The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci - Couverture souple

Spence, Jonathan

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 1847243444 ISBN 13 : 9781847243447

Editeur : Quercus Publishing, 2008

Synopsis

In 1577, a Jesuit priest named Matteo Ricci set out from Italy on a long journey to bring the Christian faith and Western thought to Ming dynasty China. He spent time in India and Macao before entering China in 1583 to undertake mission work. Travelling widely, Ricci learned local languages, mastered Chinese classical script, drew the first-ever map of the world in Chinese and acquired a rich appreciation of the indigenous culture of his hosts. In 1596, Ricci wrote a short book in Chinese on the art of memory for the governor of Jiangxi province, who was preparing his three sons for China's demanding civil service examinations.In it, he described a 'memory palace' in which to hold knowledge such as might help the three brothers and their peers in the Ming social elite to pass their exams with flying colours. Ricci must have hoped that, in gratitude to him for instructing them in mnemonic skills, they would use their newly won prestige to further the cause of the Catholic Church in China. To capture the complex emotional and religious drama of Ricci's life, author Jonathan Spence relates the missionary's experiences via a series of images. Four of these images derive from events described in the Bible, the others from Ricci's book on the art of memory that was circulated among members of the Ming dynasty elite. A rich and compelling narrative about a remarkable life, "The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci" is also a significant work of global history, juxtaposing the world of Counter-Reformation Europe with that of Ming China.

A propos du livre

À propos de l?auteur

Jonathan Spence is the author of more than a dozen books on China, including the Gate of Heavenly Peace, The Search for Modern China, Mao Zedong and God's Chinese Son. A Sterling Professor of History at Yale, he is a past president of the American Historical Association and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He lives in Westhaven, Connecticut.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Quercus Publishing
• Date d'édition: 2008
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 1847243444
• ISBN 13: 9781847243447
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 368
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible