"At the nexus : De Rotz’s letters to the Shanghai procure" / Pan Zhiyuan

Published in the Journal of the Study on Religion and History No. 2

Abstract:

Through an analysis of a series of letters written by Marc de Rotz, a missionary from the Paris Foreign Missions Society (MEP) in Nagasaki, to Jean-Baptiste Martinet, the Society’s procurator in Shanghai, this study reveals the crucial role of the Shanghai Procure as a central hub in the Catholic missionary network in East Asia during the late nineteenth century. In the circulation system of the MEP’s Eurasian routes at the time, Shanghai was a vital gateway connecting Japan with the headquarters in Paris, thus forming a close link between Shanghai and Nagasaki. The letters show that in the face of challenges, De Rotz turned to Shanghai for theological guidance, material support, and assistance with personal needs. He consulted with the Jesuit priest Aloysius Sica in Shanghai, through the procurator Martinet, on how to handle the issue of traditional beliefs in Japan, which were similar to thosein China. He requested prints from the Tushanwan Orphanage by Adolphe Vasseur to be replicated and disseminated in Japan. Additionally, with Martinet’s help, he was able to withdraw funds he had raised in Europe from his Shanghai bank account to alleviate a famine in Sotome. The friendship between De Rotz and Martinet further facilitated the exchange of information  and resources  between  them.  This research emphasizes the lasting impact of the Shanghai Procure as a maritime link in the broader network of East-West exchange

"Translating Catholic heritage through local environment : materiality of Japan’s world heritage" / Yamada Toru

Published in the International Journal of Asian Christianity: Vol. 8 (2025): Iss. 2 :
Special Issue: Asian Catholic Materials and Space

Abstract:
For years, Nagasaki officials discussed and negotiated with residents from local communities in each municipality in order to prepare their nomination proposal for unesco’s World Heritage list. The core heritage narrative of the “Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region” proposal took shape around Catholic church buildings and heritage materials. In this article, the author argues that as the World Heritage narrative emphasizes the historic materiality of these heritage buildings, Catholic materiality has been somewhat secularized as the nomination progressed. In order to avoid stirring up controversy, Nagasaki’s public officials delicately used the heritage churches as the material intermediaries to moderate the uneasy relationships among the locals as well as to connect it with the interests of the national actors.