Jesuit Missionaries in Late-Ming China

Michele Ruggieri and Matteo Ricci were the first Jesuit missionaries that entered mainland China. At first, they both dressed as Buddhist monks, but later Ricci shifted to the strategy of “complementing Confucianism.” Ricci’s The True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven demonstrates the compatibility of Confucianism and Catholicism and had long-lasting influence on the Christian missionary work in China.