The Jesuit Meridian: Centre as Practice in Seventeenth-Century World Images

Abstract Defining the central point on maps and other visual representations of the world posed practical questions during the early modern period, particularly for organizations engaged in long-distance and overseas activities. The Society of Jesus, like many such organizations, grappled with the “meridian question.” However, the Jesuits were exceptional in their dual consideration of this question from both geographical and spiritual standpoints. Furthermore, the Jesuits disseminated their perspectives globally through widely circulated publications, embedding their views in the consciousness of diverse audiences. This article argues that Jesuit media turned “centre” from a fixed cartographic spot into a functional and movable reference – a Jesuit meridian – chosen to coordinate hours, jurisdictions, languages, or devotion. Reading Sino-Jesuit cartography alongside Roman publications associated with Athanasius Kircher, the study shows that media and venue shape how “centre” works. Projection-driven maps manage centre through convention; Roman instruments and emblematic programmes declare a coordinating reference; theological–linguistic diagrams recentre meaning rather than space. Rather than a single answer, Jesuit materials present a repertoire calibrated to task and audience. Because the Society was global and influential yet plural in voice, its media show how early modern actors made distant worlds commensurable without insisting on one middle.