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THE
TRUE MEANING OF THE LORD OF HEAVEN 天主實義 Matteo
Ricci s.j. Translated, with Introduction
and Notes, by Douglas Lancashire and Peter Hu Kuo-chen, s.j. Variétés Sinologiques no. 72 © Taipei Ricci Institute, 1985 485 pages / 15.5 x 23 cm / paper cover Language : A Chinnese-English Edition USD 29 / Euro 33 / NT 500 |
THE
TRUE MEANING OF THE LORD OF HEAVEN 天
主 實義 For
two thousand years explorers, merchants, missionaries and diplomats have been
building bridges between China and the West. Four hundred years ago Matteo
Ricci, an Italian Jesuit, initiated an encounter between Chinese culture and
Western Christianity which has continued ever since. One of Ricci's most famous
works, The True Meaning of the Lord of
Heaven, was written in Chinese in dialogue form. In it Ricci attempted to
introduce Chinese literati to some of the fundamental ideas of the Judaeo‑Christian
tradition. Based upon conversations
Ricci had with sixteenth century Chinese scholars, this work allows us to
overhear how he explained to his Chinese friends Western views about the
purpose of life, human nature, the existence of God. As the first writer to
attempt an extensive treatment of such questions in Chinese, Ricci achieved
some outstanding successes and committed some regrettable errors. The history
of Christianity in China is somehow mirrored in Ricci's portrait of himself,
the Chinese intelligentsia of the declining Ming dynasty, and their effort to
communicate with each other. Douglas Lancashire and
Peter Hu, in addition to providing us with the rare first edition of the
Chinese text and a very readable translation, help us, by means of their
introduction and notes, to situate the dialogue in time and place as well as
in the thought world of Ricci's day. China and the West
continue to fascinate each other. Why? Ricci's dialogue and the Chinese
reaction to it reveal part of the answer. |
