Anthony E. Clark. Heaven in Conflict

Heaven in Conflict: Franciscans and the Boxer Uprising in Shanxi provides a vivid and at times moving account of one of the most horrific events during the Boxer Uprising of 1900, the mass killing of Western missionaries and thousands of Chinese converts in the northern province of Shanxi. In this book, which is based on a sensitive reading of primary sources, Anthony E. Clark builds on his earlier work (most notably China’s Saints: Catholic Martyrdom during the Qing, 1644–1911 [2011]) by drawing our attention to Christians whose experiences have been largely overlooked, namely Franciscan missionaries who strove to preach the word of God in highly difficult circumstances. Clark’s study is divided into two main parts of three chapters each. Part I (“The Drought and the Heavenly Battle”) sets the stage by describing the efforts of the Franciscans in China, as well as the beliefs and practices of both these missionaries and the Boxer rebels bent on their annihilation. Part II (“The Deluge and the Earthly Battle”) opens with a stimulating analysis of two groups of women caught up in the maelstrom of conflict: young (often prepubescent) women known as “Red Lanterns” and nuns (the Missionaries of Mary) who sought to convert the Chinese through their compassion and good works. This is followed by a dramatic account of the massacre, as well as the equally brutal Western reprisals and subsequent reconstruction efforts.

Ancient history · Archaeology · Battle · China · Heaven · Political science · Reading (process) · Chinese history and philosophy · Historical Studies and Socio-cultural Analysis · History · Law · Vietnamese History and Culture Studies