天主教文學在中華文化語境內，至今並未有較為確定的地位。一般認為其起始於16世紀，與當時早期來華的耶穌會利瑪竇等傳教士的傳教工作緊密相連。由16至19世紀，天主教與新教傳教士進入中國，為了傳教事業，他們透過翻譯、著述，編譯、撰寫與改寫福音故事，寓言式的證道故事、聖人故事、信友的傳記等。而本地的知識份子與信友在接受了基督信仰之後，也因信仰抒懷，撰寫了讚美詩或是短文。19世紀以後，乃至當代，天主教文學著作則逐漸脫離了教理傳遞的角色與方向，轉向更具文學性的小說文類以及詩歌的型式。本文擬由17世紀談起，初探自17世紀乃至當代在中華文化語境中重要的天主教文學的起源、文本、發展以及作品特色，期能梳理出天主教文學在中華文化語境的特殊形式、功能與變異。

Catholic Literature in the Context of Chinese Culture is not well defined until now. General speaking, it started from 16th Century and was developed based on the mission works of the early Missionaries, such as Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) and his confreres. From 16th to 19th Centuries, the Catholic and Protestant missionaries came into China for spreading the Christian Faith. They translated the Chinese Classics, rewrote some biblical stories or stories of Saints. And, the believers wrote their spiritual works. They wrote poems or documented their reflections on the Faith. From the 19th century until the 20th century, the Catholic Literatures disconnected gradually its function as a kind of tool for spreading the Faith. It focused more on its aesthetic facet as the genres of literature. This article aims to explore the origin, texts, developments and characteristics of Catholic Literature from 17th Century to contemporary in the context of Chinese culture, with the hope to present its special genres, functions and variations.