Jesus was born in Asia, and today Asia is home to over 130 million Catholics. This course examines the history of Catholicism in Asia, from the early Church’s growth in Persia and India, up to the present day. The geographic regions of focus will stretch from Mesopotamia and Persia in the west, to India and Southeast Asia, to China, Korea, and Japan in the north and east. We will consider the causes for greater or lesser success in the growth of Christianity in different Asian contexts: e.g., attitudes of temporal authorities, missionaries’ strategies, interactions of Christians with other religious groups, and the witness of Asian saints. Throughout the course, we will pay special attention to “inculturation,” the dynamic, creative interplay between faith and culture.