Middle Eastern Worldviews Impact China Part 2: Legacy of Proto-Christian and Christian Ideas
Article Sidebar
Published:
Apr 5, 2019
Keywords:
Church of East, border ceremony, Chinese sages, Confucius’ jen, festivals
Main Article Content
Abstract
The activities of the Chinese sages operating around the time of Daniel the prophet and after contain information indicative of knowledge about the Divine. The ethical principles advocated by Confucius have a close resemblance to those outlined in the Old Testament and as affirmed and expanded on by the teachings of Christ. There also are the intriguing prophecies of Mencius, which seem to point to a coming Deliverer. Indeed, his birth-star is noted in Chinese astronomical records. The echoes of Judeo-Christian thought contained in folk mythologies and dominant non-Christian religions present themselves as springboards to encourage devotees to experience eternal truths and acknowledge the Creator God.
Article Details
Section
Academic Articles
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright: Asia-Pacific International University reserve exclusive rights to publish, reproduce and distribute the manuscript and all contents therein.
References
Analects. Retrieved from http://ctext.org/analects.
Baum, W., & Winkler, D. W. (2003). The Church of the East. London: Routledge Curzon.
Brandner, T. (2011). Trying to make sense of history: Chinese Christian traditions of countercultural belief and their theological and political interpretation of past and present history. Studies in World Christianity, 17.3, 216-236.
Bulkley, C. (1802). Notes on the Bible (vol. 2). London: J. Johnson.
Bush, R. C. (1977). Religion in China. Niles, Illinois: Argus Communications.
Aiken, C.F. (1908). Confucianism. In The Catholic encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04223b.htm.
Cheng, C.Y. (1991). New dimensions of Confucian and neo-Confucian philosophy. New York: State University of New York Press.
Chiangyin, P., & Fan, W. (Eds.). (2003). The history and civilization of China. Beijing: Central Document Publisher.
Creel, H. G. (1949). Confucius and the Chinese way. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers.
Dhyana Master Hua. (1974). The diamond sutra. Retrieved from https://archive.org/search.php?query=creator% 3A%22Master+Hsuan-Hua%22.
Eberhard, W. (1986). Dictionary of Chinese symbols (G. L. Campbell, translator). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Eliade, M. (Ed.). (1987). Confucian thought. In: Encyclopedia of religion (vol. 4). New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
Feng, G. F., & English, J. (1989). Tao te ching (translation of Lao Zi). Toronto: Vintage Books, Random House, Inc.
Ghost Festival. (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.chinauncensored.com/index.php/kaleidoscope/250yu-lan-festival.
Giles, H. A. (1976). Religions of ancient China. London: Archibald Constable & Co. Ltd.
Gordon, E. A. (1993). “World-healers,” or the lotus gospel and its bodhisattvas compared with early Christianity (vol. 1). Haryana, India: Vintage Books.
Hislop, A. (1916). The two Babylons or the papal worship proved to be the worship of Nimrod and his wife. London: S. W. Partridge & Co.
Holweck, F. (1907). The Feast of the Assumption. In The Catholic encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved from http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02006b.htm.
Huang, P. (2009). Confronting Confucian understandings of the Christian doctrine of salvation. Leiden: Brill.
Humphreys, C. J. (1991). The Star of Bethlehem–a comet in 5 BC–and the date of the birth of Christ. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society, 32(4), 489-407.
Hutton, C. (2008). Human diversity and the genealogy of languages: Noah as the founding ancestor of the Chinese. Language Sciences, 30, 512-530.
Kim, S. H. (1991). The Confucian heaven and the Christian god. In P. K. H. Lee (Ed.), Confucian-Christian encounters in historical and contemporary perspective. New York: The Edwin Mellen Press.
Lee, P. K. H. (Ed.). (1991). Confucian-Christian encounters in historical and contemporary perspective. Lampeter, Wales: The Edwin Mellen Press.
Legge, J. (1852). The notions of the Chinese concerning god and spirits. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Register Office.
Legge, J. (1983a). The Chinese classics: The shu jing (pt 5, bk 1, par. 11, p. 288). Tapei: SMC Publishing, Inc.; The Shi Jing (p. 316). Tapei: SMC Publishing, Inc.
Legge, J. (1983b). The Chinese classics: The shu jing (pt 5, bk 9, par. 17, p. 393). Tapei: SMC Publishing, Inc.
Legge, J. (1983c). The Chinese classics: The great learning (Text of Confucius) (1, p. 356). Tapei: SMC Publishing, Inc.
Legge, J. (1983d). The Chinese classics: The works of Mencius (bk 4, pt. 1, chap. 7, pp. 293, 296; pt 4, bk 2, chap. 4, par. 9, p. 183). Tapei: SMC Publishing, Inc.
Legge, J. (1983e). The Chinese classics: The works of Mencius (bk 3, pt. 2, chap. 5, 1, 273). Tapei: SMC Publishing, Inc.
Lewis, C. S. (1973). The abolition of man. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.
Lin, D. (1993). China letters. Rapidan, Virginia: Hartland Publications.
Mi-Lo-Fwo: Maitreya Buddha. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.buddhanet.net/elearning/history/maitreya-txt.htm
Mollier, C. (2013). Messianism and millenarianism. In F. Pregadio (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of Taoism (vol. 1). New York: Routledge, 2013.
Monaghan, P. (2014). Encyclopedia of goddesses and heroines. Novato, California: New World Library.
Nelson, E. R., & Broadberry, R. E. (1982). Genesis and the mystery Confucius couldn’t solve. Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House.
Nelson, E. R., Broadberry, R. E., & Chock, G. (1997). God’s promise to the Chinese. Dunlap, Tennessee: Read Books Publisher.
Ng, K. S. (1994). A ‘Mad Chinaman’ Christian looks at the Ch’ing Ming festival. ATESEA Occasional Papers, No. 13, 69-78.
Nichol, F. D., Cottrell, R. F., Neufeld, D. F., & Neuffer, J. (Eds.). (1957). The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary (vol. 6). Washington, DC: Review and Herald Publishing Association.
Oss, J. 2012. The week and the Sabbath in China (Eds. J. B. Youngberg & S. H. Hsiao). Berrien Springs, Michigan: John B. Youngberg.
Overmeyer, D. L. (1988). Messenger, savior, and the revolutionary. In A. Sponberg & H. Hardacre (Eds.), Maitreya, the future Buddha (pp. 110-134). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Painting Eggs for Qingming Festival (2012, March 29). China Daily. Retrieved from http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ photo/2012-03/29/content_14944263.htm.
Richardson, D. (1985). Eternity in their hearts. Ventura, California: Regal Books.
Ruthven, S. (2013). Traditional witchcraft and the pagan revival. Alresford, Hants: Moon Books.
Schmidt, R., Sager, G. C., Carney, G. T. et al. (1999). Patterns of religion. New York: Wadsworth Publishing Company.
Shipton, W. A. (2006). Different in a globalised world. Catalyst, 1(2), 19-37.
Seidel, A. (1984). Taoist messianism. Numen, 31(2), 161-174.
Some Notes on the Visibility of the 5 B.C. Chinese Star. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.astrosurf.com/comets/ cometas/Star/Visibility_Star.htm.
Sumiko, Y. (2000). History of Protestantism in China. Tokoyo: The Toho Gakkai.
Tan, C. (2013). Confucius. New York: Bloomsbury Academic.
Wang, S., & Nelson, E. (2002). God and the ancient Chinese. Dunlap, NT: Read Books Publisher.
Wang, S., Nelson, E. R., & Shipton, W. A. (2014). Confucius, the Chinese prophets, and their legacy. In W. Shipton, E. Coetzee, & R. Takeuchi, R. (Eds.), Worldviews and Christian education (pp. 180-193). Singapore: Partridge.
Ward, W. (1823). All religions and religious ceremonies. Part I. Christianity–Mohometanism, and Judaism. Hartford: Oliver D. Cooke & Sons.
White, E. G. (1911). The acts of the apostles. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association.
White, E. G. (1940). The desire of ages. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association.
White, E. G. (1941). Christ’s object lessons. Washington, DC: Review and Herald Publishing Association.
Wu, S. (1996). The four books and five jing in modern Chinese, yi jing. Beijing: International Cultural Publications, Inc.
Yuan, Z. M. (2009). China’s Confession (DVD). China Soul for Christ Foundation. Available from http://www.prayerforallpeople.com/chinasconfession.html [Chinese with English subtitles.
Zürcher, E. (1982). “Prince Moonlight”. Messianism and eschatology in early medieval Chinese Buddhism. T’oung Pao, second series, 68(1/3), 1-75.
Baum, W., & Winkler, D. W. (2003). The Church of the East. London: Routledge Curzon.
Brandner, T. (2011). Trying to make sense of history: Chinese Christian traditions of countercultural belief and their theological and political interpretation of past and present history. Studies in World Christianity, 17.3, 216-236.
Bulkley, C. (1802). Notes on the Bible (vol. 2). London: J. Johnson.
Bush, R. C. (1977). Religion in China. Niles, Illinois: Argus Communications.
Aiken, C.F. (1908). Confucianism. In The Catholic encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04223b.htm.
Cheng, C.Y. (1991). New dimensions of Confucian and neo-Confucian philosophy. New York: State University of New York Press.
Chiangyin, P., & Fan, W. (Eds.). (2003). The history and civilization of China. Beijing: Central Document Publisher.
Creel, H. G. (1949). Confucius and the Chinese way. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers.
Dhyana Master Hua. (1974). The diamond sutra. Retrieved from https://archive.org/search.php?query=creator% 3A%22Master+Hsuan-Hua%22.
Eberhard, W. (1986). Dictionary of Chinese symbols (G. L. Campbell, translator). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Eliade, M. (Ed.). (1987). Confucian thought. In: Encyclopedia of religion (vol. 4). New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
Feng, G. F., & English, J. (1989). Tao te ching (translation of Lao Zi). Toronto: Vintage Books, Random House, Inc.
Ghost Festival. (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.chinauncensored.com/index.php/kaleidoscope/250yu-lan-festival.
Giles, H. A. (1976). Religions of ancient China. London: Archibald Constable & Co. Ltd.
Gordon, E. A. (1993). “World-healers,” or the lotus gospel and its bodhisattvas compared with early Christianity (vol. 1). Haryana, India: Vintage Books.
Hislop, A. (1916). The two Babylons or the papal worship proved to be the worship of Nimrod and his wife. London: S. W. Partridge & Co.
Holweck, F. (1907). The Feast of the Assumption. In The Catholic encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved from http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02006b.htm.
Huang, P. (2009). Confronting Confucian understandings of the Christian doctrine of salvation. Leiden: Brill.
Humphreys, C. J. (1991). The Star of Bethlehem–a comet in 5 BC–and the date of the birth of Christ. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society, 32(4), 489-407.
Hutton, C. (2008). Human diversity and the genealogy of languages: Noah as the founding ancestor of the Chinese. Language Sciences, 30, 512-530.
Kim, S. H. (1991). The Confucian heaven and the Christian god. In P. K. H. Lee (Ed.), Confucian-Christian encounters in historical and contemporary perspective. New York: The Edwin Mellen Press.
Lee, P. K. H. (Ed.). (1991). Confucian-Christian encounters in historical and contemporary perspective. Lampeter, Wales: The Edwin Mellen Press.
Legge, J. (1852). The notions of the Chinese concerning god and spirits. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Register Office.
Legge, J. (1983a). The Chinese classics: The shu jing (pt 5, bk 1, par. 11, p. 288). Tapei: SMC Publishing, Inc.; The Shi Jing (p. 316). Tapei: SMC Publishing, Inc.
Legge, J. (1983b). The Chinese classics: The shu jing (pt 5, bk 9, par. 17, p. 393). Tapei: SMC Publishing, Inc.
Legge, J. (1983c). The Chinese classics: The great learning (Text of Confucius) (1, p. 356). Tapei: SMC Publishing, Inc.
Legge, J. (1983d). The Chinese classics: The works of Mencius (bk 4, pt. 1, chap. 7, pp. 293, 296; pt 4, bk 2, chap. 4, par. 9, p. 183). Tapei: SMC Publishing, Inc.
Legge, J. (1983e). The Chinese classics: The works of Mencius (bk 3, pt. 2, chap. 5, 1, 273). Tapei: SMC Publishing, Inc.
Lewis, C. S. (1973). The abolition of man. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.
Lin, D. (1993). China letters. Rapidan, Virginia: Hartland Publications.
Mi-Lo-Fwo: Maitreya Buddha. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.buddhanet.net/elearning/history/maitreya-txt.htm
Mollier, C. (2013). Messianism and millenarianism. In F. Pregadio (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of Taoism (vol. 1). New York: Routledge, 2013.
Monaghan, P. (2014). Encyclopedia of goddesses and heroines. Novato, California: New World Library.
Nelson, E. R., & Broadberry, R. E. (1982). Genesis and the mystery Confucius couldn’t solve. Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House.
Nelson, E. R., Broadberry, R. E., & Chock, G. (1997). God’s promise to the Chinese. Dunlap, Tennessee: Read Books Publisher.
Ng, K. S. (1994). A ‘Mad Chinaman’ Christian looks at the Ch’ing Ming festival. ATESEA Occasional Papers, No. 13, 69-78.
Nichol, F. D., Cottrell, R. F., Neufeld, D. F., & Neuffer, J. (Eds.). (1957). The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary (vol. 6). Washington, DC: Review and Herald Publishing Association.
Oss, J. 2012. The week and the Sabbath in China (Eds. J. B. Youngberg & S. H. Hsiao). Berrien Springs, Michigan: John B. Youngberg.
Overmeyer, D. L. (1988). Messenger, savior, and the revolutionary. In A. Sponberg & H. Hardacre (Eds.), Maitreya, the future Buddha (pp. 110-134). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Painting Eggs for Qingming Festival (2012, March 29). China Daily. Retrieved from http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ photo/2012-03/29/content_14944263.htm.
Richardson, D. (1985). Eternity in their hearts. Ventura, California: Regal Books.
Ruthven, S. (2013). Traditional witchcraft and the pagan revival. Alresford, Hants: Moon Books.
Schmidt, R., Sager, G. C., Carney, G. T. et al. (1999). Patterns of religion. New York: Wadsworth Publishing Company.
Shipton, W. A. (2006). Different in a globalised world. Catalyst, 1(2), 19-37.
Seidel, A. (1984). Taoist messianism. Numen, 31(2), 161-174.
Some Notes on the Visibility of the 5 B.C. Chinese Star. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.astrosurf.com/comets/ cometas/Star/Visibility_Star.htm.
Sumiko, Y. (2000). History of Protestantism in China. Tokoyo: The Toho Gakkai.
Tan, C. (2013). Confucius. New York: Bloomsbury Academic.
Wang, S., & Nelson, E. (2002). God and the ancient Chinese. Dunlap, NT: Read Books Publisher.
Wang, S., Nelson, E. R., & Shipton, W. A. (2014). Confucius, the Chinese prophets, and their legacy. In W. Shipton, E. Coetzee, & R. Takeuchi, R. (Eds.), Worldviews and Christian education (pp. 180-193). Singapore: Partridge.
Ward, W. (1823). All religions and religious ceremonies. Part I. Christianity–Mohometanism, and Judaism. Hartford: Oliver D. Cooke & Sons.
White, E. G. (1911). The acts of the apostles. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association.
White, E. G. (1940). The desire of ages. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association.
White, E. G. (1941). Christ’s object lessons. Washington, DC: Review and Herald Publishing Association.
Wu, S. (1996). The four books and five jing in modern Chinese, yi jing. Beijing: International Cultural Publications, Inc.
Yuan, Z. M. (2009). China’s Confession (DVD). China Soul for Christ Foundation. Available from http://www.prayerforallpeople.com/chinasconfession.html [Chinese with English subtitles.
Zürcher, E. (1982). “Prince Moonlight”. Messianism and eschatology in early medieval Chinese Buddhism. T’oung Pao, second series, 68(1/3), 1-75.