Abstract
The scholar who wishes to investigate in depth historical, literary, or theological issues connected with the “Luminous Teaching” (Jingjiao 景教)—as East-Syrian Christianity, still often called “Nestorianism,” 1 was referred to in Tang China—faces a fundamental difficulty: the lack of historical and archaeological sources. Even literary sources, although significant, number only a few texts, almost nothing when compared with the huge amount of Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist literature that circulated or was produced in Tang China.2
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Notes
From Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople (fifth century), the reference figure for the theology of this Church. For an outline introduction to the history and theology of the Church of the East, see: E. Tisserant, s.v. “Nestorienne (l’Église),” in Dictionnaire de Théologie Catholique, vol. XI/1 (Paris: Letouzey et Ané, 1931), 157–323;
R. Le Coz, Histoire de l’église d’Orient (Paris: Cerf, 1995);
W. Baum and D. W. Winkler, The Church of the East. A Concise History (London: Routledge Curzon, 2003);
H. Teule, Les Assyro-Chaldéens (Turnhout: Brepols, 2008). For the misnomer given to this Church, see
S. Brock, “The ‘Nestorian’ Church: A Lamentable Misnomer,” Bulletin of the John Rylands University Library of Manchester 78, no. 3 (1996): 23–35.
For an introduction in English to the Tang Christian literature, see M. Nicolini-Zani, “Past and Current Research on Tang Jingjiao Documents: A Survey,” in Jingjiao. The Church of the East in China and Central Asia, ed. R. Malek (Sankt Augustin: Steyler, 2006), 23–44.
A. C. Moule, Christians in China before the Year 1550 (London-New York-Toronto: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1930), 69–70.
M. Nicolini-Zani, “The Tang Christian Pillar from Luoyang and Its Jingjiao Inscription. A Preliminary Study,” Monumenta Serica 57 [2009]: 99–140).
See, a.o., A. Forte, “The Chongfu-si 崇福寺 in Chang’an. A neglected Buddhist monastery and Nestorianism,” appendix to P. Pelliot, L’inscription nestorienne de Si-ngan-fou, pp. 429–472; S. Holth, “The Encounter between Christianity and Chinese Buddhism during the Nestorian Period,” Ching Feng 11, no. 3 (1968): 20–29;
I. S. Seah, “Nestorian Christianity and Pure Land Buddhism in T’ang China,” Taiwan shenxue lunkan 台灣神學論刊 (Taiwan Journal of Theology) 6 (1984): 75–92.
J. W. Inglis, “The Nestorian Share in Buddhist Translation,” Journal of the North China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 48 (1917): 12–15.
See A. Forte, “A literary model for Adam: the Dhūta monastery inscription,” in P. Pelliot, L’inscription nestorienne de Si-ngan-fou, pp. 473–487; Chen Huaiyu, “The Connection between Jingjiao and Buddhist Texts in Late Tang China,” in Jingjiao, ed. R. Malek, (Sankt Augustin: Steyler, 2006) pp. 93–113; Id., “The Encounter of Nestorian Christianity with Tantric Buddhism in Medieval China,” in Hidden Treasures and Intercultural Encounters. Studies on East Syriac Christianity in China and Central Asia, ed. D. W. Winkler and Li Tang (Münster: Lit, 2009), 195–213.
For a detailed discussion of this topic see M. Nicolini-Zani, La via radiosa per l’oriente. I testi e la storia del primo incontro del cristianesimo con il mondo culturale e religioso cinese (secoli VII–IX) (Magnano: Qiqajon-Comunità di Bose, 2006), 75–83.
J. Foster, The Church of the T’ang Dynasty (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1939), 112 (italics mine). A similar opinion is found in
Tang Li, A Study of the History of Nestorian Christianity in China and Its Literature in Chinese. Together with a New English Translation of the Dunhuang Nestorian Documents (Frankfurt-am-Main: P. Lang, 2002), 142: “Even though Nestorians adopted many Buddhist and Taoist phrases in their texts, syncretism should not be considered a serious case.”
R. Malek, “Faces and Images of Jesus Christ in Chinese Context. Introduction”, in The Chinese Face of Jesus Christ, ed. Id., vol. I (Sankt Augustin: Institut Monumenta Serica–China-Zentrum, 2002), 36.
See D. S. Lopez jr., ed., Buddhist Hermeneutics (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1988).
See M. Pye, Skilful Means. A Concept in Mahayana Buddhism (London: Duckworth, 1978);
J. W. Schroeder, Skilful Means. The Heart of Buddhist Compassion (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2001).
See A. Matsunaga, The Buddhist Philosophy of Assimilation. The Historical Development of the Honji-Suijaku Theory (Vermont-Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle, 1969), 98–138 (“Buddhist Assimilation in China”).
See K. K. S. Ch’en, The Chinese Transformation of Buddhism (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973);
E. Zürcher, The Buddhist Conquest of China. The Spread and Adaptation of Buddhism in Early Medieval China, 2 vols. (Leiden: Brill, 19722).
The PhD dissertation by G. B. Mikkelsen, Manichaean Skilful Means. A Study of Missionary Techniques Used in the Introduction of Manichaeism into China (Århus, Denmark: Århus University, 1999), has shown this by means of a detailed analysis of Manichaean technical terminology borrowed from Buddhism. He demonstrates how this missionary strategy was able to strike a balance between “skilful Buddhistization” and “faithful transmission.” See also:
P. Bryder, The Chinese Transformation of Manichaeism. A Study of Chinese Manichaean Terminology (Löberöd: Plus Ultra, 1985);
H. Schmidt-Glintzer, “Das buddhistische Gewand des Manichäismus. Zur buddhistischen Terminologie in den chinesischen Manichaica,” in Synkretismus in den Religionen Zentralasiens. Ergebnisse eines Kolloquiums vom 24.5 bis 26. Mai 1983 in St. Augustin bei Bonn, ed. W. Heissig and H.-J. Klimkeit (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1987), 76–90;
S. N. C. Lieu, Manichaeism in the Later Roman Empire and Medieval China (Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr, 19922); Id., Manichaeism in Central Asia & China (Leiden: Brill, 1998).
See for example G. Odasso, Bibbia e religioni. Prospettive bibliche per la teologia delle religioni (Roma: Urbaniana University Press, 1998).
See, a.o., J. Dupuis, Christianity and the Religions. From Confrontation to Dialogue (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2001);
M. Dhavamony, Christian Theology of Religions. A Systematic Reflection on the Christian Understanding of World Religions (Bern: P. Lang, 2001); Id., Ecumenical Theology of World Religions (Roma: Pontificia Università Gregoriana, 2003).
See W. E. Biernatzki, Roots of Acceptance. The Intercultural Communication of Religious Meanings (Rome: Pontificia Università Gregoriana, 1991);
Ph. Stockhammer, ed., Conceptualizing Cultural Hybridization. A Transdisciplinary Approach (Berlin: Springer, 2011).
See C. Stewart, “Syncretism and Its Synonyms. Reflections on Cultural Mixture,” Diacritics 29 (1999): 40–62.
See R. Aguirre, “The Multiple Heritages in Christianity: Jerusalem versus Athens?” Concilium 45, no. 2 (2009): 15–23.
See M. Nicolini-Zani, “Religious Heritages in the Christianity of Eastern Asia: Some Examples from the Christian History of China and Japan,” Concilium 45, no. 2 (2009): 68–78.
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© 2013 Perry Schmidt-Leukel and Joachim Gentz
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Nicolini-Zani, M. (2013). Christian Approaches to Religious Diversity in Premodern China. In: Schmidt-Leukel, P., Gentz, J. (eds) Religious Diversity in Chinese Thought. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137318503_8
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