The death of Italian Jesuit Matteo Ricci in China in 1610 was the occasion for demonstrations of Western rituals appropriate for a Catholic priest and also of Chinese rituals appropriate to the country hosting the Jesuit community. This book explores the role of ritual--specifically rites related to death and funerals--in cross-cultural exchange, demonstrating a gradual interweaving of Chinese and European ritual practices at all levels of interaction in China. Nicholas Standaert is professor of Sinology at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.

Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Chinese and European Funerals
2. Missionaries' Knowledge of Chinese Funerals
3. The Gradual Embedding of Christian Funeral Rituals in China
4. Funerals as Public Manifestation
5. Funerals as Community Practice
6. Christian versus Superstitious Rituals
7. Imperial Sponsorship of Jesuit Funerals
8. Conclusion: The Metaphor of Textile Weaving
Appendix
Notes
Chinese Glossary
Abbreviations
Bibliography
Index