Authors & Affiliations: Hsieh L.C.

Pages: 7 - 27

Abstract: This article argues that the word in Philippians 3:1 should be translated as "timid," should be translated as "safe," and the phrase refers to the teachings on "humility" found within the letter. Greco-Roman culture advocates honor, and humility was often viewed as a manifestation of timidity and a lack of spirit Timidity stands in contrast to the might and power that defends the polis. Paul egresses a different view in Philippians 3:1. He declares that "humility is not a "timid" act but the only act that will make the polis "safe." Copyright © Chung Yuan Christian University.

Keywords: Paul's Letter to the Philippians; safety; timidity

Authors & Affiliations: Qinghe X., Department of History Shanghai Univeristy, China

Pages: 29 - 59

Abstract: The society was filled with the emotions of self-examinations and restraining sins during late Ming and early Qing dynasties. The introduction of Cadiolic hamartiology undoubtedly further enriched the discusses of sins in the intellectual 'world in Ming and Qing Qbina. This article explores die Catholic Hamartiology in details and its social significances during late Ming and eady Qing dynasties by analyzing related literatures It firstly discusses the concepts on sins by Qjafucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism before the Catholic Church entered China; secondly, it discusses the main contents of Hamartiolpgy of Western Christianity represented by St. Augustine and St. Aquinas. Then it analyzes the thoughts of Hamartiology in the Catholic works in Ming and Qing dynasties, and the social responses to these thoughts. Catholic Hamartiology actually marks the boundaries of the Catholic community, so as to distinguish it from other social groups, and thus plays an important role in shaping the identity of the Catholics during late Ming and eady Qing dynasties. © 2022 Chung Yuan Christian University. All rights reserved.

Keywords: boun; hamartiology; sin

Authors & Affiliations: Chang H.-H., Center of General Education, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taiwan

Pages: 61 - 87

Abstract: Xu Di-shan (1894-1941) is the author Who had the strongest religious consciousness in the New literature Movement in China. He not only wrote religious literature but also researched religions. While Christianity is the main topic of his fictional works, his academic achievements reveal a focus on exploring Buddhism and Daoism. Through a close reading his works, this paper explicates his viewpoints on religion and its influence both inwards in his own life of faith and outwards in his concern for society. Of particular interest is how he balanced the heavenly though its and the earthly behavior &om several religions as well as indigenized them. Xu Di-shan believed that human beings have an inherent need for religion. Therefore, he tried to make Christianity accessible and acceptable to the Chinese by integrating religious beliefs and virtuous deeds from Eastern philosophies and Western religion. This is a challenging task in an era when modernity was replacing traditions in China. Copyright © Chung Yuan Christian University.

Keywords: comparative religious studies; heavenly/earthly; religious literature; Xu Di-shan

Authors & Affiliations: Pa C.K., Department of Philosophy, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan

Pages: 89 - 113

Abstract: The community of "Jesus Family" a Chinese Pentecostal communitarian church established in the early 20 th Century, practiced the life style of primordial Christianity as inspired in the book of Acts. The members of the community sold all their personal belongings and had everything in common. Such unique feature of Jesus Family community resembles a form of communism. Therefore, it is rightly to define this Christian community as a representation of the ideals of Christian Communism. However, the Jesus Family distinguished itself from other similar Christian socialist groups in two significant ways: First is the abandonment of family ties, and second the prioritizing of spiritual lineage over bloodline relationships. In a sense, the deconstruction of family structure and bloodline relationships is their manifesto of "social bankruptcy." For family relationships can be considered as a form of "economic model" which can define property ownerships and creates material gains. Therefore, the establishment of a true "Jesus Family" can only be achieved by the abolishment ("bankruptcy") of natural family structure which is defined by bloodline and marriage, and replace it with a network of Spiritual lineage which is defined by faith. Copyright © Chung Yuan Christian University.

Keywords: bankruptcy; Communism; Pentecostal Charismatic; Spiritual lineage; Three-Self patriotic movement

Authors & Affiliations: Song N.J., School of Marxism, Shanxi Normal University, China

Pages: 115 - 135

Abstract: This paper aims to clarify some common misapprehensions about Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, whose theory is always characterized by the term Negative Theology, although he never used this words-combination. In order to restore Deny's original ideas, this paper starts with a reflection of four popular interpretations of Negative Theology, especially of the metaphysical theory represented by Denys Turner Next, this paper introduces a Plotinian equation of aphaeresis and apophasis, which Denys differentiates by constraining the use of the apophasis to describe the God himself and the aphaeresis to God's transcendence above the created world Thirdly, this paper advocates that the Dionysian Hierarchies containing a desire of rational beings are more than an ontological degree. Therefore, theological nominations of God according to the Hierarchies is from God's philanthropy, rather than ontological emanations out of Him. Fourthly, this paper proposes that modern theories of Negative Theology overlook a decisive principle of Dionysian linguistical philosophy, that is a God speaking to humans, and hence the word "theology" in Denys' works has to be translated literally as "words spoken by God" Lastly, after many reflections upon Turner's metaphysical theories, the ordinal way of Dionysian nomination reemerges to surface. Denys develops a system of God's names in four categories of Distinctive, Unified, Noetic, and Symbolic, but he never use the word Apophasis to indicate a kind of speech. In the epilogue, this paper attempts to rethink other aspects of the Apophasis, which in the Dionysian context is not an attitude to language, but also to ecclesiastical liturgy, and even more a way of mankind's theosis. Copyright © Chung Yuan Christian University.

Keywords: Dionysius the Areopagite; hierarchy; liturgy; negative/ apophatic theology; Neoplatonism

Authors & Affiliations: Wei W.Z., Henan University of Economics, Law School of Marxism, China

Pages: 137 - 163

Abstract: Schleiermacher had a high spirit of ecumenism and formulated some important principles in favor of ecumenical movement. Schleiermacher rejected the traditional Protestant claim that Protestantism is the purer form of Christianity, and that Roman Catholicism is the "Anti-christ." On the contrary, Roman Catholicism, like Protestantism, is a characteristic expression of the Christian spirit. Against the idealistic view which tended to see in Roman Catholicism and Protestantism two seccessive, qualitatively different stages in the development of Christianity, Roman Catholicism presenting the lower, Protestantism the higher stage in history, Schleiermacher utilizing the romantic principle of individualkation, made it possible to consider all the various churches (including both Roman Catholicism and Protestantism) as simultaneous, not successive, individual manifestations of the Christian spirit Schleiermacher was the main advocate of Prussian church union of 1817. Different from the Lutheran view that ecumenism should be based on the doctrinal unity, Schleiermacher thought that ecumenism is of practical, not theoretical. Copyright © Chung Yuan Christian University.

Keywords: ecumenism; Prussian church union; Schleiermacher

Authors & Affiliations: Ho P.-S., Department of Philosophy, College of Politics and Public Administration, Soochow University, China

Pages: 165 - 195

Abstract: One of the main issues in postmodern continental philosophy is how onto-theology should be overcome. Marion's proposal, saturated phenomenology, draws heavily on the negative theology of the medieval theologian Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. Marion's attempt at bringing together two different philosophical contexts is noteworthy. Thus, in order to investigate how Dionysius' thought can be used to overcome onto-theology, this article aims to study the cases of Marion's interpretation of Dionysius and Dionysius' theory of unknowing in his Mystical Theology. I will contend that Marion misunderstands Dionysius on several counts, and that Dionysius' theory of unknowing develops an alternative proposal outside the lineage of Marion's phenomenology. More crucially, from Dionysius' viewpoint, the theory of unknowing has two strengths over saturated phenomenology: first, it consistently explains how the conceptualization of God can be avoided; second, it strikes a balance between over-interpretation and radical skepticism regarding our attempt at knowing God. © 2022 Chung Yuan Christian University. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Jean-Luc Marion; negative theology; onto-theology; Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite