In September 2024, the China Social Sciences Press published the first edition of Thirteen Lectures on the History of Christian Thought, edited by the Centre for Christian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). Below are the snapshots of this book's thirteen lectures.
Lecture 1 by Dong Jiangyang – What Kind of Christianity, What Kind of Christian: Factions and Divisions in Modern Christianity
In Christianity, internal factions have historically been defined by established denominations or sects. In the 20th century, however, there has been a shift towards a cross-denominational model based primarily on theological positions. This shift has given rise to numerous new alliances, movements, and trends, leading to a dichotomy between two major camps: the liberal and the conservative. This article aims to analyze, dissect, and evaluate the causes, factions, contexts, divisions, and contradictions of factionalization and grouping within contemporary Christianity.
Lecture 2 by Yang Huaming – A Discussion on the Dialectics of Christian Theology
Based on an exploration of the history of dialectics and an analysis of the concepts of dialectics, this article concludes that dialectical theology is an organic dialectical system based on the “identity” of the Triune God, with the “relevance” of God to the world as its carrier, and composed of three key elements: “structural dialectics,” “substantive dialectics” (further divided into “dialectics of the sacred” and “historical dialectics”), and “methodological dialectics.”
Lecture 3 by Tang Xiaofeng – From Highbrows to Lowbrows: A Review of the History of Christianity from Constantine to AD 600
The concept of God’s consciousness is essentially a reflection of human consciousness. Therefore, it is inevitable that human judgments of theological disputes based on God’s name are inherently limited and fallible. If we were to compare the dedication of the early apostles and church fathers, who were willing to sacrifice themselves for a pure and true faith, to the performance of highbrow music, then Jesus’ followers in the Roman Empire 300 years later, when faced with the sudden acceptance and approval of the secular world, they quickly shifted their focus to more popular tunes.
Lecture 4 by Liu Guopeng – An Analysis of the Ancient and Modern Transformations of the Roman Curia from the Perspective of Canon Law
The Roman Curia, as the representative of the Pope in overseeing pastoral responsibilities for the global Catholic Church, serves as the central governing body and a vital component of the Holy See. Its role is of utmost importance, functioning in two distinct dimensions. Firstly, it operates as a nation’s central government, managing administrative, judicial, and authoritative functions. Secondly, as an integral part of the Holy See, it carries out the tasks of teaching, sanctifying, and managing on behalf of the Pope. The Roman Curia acts as a crucial intermediary, enabling the Pope to effectively govern the Catholic Church worldwide.
Lecture 5 by Liu Guopeng – Papal Primacy: Origin, Legitimacy, and Function
Papal primacy serves as the cornerstone of the Catholic Church’s extensive and interconnected ecclesiastical hierarchy. It is also a crucial factor in establishing the Holy See’s international sovereignty. Without this foundational principle, the distinctive features that set the Catholic Church apart from other Christian denominations and major world religions would be compromised.
Lecture 6 by Zhuo Xinping – The Pinnacle of Thomas Aquinas’s Journey in Theology
Thomas Aquinas skillfully utilized Aristotelian philosophy to develop the medieval scholastic philosophical system, blending philosophical rationality and logical argumentation with theology. He formulated five arguments to demonstrate the existence of God, including the Cosmological Argument and Teleological Arguments, while advocating for a form of moderate realism. Aquinas delved into essential cognitive concepts such as existence, essence, and being, underscoring the belief that existence is inherent in God’s essence. His theories stand as the epitome of theological excellence in the evolution of medieval Christian thought.
Lecture 7 by Zhuo Xinping – Bonaventure’s Fascination with Mystical “Wisdom”
As a scholastic theologian, Bonaventure approached theology with a sapiential perspective rooted in mysticism. His emphasis on the importance of a fervent pursuit of wisdom set him apart from his contemporaries. Bonaventure did not see wisdom (sapientia) simply as the use of reason or as a speculative science. Instead, he believed that wisdom could be found in experiences such as love, peace, ecstatic union with God, and the elevation of the spirit. He believed that faith was more important than reason in the pursuit of theological understanding. Bonaventure also explored complex theological concepts such as overflow and illumination, and archetype and copy.
Lecture 8 by Zhou Weichi – The Succession of the Doctrine of Imago Dei: Thomas Aquinas’ Succession to and Transformation of Augustine’s Imago Dei Doctrine and Its Problem
When considering the Imago Dei doctrines, Aquinas adopted Augustine’s psychological approach in the analogy of the Trinity, which compares God’s image in humans to the acts of knowing and loving. However, Aquinas also modified Augustine’s Imago Dei doctrines by replacing the Augustinian concept of “memory-understanding-love” with “mind-understanding-love”. In doing so, Aquinas overlooked or omitted an important concept of Augustine’s – the idea of “memoria sui/se nosse, where “memoria” signifies self-awareness in a phenomenological sense.
Lecture 9 by Tang Xiaofeng – The Hybridization of Buddhism, Daoism, and Christianity: The Sinicization Attempt by Nestorianism in the Tang Dynasty
During the Tang Dynasty, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism began to merge their intrinsic doctrines, moving away from their traditional separation. In this era of ideological fusion, Christianity’s doctrine of divine transcendence was seen as a minority theory that eventually merged with the ideas of exhortation to goodness, understanding the idea of “karma” – cause and consequence, the liberation of the self from desires and wishful thinking, and the pursuit of virtues.
Lecture 10 by Zhou Weichi – The Spread of Augustine’s Doctrine of Imago Dei to the East and Its Challenges
Augustine’s theory of the renewal of the image of God in man examines the concept of the imago Dei from a soteriological perspective. This article examines the history of the spread of Augustine’s theory to the East, highlighting the presence of two schools within it. The first school, as the mainstream, upheld the traditional Augustinian “memory-understand-love” theory of the image of God, while the second school, as a branch, leaned towards Aquinas’ “mind-understand-love” theory of the imago Dei. In the context of China during the Ming and Qing dynasties, these schools each offer their own insights into how to renew the image of God in human beings.
Lecture 11 by Dong Jiangyang – Deism and Its Influence on the Founding Fathers in America
Deism emerged during the Enlightenment as a new theological perspective that departed from traditional Christianity. Instead of relying on revelation, mysticism, and transcendentalism as in traditional Christianity, Deism sought to reinterpret and reconstruct Christian theology based on the principles of nature and reason. This article examines the development, manifestations, and characteristics of Deism in North America and explores its influence on the Founding Fathers and Framers. It also examines the alliances, divisions, and transformations within and beyond Christianity in America.
Lecture 12 by Yang Huaming – Anabaptist Theologian Yoder and Christian Pacifism
This article explores the ideas of contemporary Christian theologian John Howard Yoder on Christian pacifism. By examining Yoder’s life, exploring the history and theology of Anabaptism, and analyzing Yoder’s book The Politics of Jesus, his pacifism theology is deeply rooted in the anti-Constantinian principles of Anabaptism. Yoder’s theology is built on the pillars of obedience, revolution, unity, and eschatology. The radical and revolutionary nature of Yoder’s pacifism theology gives it tension and vitality.
Lecture 13 by Huang Ying – The Peace Ethic Hidden in the Manuscript of Bonhoeffer’s Ethics
Analyzing Bonhoeffer’s thoughts on peace as revealed in the draft of his book Ethics, written during the Second World War (February 1940 to April 5, 1943), presents a challenge. The draft of Ethics does not contain many explicit references to peace. This raises the question of whether Bonhoeffer continued his previous contemplations on peace in this work. If the answer is affirmative, how can we interpret the ethical principles of peace that Bonhoeffer cryptically implied during the war?
- Translated by Joyce Leung
中国社会科学院基督教研究中心编著的《基督教思想史十三讲》由中国社会科学出版社于2024年9月出版第一版。
第一讲 董江阳讲 “哪种基督教？哪类基督徒？——现代基督教内部的阵营分组与分野”
基督教内部阵营分组，以往主要以传统宗派或教派作为身份界定与归属界限。而从20世纪以来则转换成主要以神学立场为依据的跨宗派性阵营分组模式，分化成许多新的联盟、运动和趋势；并进而演化成自由派与保守派两大阵营的对峙。本文对现代基督教内部阵营分化与分组的起因、派系、脉络、分野与矛盾做出了梳理、剖析和评判。
第二讲 杨华明分享“基督教神学辩证法刍议”
本文基于对辩证法概念的历史溯源与内涵梳理，得出基督教神学辩证法是一个以上帝内在三位格间的“认同性”为根据，以上帝之于世界的“相关性”为载体，由结构辩证法、内容辩证法(具体分为神圣辩证法与历史辩证法)和方法辩证法三要素共同构建的有机辩证体系。
第三讲 唐晓峰，讲“不为阳春白雪 转曰下里巴人一一评君士坦丁到公元600年的基督教发展史"
所谓“上帝的意识”终归是人类的意识，故人类凭藉上帝之名对各类神学纷争进行的评判，也就免不了局限性、软弱性。如果说早期使徒与教父们还在吟唱着“阳春白雪”，宁愿为纯真且朴实的信仰献上生命，300年后罗马帝国的耶稣信徒们在突如其来的世俗恩宠面前，很快就转曰“下里巴人”了。
第四讲 刘国鹏，分享“从教会法角度试析罗马教廷的古今之变”
罗马教廷作为教宗针对全球普世天主教会施行牧职的代权机构和教会中枢管理机构，以及圣座的必要组成部分，其地位和作用可谓举足轻重。可以说，今日之罗马教廷具有双重维度，从行政、权力、司法角度而言，其功能犹如一国之中央政府；而作为圣座的必要组成部分，它又代行着教宗训诲、圣化、管理的神权功能，乃教宗治理全球天主教会须臾不可离的中介和手段。
第五讲 刘国鹏，讲“教宗首席权:来源、合法性及功能”
教宗首席权乃构成普世天主教会庞大严密教阶制的拱顶石，同时也是圣座国际主权得以成立的直接前提。缺少这一拱顶石和直接前提，则天主教会之区别于基督宗教其他宗派和世界其他各大宗教的本质特征便丧失了其最重要的构成要素。
第六讲 卓新平，分享“托马斯·阿奎那的神学巅峰之旅”
托马斯的神学创造性地解释并运用亚里士多德哲学来构建中世纪经院哲学体系，使其哲学理性及逻辑论证与神学有机结合。他提出“宇宙论”、“目的论”等五种上帝存在证明，主张“温和唯实论”模式。他讨论了存在、本质、实体等基本认知问题，强调上帝的本质就是存在。其理论在中世纪基督教思想发展上代表着“一览众山小”的神学高峰。
第七讲 卓新平，讲“波拿文都拉在神秘“智慧”中的沉醉”
波拿文都拉的思想属经院哲学中体现神秘主义的“智慧”学派，把智慧作为哲学的目标，主张通过激情、狂热来追求并表达智慧，故而独树一帜。他指出智慧并非理性、冷静的思考和推理，而与爱、平安、出神、神魂超拔等具有情感色彩的体验相似，认为信仰的意义要大于理性的推断。他还探究了“流溢”与“"光照”、“原型”与“摹本”等问题。
第八讲 周伟驰，分享“形象观的传承一一阿奎那对奥古斯丁三一类比的继承、转化及其问题”
在形象观上，阿奎那继承了奥古斯丁的内在三一论进路，即从心灵的知与爱的行为出发，来类比上帝在人身上的形象，但阿奎那也对奥古斯丁的形象观作了转化，主要是将奥古斯丁的“记忆-理解-爱”转化为“心灵-理解-爱”。在这个过程中，阿奎那忽视或者遗漏了奥古斯丁的一个重要思想，即心灵对于它自己的“记忆”，而“记忆”隐含着现象学意义上的“自身意识”。
第九讲 唐晓峰，讲“亦佛亦道亦基督——唐代景教的“中国化”尝试”
在唐代,儒释道三教分立的格局逐渐向内在义理层面的融合转向。在这种宏大的义理融合背景之下，基督教所本有的超越教理只能显现为一种小众之教，最终融于劝人为善、因果报应、无欲无为、无德无证的精神脉络之中。
第十讲 周伟驰 奥古斯丁复形说的东传及其问题
奥古斯丁复形说是从救赎的角度来看上帝的形象。本文考察了奥古斯丁复形说的东传史，发现其中存在两个派别。一个是主流，坚持传统的奥古斯丁“记忆-理解-爱”形象观，一个是支流，倾向托马斯·阿奎那“心灵-理解-爱”形象观。在中国明清和民国的语境中，他们各自以自己的方式提出了如何恢复上帝形象的规训。
第十一讲 董江阳 自然神论及其对美国开国者的影响
自然神论是传统宗教信仰在启蒙运动精神影响下产生的一种新派神学或宗教观。它一改传统基督教的启示、神秘和超验主义，转而尝试按照自然与理性原则来重新解释和建构基督教神学。本文着重阐述了自然神论在北美的起承转合、表现形态和性质特征，对美国开国者与制宪者的影响，以及在美国基督教内外的结盟、分裂与蜕变。
第十二讲杨华明 再洗礼派神学家尤达与基督教和平主义
本文对当代基督教神学家尤达的和平主义神学思想做了论述。通过对尤达的基本生平、再洗礼派历史与神学概况以及尤《耶稣政治》一书的评介，可以看到脱胎于再洗礼派反君士坦丁主义思想的尤达的和平主义神学，以“顺服”、"革命”、“合一”与“终末”为基本元素构建而成。“激进”与"革命”的特质让尤达的和平主义神学饱含张力与生机。
第十三讲 黄瑛 朋霍费尔《伦理学》手稿中隐藏的和平伦理学
从朋霍费尔写于第二次世界战期间(1940年2月至1943年4月5日)的《伦理学》草稿中发掘他对和平的思考，困难重重。在《伦理学》草稿中，明显提及和平的地方并不多。朋霍费尔究竟有没有在《伦理学》中继续他早年关于和平的思考？如果答案是肯定的，我们应该如何分辨朋霍费尔在战争期间以隐秘的方式书写的和平伦理学呢？
【书讯】中国社会科学院基督教研究中心编《基督教思想史十三讲》
In September 2024, the China Social Sciences Press published the first edition of Thirteen Lectures on the History of Christian Thought, edited by the Centre for Christian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). Below are the snapshots of this book's thirteen lectures.
Lecture 1 by Dong Jiangyang – What Kind of Christianity, What Kind of Christian: Factions and Divisions in Modern Christianity
In Christianity, internal factions have historically been defined by established denominations or sects. In the 20th century, however, there has been a shift towards a cross-denominational model based primarily on theological positions. This shift has given rise to numerous new alliances, movements, and trends, leading to a dichotomy between two major camps: the liberal and the conservative. This article aims to analyze, dissect, and evaluate the causes, factions, contexts, divisions, and contradictions of factionalization and grouping within contemporary Christianity.
Lecture 2 by Yang Huaming – A Discussion on the Dialectics of Christian Theology
Based on an exploration of the history of dialectics and an analysis of the concepts of dialectics, this article concludes that dialectical theology is an organic dialectical system based on the “identity” of the Triune God, with the “relevance” of God to the world as its carrier, and composed of three key elements: “structural dialectics,” “substantive dialectics” (further divided into “dialectics of the sacred” and “historical dialectics”), and “methodological dialectics.”
Lecture 3 by Tang Xiaofeng – From Highbrows to Lowbrows: A Review of the History of Christianity from Constantine to AD 600
The concept of God’s consciousness is essentially a reflection of human consciousness. Therefore, it is inevitable that human judgments of theological disputes based on God’s name are inherently limited and fallible. If we were to compare the dedication of the early apostles and church fathers, who were willing to sacrifice themselves for a pure and true faith, to the performance of highbrow music, then Jesus’ followers in the Roman Empire 300 years later, when faced with the sudden acceptance and approval of the secular world, they quickly shifted their focus to more popular tunes.
Lecture 4 by Liu Guopeng – An Analysis of the Ancient and Modern Transformations of the Roman Curia from the Perspective of Canon Law
The Roman Curia, as the representative of the Pope in overseeing pastoral responsibilities for the global Catholic Church, serves as the central governing body and a vital component of the Holy See. Its role is of utmost importance, functioning in two distinct dimensions. Firstly, it operates as a nation’s central government, managing administrative, judicial, and authoritative functions. Secondly, as an integral part of the Holy See, it carries out the tasks of teaching, sanctifying, and managing on behalf of the Pope. The Roman Curia acts as a crucial intermediary, enabling the Pope to effectively govern the Catholic Church worldwide.
Lecture 5 by Liu Guopeng – Papal Primacy: Origin, Legitimacy, and Function
Papal primacy serves as the cornerstone of the Catholic Church’s extensive and interconnected ecclesiastical hierarchy. It is also a crucial factor in establishing the Holy See’s international sovereignty. Without this foundational principle, the distinctive features that set the Catholic Church apart from other Christian denominations and major world religions would be compromised.
Lecture 6 by Zhuo Xinping – The Pinnacle of Thomas Aquinas’s Journey in Theology
Thomas Aquinas skillfully utilized Aristotelian philosophy to develop the medieval scholastic philosophical system, blending philosophical rationality and logical argumentation with theology. He formulated five arguments to demonstrate the existence of God, including the Cosmological Argument and Teleological Arguments, while advocating for a form of moderate realism. Aquinas delved into essential cognitive concepts such as existence, essence, and being, underscoring the belief that existence is inherent in God’s essence. His theories stand as the epitome of theological excellence in the evolution of medieval Christian thought.
Lecture 7 by Zhuo Xinping – Bonaventure’s Fascination with Mystical “Wisdom”
As a scholastic theologian, Bonaventure approached theology with a sapiential perspective rooted in mysticism. His emphasis on the importance of a fervent pursuit of wisdom set him apart from his contemporaries. Bonaventure did not see wisdom (sapientia) simply as the use of reason or as a speculative science. Instead, he believed that wisdom could be found in experiences such as love, peace, ecstatic union with God, and the elevation of the spirit. He believed that faith was more important than reason in the pursuit of theological understanding. Bonaventure also explored complex theological concepts such as overflow and illumination, and archetype and copy.
Lecture 8 by Zhou Weichi – The Succession of the Doctrine of Imago Dei: Thomas Aquinas’ Succession to and Transformation of Augustine’s Imago Dei Doctrine and Its Problem
When considering the Imago Dei doctrines, Aquinas adopted Augustine’s psychological approach in the analogy of the Trinity, which compares God’s image in humans to the acts of knowing and loving. However, Aquinas also modified Augustine’s Imago Dei doctrines by replacing the Augustinian concept of “memory-understanding-love” with “mind-understanding-love”. In doing so, Aquinas overlooked or omitted an important concept of Augustine’s – the idea of “memoria sui/se nosse, where “memoria” signifies self-awareness in a phenomenological sense.
Lecture 9 by Tang Xiaofeng – The Hybridization of Buddhism, Daoism, and Christianity: The Sinicization Attempt by Nestorianism in the Tang Dynasty
During the Tang Dynasty, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism began to merge their intrinsic doctrines, moving away from their traditional separation. In this era of ideological fusion, Christianity’s doctrine of divine transcendence was seen as a minority theory that eventually merged with the ideas of exhortation to goodness, understanding the idea of “karma” – cause and consequence, the liberation of the self from desires and wishful thinking, and the pursuit of virtues.
Lecture 10 by Zhou Weichi – The Spread of Augustine’s Doctrine of Imago Dei to the East and Its Challenges
Augustine’s theory of the renewal of the image of God in man examines the concept of the imago Dei from a soteriological perspective. This article examines the history of the spread of Augustine’s theory to the East, highlighting the presence of two schools within it. The first school, as the mainstream, upheld the traditional Augustinian “memory-understand-love” theory of the image of God, while the second school, as a branch, leaned towards Aquinas’ “mind-understand-love” theory of the imago Dei. In the context of China during the Ming and Qing dynasties, these schools each offer their own insights into how to renew the image of God in human beings.
Lecture 11 by Dong Jiangyang – Deism and Its Influence on the Founding Fathers in America
Deism emerged during the Enlightenment as a new theological perspective that departed from traditional Christianity. Instead of relying on revelation, mysticism, and transcendentalism as in traditional Christianity, Deism sought to reinterpret and reconstruct Christian theology based on the principles of nature and reason. This article examines the development, manifestations, and characteristics of Deism in North America and explores its influence on the Founding Fathers and Framers. It also examines the alliances, divisions, and transformations within and beyond Christianity in America.
Lecture 12 by Yang Huaming – Anabaptist Theologian Yoder and Christian Pacifism
This article explores the ideas of contemporary Christian theologian John Howard Yoder on Christian pacifism. By examining Yoder’s life, exploring the history and theology of Anabaptism, and analyzing Yoder’s book The Politics of Jesus, his pacifism theology is deeply rooted in the anti-Constantinian principles of Anabaptism. Yoder’s theology is built on the pillars of obedience, revolution, unity, and eschatology. The radical and revolutionary nature of Yoder’s pacifism theology gives it tension and vitality.
Lecture 13 by Huang Ying – The Peace Ethic Hidden in the Manuscript of Bonhoeffer’s Ethics
Analyzing Bonhoeffer’s thoughts on peace as revealed in the draft of his book Ethics, written during the Second World War (February 1940 to April 5, 1943), presents a challenge. The draft of Ethics does not contain many explicit references to peace. This raises the question of whether Bonhoeffer continued his previous contemplations on peace in this work. If the answer is affirmative, how can we interpret the ethical principles of peace that Bonhoeffer cryptically implied during the war?
- Translated by Joyce Leung
New Book Release: Thirteen Lectures on the History of Christian Thought
