Readings for Week 4

I'm not sure if we will be able to complete topic 2 during week 4. However, I went on ahead and prepared a reading guide for those parts in topic 2 that were not covered in the reading guide for week 3.

Tukaram: ‘god-crazy’
1) Why is Tukaram said to be god-crazy?
2) How does Tukaram view himself?
3) How is poetry and worship related?
4) How are these poems “vernacular”?

Topic C. Southeast Asia Circa 1600
Introduction
What is the danger of emphasizing Europe and the year 1511 in our understanding of Southeast Asia?

Topic 2 D East Asia: Two Sixteenth Century Europeans Perceptions:
No 1 Selections from the Diary of Matteo Ricci
1) How does Matteo Ricci view (a Italian Jesuit) view Chinese technical abilities?
2) How does he compare Chinese and Western styles of printing?
3) How would the ability to print cheap books affect society, especially in regards to the vernacular?
Note: Matteo Ricci would not have written “BCE” as that notation did not exist when this journal article was written.

No 2 St. Francis Xavier Letter from Japan, to the Society of Jesus in Europe, 1552
1) How does Xavier characterize the Japanese people?
2) How does he view Buddhism (the religion of the bonzes)?
3) What difficulties did some Japanese have with Catholic Christianity?
4) How did Xavier resolve this difficulty?
5) How do the Jesuits form a world wide system?
6) How does Xavier view China? (Note: Matteo Ricci follows Xavier Chronologically, he was born in the year this letter was written)

Supplemental readings
Topic 2 C doesn’t have a direct chapter but there is a chapter that gives information Europeans in Asia and information on Southeast Asia: 229-247
Topic 2 D 245-275 (Yi/Choson Korea, 181-183)

Themes
1) The rise vernacular literature
2) Early meetings between Asians and Westerners
3) The importance of religion