China through the Magic Lantern: Passionist Father Theophane Maguire and American Catholic Missionary Images of China in the Early Twentieth Century

In the early twentieth century, many American Catholics gained their first and deepest impressions of China through a religious lens. They learned about the culture and current conditions in China from visiting missionaries. This article explores how the illustrated slideshow lectures of American Passionist priest, Father Theophane Maguire, helped shape the way American Catholics thought about China. The 1920s, when Maguire served as a China missionary, and the 1930s, when he lectured about China to American audiences, coincided with the period missiologist Angelyn Dries refers to as “America’s hour” in overseas missions. It marked a high point for American Catholic foreign missions in which the China missions in particular attained the most public support, financial resources, and human capital. The magic lantern and other types of slide shows helped American audiences not only visualize China, but these novel visual experiences also paved the way for new patterns of connections between China and the United States. Maguire’s presentations promoted perceptions of China that reflected U.S. Catholics’ emerging sense of cross-cultural sympathy.