East Asia; volume2
• VerfasserIn: Sweeten, Alan Richard,
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden, The Netherlands ;, Boston : : Brill,, [2020]; ©2020
• Year of Publication: 2020
• Language: English
• Series: Studies in the History of Christianity in East Asia; volume2.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource.

China’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 Contents

An introduction to old churches -- Church building and church buildings -- The historic churches of Central Beijing -- Greater Beijing's old church sites and churches -- Tianjin's old sacred structures -- Old churches in Hebei's small cities, towns, and villages -- The churches of rural Zhuozhou, past and present -- The Catholic legacy.