The history of 17th century Christian mission in the East is often told through the lives and works of Jesuits Matteo Ricci and Roberto de Nobili. But there is another story: that of Alexandre de Rhodes, S.J. (1593-1660) and his Catechismus, the first Christian theological work in Vietnamese. Mission and Catechesis explores how de Rhodes contributed to the Christianity's inculturation in Vietnam centuries ago. Considered the founder of Vietnamese Christianity, de Rhodes personally baptized thousands, organized the church in Tonkin and Annam, launched the ""order of catechists, "" and successfully lobbied to establish the hierarchy there. De Rhodes also left a permanent cultural legacy through his promotion of the romanization of Vietnamese script -- which is used to this day as the national standard... For scholars of mission studies, church history, and Asia, as well as those involved in concrete issues of inculturation and catechesis today, Mission and Catechesis provides a fascinating history and a unique example of the how and why of inculturation.