Prospero Intorcetta

Prospero Intorcetta in 1671

Prospero Intorcetta (1626, Piazza Armerina – 1696)(Chinese name:殷鐸澤) was a Jesuit who was active in China in the 17th century. He reached China in 1659, together with the French Jesuit Philippe Couplet, and worked in the Jiangnan region.^[1]

Works

Intorcetta studied Chinese philosophy, and published in 1662 his notes related to the study of the Four books, entitled The meaning of Chinese wisdom as explained by Fr. Ignacio da Costa, Portuguese, of the Society of Jesus, and made public by Fr. Prospero Intorcetta, Sicilian, of the same society.^[2] In 1667, he also published Sinarum scientia politico-moralis, and in 1687 Confucius Sinarum philosophus together with Philippe Couplet.

Confucius Sinarum Philosophus ("Life and works of Confucius"), by Father Philippe Couplet and Father Prospero Intorcetta, 1687.

See also

• Jesuit China missions

Notes

References

• Paternicò, Luisa M. (2011). “Prospero Intorcetta and the Confucius Sinarum Philosophus”, in L.M. Paternicò (ed.). The Generation of Giants. Jesuit missionaries and scientists in China on the footsteps of Matteo Ricci. Trento: Centro studi Martino Martini, pp. 61–68.
• Liam Matthew Brockey, Journey to the East: The Jesuit Mission to China, 1579-1724, Harvard University Press, 2007, ISBN 0-674-02448-6, ISBN 978-0-674-02448-9

External links

• Bibliographical dictionary of Chinese Christianity