The Spirit and the Flesh in Shandong, 1650-1785

An account of the experiences of European missionaries working in provincial China and of their Chinese converts. From the Franciscan missionaries' viewpoint, the work was isolated and difficult, conversions coming slowly and with a great deal of hardship; the new Christians suffered under the strain of a hostile imperial government as well as pressure from local scholar-officials, who viewed Christianity as an alien and subversive force. Mungello (Baylor U.) views spirit and flesh as complements aptly illustrating the tensions between the moral ideals that inspired the missionaries and the human weaknesses and temptations that brought their downfall in the 18th century. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

D. E. Mungello is professor of history and director of Asian studies at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He is the author of The Great Encounter of China and the West.