The USF Ricci Institute

May 20, 2021. The concluding presentation of the Ricci Scholars’ Study Lecture Series for the 2021 spring semester took place today. The presentation consists of three lectures: Introduction to the Korean Catholic Archives by Dr. Franklin Rausch, Associate Professor from Lander University, The National Archives of Japan: A Resource for the Study of the History of Christianity & Christian Culture in Japan by Dr. M. Antoni J. Ucerler, S.J., Associate Professor from University of San Francisco, and Studying Mission Properties in Modern China Utilizing Archival Records by Hongyan Xiang, Associate Professor from Colorado State University. The presenters shared with the participants rich information of archival sources in their respective studies relating to the study of the history of Christianity in East Asia.

May 13, 2021. Rev. Anh Q. Tran, S.J., Associate Professor from Santa Clara University presented his lecture at the Ricci Scholars’ Study lecture series. Entitled The Impact of Catholic Literature on the Faith Identity of Vietnamese Believers in Pre-modern Vietnam (1620-1900), Prof. Anh Tran traced through his presentation the impact of catechisms, prayers, devotional works, and lives of the saints produced by Western missionaries and their local assistants on Catholic life, allowing the faith to gradually implant in the soil of Vietnam.

May 6, 2021. Dr. Javier Takamura from Oxford University is the speaker for the second presentation at the 2021 Spring Semester’s Ricci Scholars’ Study lecture series. The title of his lecture is Luís Fróis’s História de Japam: New Interpretations. By focusing on the work by Luís Fróis (1532-1597), a Portuguese Jesuit to Japan, the presentation suggests that there is an underlying theme of ‘opposing cultures’ between Japan and Europe in his writings. Further, Fróis should be considered not only the first historian of the mission, but also the first editor of the history of the Japan mission.

April 22, 2021. Qingfan Jiang delivered the first presentation at the 2021 Spring Semester’s Ricci Scholars’ Study lecture series. Entitled The Emperor's Mistake: Western Music in China and the Creation of a Universal History, her presentation explored how Jesuit missionaries helped to transmit musical knowledge between China and Europe and how this transmission led to the construction of a global eighteenth century. Qingfan Jiang was a doctoral research fellow at the Ricci Institute in 2018, and has just successfully defended her doctoral dissertation in historical musicology last week at Columbia University.

April 9, 2021. The Ricci Institute announces the Ricci Scholars’ Study Lecture Series for the 2021 semester on the study of the history of Christianity in East Asia. In the upcoming weeks. These lectures are: April 22 (Thursday), 7:00 a.m. PDT: The Emperor’s Mistake: Western Music in China and the Creation of a Universal History by Ms. Qingfan Jiang, Columbia University; May 6 (Thursday), 7:00 a.m. PDT: Luís Fróis’s História de Japam: New Interpretations by Dr. Javi...er Takamura, Oxford University; May 13 (Thursday), 7:00 a.m. PDT: The Impact of Catholic Literature on the Faith Identity of Vietnamese Believers in Pre-modern Vietnam (1620-1900) by Rev. Prof. Anh Tran, S.J., Santa Clara University; May 20 (Thursday), 7:00 a.m. PDT: Panel Presentation, Sources and History: Some Archival Collections in the Study of the History of Christianity in China, Japan, and Korea, by Rev. Prof. M. Antoni J. Ucerler, S.J., University of San Francisco; Prof. Hongyan Xiang, Colorado State University; Prof. Franklin Rausch, Lander University. In order to join the lectures, please fill out the registration form at: https://usfca.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0oG3ru37sm7UCB8. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants prior to the lectures. See more

February 12, 2021 (Chinese New Year). The staff members of the Ricci Institute at the University of San Francisco wishing all colleagues, friends, and their loved ones in the world a very happy Chinese New Year of Ox!

The Ricci Institute invites applications for Luce Post-doctoral Research Fellowships for the summer of 2021 as part of an on-going project supported by the Henry Luce Foundation in New York. For details, please visit: https://drive.google.com//1Gbbq_sRTTn44WqDycFkiXCO_f/view Deadline to apply is February 28, 2021.

The Ricci Institute invites applications for Doctoral Research Fellowships for the summer of 2021. For details, please visit: https://drive.google.com//1guJze5D0Oh_QU0FPCe-B4BuHU/view Deadline to apply is February 28, 2021.

December 25, 2020 Dear Friends of the Ricci Institute,... On behalf of the entire staff of the Ricci Institute, I would like to convey my warmest greetings for Christmas. May this time be full of joy and peaceeven though we are living in dark and heartbreaking times. I would like to share with you a work of art from our Celestial Icons art collection. Here is an image painted on silk in 1948 in Beijing by a Chinese Christian artist which depicts the scene of Mary and Joseph being refused entry at the gate , for there was no place for them in the inn. It is taken from the gospel of Luke 2:7. Perhaps like never before has the Christmas story come alive to us in a literal way that is most uncomfortable. We are neither able to welcome or be welcomed at the gates of our own family and friends. We cannot travel and we cannot be with those we care about most. We all feel vulnerable and helpless in many ways we may perhaps never have experienced before. Despite these difficulties, and perhaps because of them, we are filled with an even greater sense of gratitude for all the scholars, junior and senior, who attended our online lectures and discussions over the past year. Your support for what we do has been tremendously important to all of us at the Institute. Many communicated to me how important this connection with colleagues and friends was to them, both personally and professionally at a time when libraries are closed, events have been cancelled, and many scholarly resources remain unavailable behind locked doors. We hope and pray that with the new vaccines, the light at the end of the tunnel will become ever brighter and in 2021 we will be able to reconvene in person for many of our activities. Later in January we will be providing more detailed information about our fellowship programs. Please stay safe and healthy! May the New Year bring abundant blessings and healing. We look forward to welcoming you back to the Ricci Institute soon! M. Antoni J. Ucerler, S.J. (Director)

Dec. 9, 2020. The third virtual lecture in our Ricci Scholars' Study series was presented by Dr. Haruko Nawata Ward, Ph.D. (Prof. of Church History, Columbia Theological Seminary) entitled "Kirishitan Women in Japan's Christian Century." Dr. Nawata Ward's presentation illustrated how Kirishitan women (Catholic women converts) were active in the Jesuit mission during Japan’s "Christian Century" (1549-1650), and examined issues of gender and religious identity in the early modern world. The lecture focused on women catechists such as Nait Julia (1566-1627), a noblewoman and former Buddhist nun expelled to the Philippines in 1614, and others such as Araki Susana, martyred in 1626. Dr. Nawaka Ward was introduced by Ricci Institute Director, Fr. Antoni Ucerler, S.J.

December 2, 2020. For our second Ricci Scholars' Study Program, Dr. Paul S. Cha (Korea Foundation Assistant Professor of Korean Studies, University of Hong Kong) presented: "Balancing Communities: Nation, State, and Protestant Christianity in Korea, 1884-1942." Prof. Cha examined the social context of the early history of Protestantism in Korea starting with the arrival of the first resident Protestant missionary in 1884 and ending with the expulsion of missionaries from the ...peninsula by the Japanese colonial government in 1942. Prof. Cha's presentation describes how improperly calibrated communal demands produced conflict and instability among missionaries, Korean Christians, and the state, and how this led to surprisingly stable and long-lasting relations at the cost of persistent inequality in the hierarchy of power embedded in these associations. Prof. Franklin Rausch, Assistant Professor from Lander University, S. Carolina, introduced Prof. Cha at the beginning of the lecture. See more

July 30, 2020: The concluding session of the Ricci Institute’s Summer Fellowship Program was titled: History of Christianity in China and Beyond. It was led by experts Dr. Anthony Clark, Professor of Chinese History, Whitworth University, and Dr. Joseph Tse-hei Lee, Professor of History, Pace University. Both experts shared their reflections on the successes and diversification within the community of researchers on Christianity in China, as well as the expansion of themes ...being pursued by Chinese scholars from mainland China. The discussion offered provocative insight into themes being explored into Catholicism and Protestantism in China such as the role of Chinese religious actors, particular literature produced by Chinese intellectuals, and rethinking the legacy of Christian resources on the collaboration between church and state. The session was concluded by a discussion into overcoming challenges in interdisciplinary studies and other new developments in the subject area. The Ricci Institute wants to take this opportunity to thank everybody who has contributed and attended this unique summer fellowship program. See more

July 28, 2020: One of the concluding sessions for the Ricci Institute’s Summer Fellowship Program Ricci Scholars’ Study , was titled History of Christianity in Japan, Korea and Comparative Studies. The expert panelists leading the presentation were Rev. M. Antoni J. Ucerler, S.J., Director, USF Ricci Institute and Dr. Donald Baker, Professor in Korean History and Civilization, University of British Columbia. Both Fr. Antoni and Dr. Baker shared their valuable insigh...ts on the state of the field regarding linguistic requirements in engaging with sources, as well as posing unexplored themes that remain in current scholarship. Both presenters provided provocative thoughts on their respective regions and offered inspiring ideas on bridging current segmented academic realms, such as the publication in different languages. The two presentations were followed by an engaging open discussion on various themes and the direction of studies in Christianity in Japan and Korea. See more

July 23, 2020: The Ricci Institute’s Summer Fellowship Program Ricci Scholars’ Study hosted an insightful roundtable meeting featuring an informal gathering of senior scholars, specialists in academic resource development, Ricci Institute research associates, and former Ricci Institute research fellows. We were fortunate enough to have seven of the 2020 summer fellowship applicants to present their research during this session. The presentations were followed by fasc...inating dialogues with some invited senior scholars and specialists knowledgeable in the topics. The senior scholars were generous enough to conclude the presentations with constructive comments, reflections, and suggestions on possible research hurdles and an enlightened sharing of valuable primary sources available. The roundtable session was completed with a wonderful video presentation by Mark Mir on updates within the library and archival sources of the Ricci Institute. See more

July 16, 2020. This week’s Ricci Institute Summer Fellowship Program presentation was by Dr. LI Qiang, Assistant Researcher, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences titled: Between China and the West: Chinese Jesuits of the Kiang-nan District in Modern Chinese Society (1842-1912). The presentation provided an insightful positioning of the Chinese Jesuits as indigenous representatives of the church in China, as well as a refreshing analysis of the often-overlooked works and cont...ributions of the Chinese Jesuits during this period. Dr. Li provided fascinating accounts of prominent Chinese Jesuits to highlight the roles they played between the Catholic Church and Chinese Society, their relations with local Catholic Communities and local Chinese society, and their efforts on the combination of Catholic belief and Chinese traditional culture. The ensuing discussion was led by Dr. Steven Pieragastini, Lecturer in Asian Studies, Loyola Marymount University, and provided an engaging discussion on the role of Chinese Jesuits in establishing a unique cultural, political, and social self-identification as Chinese Catholics. See more

July 14, 2020. In an event by invitation for the Ricci Institute’s Summer Fellowship Program, Dr. Giulia Falato, Lecturer, University of Oxford, gave a presentation on her personal experiences and insights on turning her PhD dissertation into a book. Dr. Falato was generous to describe the early steps and stages of her work from her first submission as a doctoral dissertation to the final draft to the publisher. The presentation explored the valuable insights and further unde...rstanding of the material gained through translation, as well as the necessity to consider the original writer’s intent when translating. The presentation touched on Jesuit use of semantic loaned words in Chinese, and the consideration required that these loaned words could have a variety of similar meanings. The presentation was followed by a discussion led by Dr. Soh JeanHyoung, Research Fellow, Seoul National University, with an enlightening exchange of experiences in publishing and emphasis on the value of consistency throughout the publishing process. See more

July 9, 2020. Stephen Ford, Editorial Assistant at USF Ricci Institute and Ph.D. Candidate at Harvard University delivered his Summer Fellowship Program presentation titled: So What? The Publication Process, and How to Persuasively Make Your Point in Print. Stephen’s presentation provided his personal insight and background into the editorial side that goes into publishing academic journal articles and scholarly monographs. Stephen spoke about his background with the Ricci ...Institute’s Brill series, Studies in the History of Christianity in East Asia, as an illustration of the steps and considerations editors use in the process of publishing works. The discussion following the presentation was led by Dr. Joseph Ho, Assistant Professor, Albion College. Dr. Ho provided helpful insight from his personal experience trying to publish his monographic work. Both Stephen Ford and Dr. Ho concluded with advice on how to properly set expectations throughout the process, as well as how to best speak up for your work. See more

July 2, 2020. Dr. Amanda Clark, Library Director and Associate Professor at Whitworth University presented a lecture at the Ricci Institute’s Summer Fellowship Program Ricci Scholars’ Study . Entitled: Looking through the Lens of the Life of Charles McCarthy: a lecture on Rev. Charles J. McCarthy, S.J. and the Jesuit mission in Shanghai, the presentation provided an engaging background into the life of Charles McCarthy, his work in journalism while in Shanghai, and ...the influential role he played in mid-20th century U.S.-China relations. Utilizing the rare photographs gathered by Dr. Clark and Jesuit archives, the presentation provided a colorful examination of Jesuit missionary activity in China in the 1940s and 1950s. Following the presentation was an engaging discussion led by Rev. Robert Carbonneau, C.P., Research Associate, USF Ricci Institute, on the significance of framing the city of Shanghai’s role in this time period, as well as the overall challenges of engaging and promoting media from within China, both then and modern day. See more

June 26, 2020: Week 2 of Ricci Institute’s Summer Fellowship Program Ricci Scholars’ Study featured a presentation by Devin Fitzgerald, Curator for Rare Books and the History of Printing at UCLA Library Special Collections. Devin Fitzgerald’s lecture was titled: The Digital Archive of Materials for the History of Sino-Western Relations. The presentation provided an engaging overview of the current landscape of digital collections for studying the history of Christian...ity in East Asia, and the steps needed in navigating the contents and formatting of digital sources. The presentation emphasized the need to think bibliographically about the advantages of digital sources and the growing significance digital archives are playing in the history of Christianity. The presentation was followed by an informative discussion led by Devin Fitzgerald and Mark Mir, Librarian and Archivist at USF Ricci Institute. The session was concluded by an interesting dialogue by Professor Eugenio Menegon, Boston University, on upcoming developments of research databases emerging in the field. See more

June 26, 2020. The Ricci Institute presents Looking through the Lens of the Life of Charles McCarthy, a lecture on Rev. Charles J. McCarthy, S.J. and the Jesuit mission in Shanghai by Dr. Amanda Clark, Library Director and Associate Professor at Whitworth University, WA. The lecture will take place on July 2 (Thursday), 7:00 8:00 a.m., PDT, USA. Looking through the lens of the life of Charles McCarthy, the lecture will examine Jesuit missionary activity in China in the 19...40s and 1950s, and will highlight rare photographs both gathered by Clark in China and from Jesuit archives. Rev. Robert Carbonneau, C.P., Research Associate of the Ricci Institute will serve as the discussant. This lecture is open to the public internationally through Zoom. Those who are interested in attending, please register at: https://usfca.zoom.us//tJcrc--qrT0pHdAU1vKuzSAIVYTHvmQh2wRw You can convert the lecture starting time to your local time by visiting: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

June 18, 2020: Rev. M. Antoni J. Ucerler, S.J., Director of the Ricci Institute, initiated the Ricci Institute’s Summer Fellowship Program Ricci Scholars’ Study with his keynote lecture entitled "The Samurai & the Cross: Japanese & Chinese Sources on the History of Christianity in Premodern and Tokugawa Japan". The presentation featured an in-depth look at artifacts, primary source books, and manuscripts acquired by the Ricci Institute that provide an overview of criti...cal junctures in early Japanese Christian history. The presentation also explored the significance of Chinese Jesuit texts during the Edo period, as well as the key role the city of Nagasaki played in the transmission of Christian culture, both before and after the prohibition of Christianity in 1614. The lecture conducted through Zoom was followed by a compelling open discussion with the numerous attendants and experts from around the world. See more

The Ricci Institute will present its second public lecture for its Summer Fellowship Program on Thursday, June 25, from 8:00 9:00 p.m. PDT. The speaker will be Devin Fitzgerald, Curator for Rare Books and the History of Printing at UCLA Library Special collections. In this presentation, participants will be introduced to methods for approaching research projects on the History of Sino-Western relations through digital resources. By focusing on digital resources from Wester...n European libraries and archives up until the year 1800, the presentation will introduce the overall landscape of digital collections for studying the history of Christianity in East Asia, and the digital collections that can support this research. It will also include a segment on both the dangers and advantages of using digital facsimiles for history. By the conclusion of this presentation, participants will have an overall sense of the strengths and weaknesses of several major repositories, and a general understanding of how these collections have developed. This lecture is open to the public internationally through Zoom. Those who are interested in attending, please register at: https://bit.ly/2YXm9n8 To convert the lecture starting time to your local time, please visit: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

June 10, 2020. The Ricci Institute announced a new summer program Ricci Scholars’ Study . Through video conferencing, this program is designed to provide opportunities for scholars affiliated with the USF Ricci Institute to interact with each other and to share their research and most recent work in progress. During the program, specialists will deliver public lectures on the study of the history of Christianity in China, Japan, and Korea, as well as related resources. ...On June 18 (Thursday), 2020, from 9:00 p.m. 10:15 p.m. (PDT), Rev. M. Antoni J. Ucerler, S.J., Director of the Ricci Institute will deliver a keynote presentation entitled The Samurai & the Cross: Japanese & Chinese Sources on the History of Christianity in Premodern and Tokugawa Japan. This presentation will briefly introduce some of the salient events of early Japanese Christian history through artifacts as well as primary source books and manuscripts that the Ricci Institute acquired over the past several years. A number of books and manuscripts in our collection also tell the story of the influence of Chinese Jesuit texts on the scholars of the Edo period. Both before and after the prohibition of Christianity in 1614, the city of Nagasaki played a key role in the transmission of Christian culture. To attend the lecture through Zoom, register at: https://usfca.zoom.us//tJIkcu6przwoEtI1hyxax4qFViDQbJDv3bhH See more

March 11, 2020. The book launch of the second volume of the "The Acta Pekinensia or Historical Records of the Maillard de Tournon Legation" was hosted at Campion Hall, one of the six permanent private halls of the University of Oxford. The volume, edited by the eminent sinologists Paul Rule and Claudia von Collani, is a part of the series "Studies in the History of Christianity in East Asia", co-produced by the USF Ricci Institute and Brill. Keynote speakers for the event wer...e Antoni Ucerler S.J., Director of the USF Ricci Institute, Stephan Rothlin S.J., Director of the Macau Ricci Institute, Prof Claudia von Collani, University of Würzburg and Stephen Ford, editor of the Brill series at the Ricci Institute. (Photos and text contributed by Dr. Giulia Falato, Departmental Lecturer in Chinese, University of Oxford and former Research Fellow of the Ricci Institute) See more

January 24, 2020 (). The Ricci Institute staff joins our friends and families in wishing you all a very Happy New Year of the Rat!