Confucian Culture and Christian Faith
No culture or political ideology can be equated with Christian truth. Jesus’s words—“My kingdom is not of this world”—remain a vital reminder for the church today.
Confucianism
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Traditional China Meets Christianity
Traditional China’s worldview—Confucianism, Daoism/folk religion, Buddhism, and the management of “heterodoxy”—shaped how Christianity was first seen: foreign, sometimes tolerated, and often misunderstood.
Would Aquinas and Zhu Xi Embrace AI?
These eminent thinkers represent and have shaped two major traditions—Christianity and Confucianism. Hence, their wisdom may offer valuable guidance for Christians living and serving in a Confucian cultural context.
Taking Confucian Spirituality Seriously
We should not erect an artificial barrier to sharing the gospel of Jesus by insisting on a Western language that non-Christians in Asia are not familiar with. Jesus is the answer, yes, but to what questions? East Asian people have a rich tradition of spiritual formation in the general sense of renovating the heart.
Human Flourishing in Chinese Thought: A Christian Response
Enjoy the recording of I’Ching Thomas’ lecture, “Human Flourishing in Chinese Thought: A Christian Response.” Drawing on themes from her book Jesus the Path to Human Flourishing, I’Ching explored the notion of human flourishing in Chinese thought, focusing especially on Confucius’ teaching on self-cultivation and benevolence as keys to achieving the ideal of the Noble Man.
Human Flourishing in Chinese Thought: A Christian Response
On April 5, in the gorgeous Nazareth Chapel at the University of Northwestern-St.Paul, I’Ching Thomas delivered a fascinating lecture titled “Human Flourishing in Chinese Thought: A…
Taking Chinese Spirituality Seriously
Christians need to acknowledge a fact. We might disagree on whether Confucianism is a religion or not. But Confucianism, together with Daoism and Buddhism, are spiritual traditions that have provided “chicken soup” for Chinese souls for more than two thousand years.
Chinese Culture and Christianity: Diving into the Archives
Chinese culture is a rich and complex topic, and we’ve created a reading (and listening!) list from our archives for you to immerse yourself in this subject.
Barriers to Apologizing, Part 2
Li Qiang said, “Chinese culture has moralized everything. Someone who makes a mistake is seen as flawed, deficient, and having shortcomings. A person who has not made mistakes is morally higher.”
Barriers to Apologizing, Part 1
Should Li Qiang behave according to the general expectations of the superior person and not apologize? Or should he obey the Bible, confess his sin, apologize, and face whatever possible negative repercussions there may be, if or when they come?
An Elephant in the Room: Face
In our conflict resolution conversations, conflict coaching, and mediation help, face is sometimes the elephant in the room—if never acknowledged and addressed, reconciliation is hindered. Let’s address the elephant in the room and develop a new God-centered orientation to face.
Are You in Conflict?
As Christians in China study biblical peacemaking, many have had personal aha moments…they now see that conflict starts in the heart and that avoiding addressing the root heart issues in order to “avoid conflict,” only results in the heart conflict remaining.