| Sumario: | The True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven (Ru Jiao Shi Yi), written in the early 18th century by French Jesuit missionary Joseph de Prémare (Ma Ruose), presents his interpretation of "Ru" (Confucianism) through a question-and-answer format. It explores three key dimensions: the transcendental aspect of "Heaven" (Tian), the transformation of religious emotion within the ethical subject, and the tolerant attitude of the subject in ritual relationships. Ultimately, it defines "Ru" as a "religion" -- Ru Jiao (Confucian religion). If we consider the Jesuits' concept of "Heaven" as representing transcendence, and the Confucian concept of "Ru" as representing subjectivity, then Prémare's interpretation lies between transcendence and subjectivity: he uses "Heaven" as a starting point to reinterpret and add value to Confucian thought. This "value-added" approach creates a unique mode of existence -- one situated in the tension between "Heaven" and "man." Prémare's interpretation not only inadvertently shaped a kind of "Confucian believer" (different from the traditional Confucian ideal of harmony between Heaven and man), but also deepened the question -- first raised by Matteo Ricci -- of whether Confucianism can be considered a religion. In this way, Prémare's work explores the depths of the idea of "integrating Christianity and Confucianism" and contributes to our understanding of the intellectual and existential condition of the "Christian Confucian."
|
|---|