At the Frontier of God's Empire: A Missionary Odyssey in Modern China

At the Frontier of God's Empire is a book that tells the story of Alfred Marie Caubrière, a French Catholic missionary who lived in Manchuria from 1899 to 1948. It explores the interactions between Caubrière and the local Chinese people, as well as the broader political and social context of the time, including the collapse of the Qing empire, the rise of Japanese Manchukuo, and the emergence of communist China. The book uses Caubrière's personal archive and primary sources to provide a unique insight into the lives of ordinary Chinese people at the margins of society during this period.

Format: Hardback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 28 March 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

At the Frontier of God's Empire delves into the captivating tale of Alfred Marie Caubrière (1876-1948), a French Catholic missionary who arrived in Manchuria on the brink of the Boxer Uprising in 1899. Tragically, he met his end on the eve of the birth of the People's Republic of China in 1948. Over half a century, Caubrière lived among the ordinary Chinese people, witnessing the collapse of the Qing empire, the ensuing warlord chaos, the rise and fall of Japanese Manchukuo, and the emergence of communist China. Ji Li, the author, has extensively relied on Caubrière's remarkable personal archive, providing a unique window into the intricate interactions between Manchuria's grassroots society and the international players who shaped its destiny. Caubrière's gripping accounts bring the Catholic Church's expansion in East Asia to life, showcasing the intricate interplay between missions and empire within local communities. Through Caubrière's experiences, At the Frontier of God's Empire explores the lives of Chinese individuals residing at the social and cultural margins during this transformative period. A wealth of primary sources, including family letters and visual depictions of village scenes, illuminates vital aspects of modern Chinese history, such as the transformation of local societies, mass migrations, religious dynamics, tensions between church and state, and the significance of cross-cultural exchanges in the daily lives of Chinese Catholic communities. This profound transformation of Manchurian society encapsulates the interplay of domestic and international forces that shaped the making of modern China.

Weight: 524g
Dimension: 162 x 243 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197656051