The economy of the Spanish Franciscan mission in China during the 17th century: the funding sources, expenditures, loans and deficits

Abstract

In the 17th century, the Spanish Franciscans, remained active in China as an important missionary force. With unremitting efforts, they gradually established their own mission in the provinces of Shandong, Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Jiangxi, etc., and achieved outstanding results. However, these missionaries dedicated to the religious enterprise were bound to encounter many economic difficulties, not only to secure the missionaries’ own primary living conditions, but also to carry out missionary activities. For a long time, researchers paid relatively little attention to the economic dilemmas of missionaries, especially those related to the Franciscans. This work tries to utilize the missionary letters and reports to analyze the economy of the Spanish Franciscans in China during the 17th century.