The German Jesuit Johann Adam Schall von Bell (1592–1666) belongs to the great personalities of the China mission of early modern times. After the pioneer of the China mission, Matteo Ricci (1552– 1610) he opened new ways for a successful Christian mission. Chosen for the mission due to his abilities in astronomy along Johannes Schreck and Giacomo Rho, Schall von Bell became the leader in charge of the reform of the Chinese calendar from 1629–1635. Working together with a team of Chinese and European scholars he proved that a cooperation between East and West is necessary and possible. With his knowledge Schall served three emperors, namely the Chongzhen Emperor 崇禎

(1627–1644), the Shunzhi Emperor 順治 (1643–1661) and the Kangxi Emperor 康熙 (1661–1722). In the service of the three emperors, he also built a bridge between the Ming and the Qing dynasties. The life of this complex personality shows the problems and opportunities of an intercultural meeting on an equal level.

Prof. Dr. Claudia von Collani, affiliated to the Chair of Missiology and Dialogue of Religions at the University of Würzburg, specialist in the history of the Chinese Rites Controversy, inculturation, mission theology of early modern times, cultural and scientific exchange between Europe and East Asia, history of science and medicine, and especially Chinese Figurism. She was and is involved in several international research projects including the Far Eastern influence on

the German school theatre of the Jesuits and the “Acta-Pekinensia-project” in collaboration with the Macau Ricci Institute and the Ricci Institute at Boston College.

Recent publications

• Kilian Stumpf SJ, The Acta Pekinensia or Historical Records of the Maillard de Tournon Legation. Volume 2. September 1706 – December 1707, edited by Paul Rule and Claudia von Collani (Studies in the history of Christianity in East Asia, volume 1) (Leiden 2019).
• The Jesuit Rites Controversy, in: Ines G. Županov (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of the Jesuits (New York, Oxford 2019) 891-917.
• The Genesis, Editions and Translations of Longobardo’s Treatise, in: Thierry Meynard, Daniel Canaris (eds.), A Brief Response on the Controversies over Shangdi, Tianshen and Linghun (Singapore 2021) 1-26.
• Yin-yang (Yijing) and the Bible, in: K.K. Yeo (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of the Bible in China (Oxford 2021) 201-218.
• Historia Magistra Vitae – the China Mission as a Kaleidoscope, in: Prof. Roman Malek SVD und sein Wirken für die Kirche in China (Górna Grupa 2021) 136-149.
• Mission to China: From the Rites Controversy to Figurism, Verbum SVD 63,2-3 (2022) 206- 237.
• Die gläserne Mission: Kilian Stumpf und seine Glashütte in Peking, in: Enno Bünz / Martin Rehak / Katrin Schwarz (Hg.), Kirche, Glaube, Theologie in Franken. Festschrift für Wolfgang Weiß zum 65. Geburtstag (Würzburg 2022) 165-180.