Matteo Ricci’s missionary work in China was a remarkable cross-cultural mission in the 16th Century. Matteo Ricci introduced Christian teaching to the Chinese literati. By adopting the Chinese language and culture, he was able to enter the center of the Chinese society which was normally closed to foreigner. His missionary approach was effective. Ricci did not approach the Chinese culture with superiority like other Western missionaries. He behaved that he came to China to learn. Ricci made notable sacrifices to study the language―he had learned to speak, read and write Chinese, the habits and customs of the Chinese, as to make them his own. Ricci’s second cultural approach is to conform life-style with the socio-ethical system. When Ruggieri and Ricci first entered China together in 1583, they were dressed as Buddhist monks. Later, Ricci found that the monks he met were neither learned nor well respected. Ricci decided to carry his religious testimony to the very heart of the society, and for this, he adopted the life style and dress of educated Confucians. Ricci had grown his hair and beard and put on the scholar’s robes. Ricci’s third approach was to write many moral writings. It was an academic approach. Ricci’s moral writings had attracted the Confucian literati, even by those did not sympathize with his religious ideas. In T’ien-chu shih yi, Ricci mentioned that T’ien-chu [Lord of Heaven] in Christianity was same as Shang-ti [Sovereign Lord] in Confucianism. Ricci’s fourth cultural approach was the introduction of Western science and technology. Ricci displayed world map, western clocks, Venetian prism, European paintings and books. Ricci was accepted widely among the literati by his knowledge of mathematics and other sciences; by the curious objects he had brought, and even by his alleged knowledge of alchemy. Ricci’s fifth cultural approach was to respect Chinese rites and customs. Through discussion with the Chinese literati, Ricci indirectly introduced the Christian point of view on the various problems and matters. His Chinese disciples demonstrated that to accept the Christian faith did not imply abandoning one’s own culture, nor mean diminishing loyalty to one’s own country and traditions, but rather that the faith offered them to serve their country. By this reason, Jesuit missionaries allowed to worship at a shrine of Confucius and to perform a religious service in an ancient rite. In fact, an ancient rite was very delicate and sensitive issue at that time. It requires careful approach through theological reflection and evaluation because cultural accommodation may change to relativism or syncretism. As a missionary, Ricci never forgot his ultimate goal: the preaching the Gospel and the conversion of China. Ricci’s missionary work in China is still a model of Asian missionary work. Ricci’s missionary method through cultural accommodation was vital and actual as ever. It is necessary for the effective missionary works to understand the social structure of the field. Without destroying or ignoring their own culture and customs, we can carefully make a connection between Christianity and culture and customs of the field.

• 조은식(숭실대 교수ㆍ선교신학) | Cho Eunsik