Xu
Guangqi was one of the >Three Pillars=
of the Chinese church established by Matteo Ricci and his companions in the
early 1600s. Why did this eminent Confucian scholar want to join a foreign
religion? Hugh MacMahon offers a suggestion.
A useful insight into why a
Confucianist might want to become a Christian can be glimpsed from the story of
Xu Guangqi.
Early years
Born in 1562 to
an impoverished rural family in Jiangxi, Xu managed to get a formal Confucian
education. At the age of 19 he passed his first major exam but had difficulty
making further progress. While continuing his studies he supported himself as a
tutor and happened to encounter a Jesuit, Lazare Cattaneo, in 1596 at the home
of a family that employed him. However it is not know whether this meeting had
any impact on his thinking.
Later, having
obtained the secondary chu‑jen degree, he passed through Nanjing on his
way to take the metropolitan examinations in Beijing in 1600 and met Matteo
Ricci. Xu was impressed by Ricci=s
teaching and three years later he return to Nanjing to renew their
friendship. Ricci, however, had just
left for Beijing and instead he made the acquaintance of Jean de Rocha who gave
him a copy of Ricci=s book, Tian‑Zhu‑Shi‑I.
The following day Xu came back asking for baptism. Eight days later he received
the sacrament. He was already in his forties and an established scholar.
Later career
In 1604 Xu
received the highest degree in the national civil service exams and was invited
to became a member of the prestigious Hanlin academy. The essay he had written
for his degree reflected his interest in
practical questions such as local defense and waterworks and attracted
the interest of high government officials. From then on he was entrusted with a
number of important offices.
In Beijing,
besides performing his official duties, Xu worked with Ricci and others in
translating Western works on mathematics, hydraulics, astronomy and
geography.
Not long after
Xu was baptized, his father, wife and son also entered the church. In 1607 when
his father died, in accordance with Confucian custom, he resigned all his posts
and began the three year mourning period at his home in Shanghai. There he
build a church on his own estate and set the foundations for a Christian
community and center that survives until today. The address of the present
cathedral in Shanghai is >Xu
Family Grounds=.
Final years
In 1611 Xu
returned to Beijing to serve in a number of official roles, consciously
avoiding politics. For reasons of health he retired to an experiment farm for a
number of years and attempted, among other projects, to produce grape wine.
Five years later
he was recalled to Beijing and was able to protect some of the foreign
missionaries during a period of persecution. He served in a number of important
posts including president of the Board
of Rites and member of the Council of State. He was asked to raise troops to
fight off the invading Manchus. He died in 1633, highly respected for his
service to his country and for introducing Western science through translations
and practical application.
Why Christianity?
What led such an
exemplary Confucian as Xu to decide to become a Christian? There were a number
of possible reasons.
Xu was not the
only scholar of his generation who realized that the world was changing due to
the influx of Western ideas and other developments within Chinese society
itself. There was a need to update their world view.
The teachings of
Ricci had many concepts and core values with which such scholars were familiar such as the supreme god, Tian
Zhu, a moral code like the Ten Commandments and a desire for human and
spiritual improvement. They were not happy with Buddhism and were open to
alternative systems and ideas.
The Social Contribution
However one of
the main attractions for Xu was the potential he saw in Christianity to re‑vitalize
Confucianism. The role he described for Christianity was Ato supplement Confucianism and replace
Buddhism@.
As a traditional
Confucianist, Xu believed that a person=s
life was to be played out by taking up his or her social responsibilities and
not avoiding them by retiring to a Buddhist or Taoist monastery.
The form
relationships should take and the correct attitude to self and society were
contained in the writings of the ancients
who sought to live in accord with the true Way or Tao. It was the
goal of a Confucian scholar to study their teaching and live, as closely as
possible, in conformity to the Way.
This would
explain Xu=s
interest to Christianity. Even though it was foreign it addressed many of the
moral and social questions with which he was concerned. Also, he had no
difficulty in accepting that the will of the Heavenly God (Tian Zhu), as
taught by Ricci and the other Jesuits, was the true Way.
An Inducement to Morality
The aspect of
Christianity that seemed to have impressed him most was the motivational power
of its world view.
Most
Confucianists regarded the human spirit in a positive manner and believed that
moral education, rather than the threat of punishment, was the way to create
responsible citizens. Yet, in practice, numerous laws crept in to curb human
weaknesses such as greed and selfishness. Xu felt that these laws had only a
limited value. They might be able to regulate external behavior but had no
influence on how people thought or desired. The good citizen might observe all
the rules and regulations out of fear of reprimand but in his or her mind might
remain full of envy, anger, pride or selfishness. The resulting lack of sincerity or search for perfection would lead
to a troubled and unfair society.
He was convinced
that what people needed was an awareness
of an outside power who guided and directed them and knew their innermost
thoughts.
In Christianity
Xu found a personal God who could rectify this situation.
He wrote:
According to
Christian teachings, the service of God (Shang‑ti) is the fundamental
principle; the protection of the body and the salvation of the soul are of
foremost importance; loyalty, filial piety, compassion and love are
accomplishments; the reformation of errors and the practice of virtue are
initial steps; repentance and the purification of sins are the prerequisites
for personal improvement; the true happiness of celestial life is the glorious
reward for doing good; and the eternal
misery of hell is the recompense of doing evil.
A Way for All People
Xu believed that
it was too difficult for the ordinary person to internalize the Confucian
virtues and to have a sincere heart as well as correct external behavior. Only
a few fortunate few could attain that perfection. Christianity, however, in its
simplicity was accessible to all and everyone, no matter what their background
or status, could avail of it to correct their thoughts as well as their
actions.
As long as they
believed in God=s
presence in their life they would have reason to overcome their weaknesses and
follow the Way. A convinced Christian should find it impossible to do anything
to offend God and would not even have evil thoughts.
A New Way or an Old?
It seems Xu had
no difficulty is accepting Christianity even though it was a foreign religion.
If the rule of Tian Zhu extended to all the world, and China could benefit
from it, why should it be rejected?
However, he did
not see it as replacing Confucianism. Rather it would revitalize the teachings
of the Sage from within by inspiring
people to be better and more sincere Confucianists. The revigoration of
society depended on each individual having a lively social conscience and
taking responsibility. Being a loyal Christian and a loyal subject of the Ming
Emperor was not a problem for Xu.
Today
Confucianism is not the force it used to be but there is a renewed interest in
it either as a basis for national identity or a moral backbone for a society
drifting into consumer‑materialism. Its influence remains deep in the Chinese
psyche and Christianity has much in common with its belief in the goodness of
human nature, the virtye of compassion (ren) and the importance of
social responsibility.
It was the
possibility that Christianity could underpin and invigorate Confucianism which
attracted Xu Guangqi and the dialogue needs to be continued today.
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