Catholic Universities as Missionary Spaces

Wilhelm Schmidt, Chen Yuan, and the Catholic University in Beijing

Abstract

This article examines the ‘missionary space’ of the Catholic University of Beijing (Furen University), particularly studying how the Catholic visions of the Western missionary society in charge of the university, the Society of the Divine Word, negotiated with, cooperated, and ultimately came in conflict with the ideas of the Chinese faculty, embodied in the Chinese President of the university, Chen Yuan. It focuses on the moral and intellectual claims by both sides. I argue that moral claims mattered, and ultimately the Western missionary society lost its legitimacy due to actions that it took during and after the Second World War.