Ph.D. (Peking University, P. R. China)
Professor (Department of Philosophy, School of Humanities, Tsinghua University, P. R. China)
Professor (Institute for Ethics and Religious Studies [IERS], Tsinghua University)
Special Reviewer (International Journal of Sino-Western Studies, Helsinki; Hong Kong)
Email: zhu_781@163.com
Zhu Donghua specializes in Phenomenology of Religion, Chinese Christianity (Jingjiao) in Tang and Yuan Dynasties, and Primitive Christianity, with Syrian Patristics as his particular focus.
Books
A Cross-cultural Study of Chinese Nestorian Literature, forthcoming. (Achievement of NSSFC Projects)
A Comprehensive Study of Chinese Nestorianism in Tang and Yuan Dynasties, Beijing: The Commercial Press, co-author with Prof. Zhang Xushan et al., forthcoming. (Achievement of NSSFC Projects)
Reflections on the Disciplinary History of Religious Studies, Beijing: Tsinghua University Press, 2016.
From Holiness to Numinous: On the Phenomenological Characteristics of Rudolf Otto’s Numinology, Beijing: Press of Religious Culture, 2007. (English Preface by Diane Obenchain)
Yearbook of Chinese Theology 2018 (special issue for the Study of Chinese Nestorianism), Brill Press, 2018. (Guest editor.)
Science and Religion: Current Debates, Beijing: Peking University Press, 2014. (Co-ed. with Prof. Melville Y. Stewart)
A Study on the Religious Thoughts of 20th Century, Beijing: Peking University Press, 2007. (Co-editor with Prof. Zhang Zhigang and Tang Xiaofeng)
Aesthetics, Hangzhou: Zhejiang University Press, 1994. (Chapter Author)
Translation Works
Catechetical Homilies (Theodore of Mopsuestia), Hong Kong: The Logos and Pneuma Press, 2015. (with introduction and Syriac-Chinese-English index by Zhu Donghua) [Chinese]
Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon: Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture [ACCS], Taipei: Campus Evangelical Fellowship Press, 2006. (Co-trans. with Lin Zifeng) [Chinese]
The Cambridge History of Christianity (Volume V), Beijing: China Religious Culture Publisher, forthcoming. (Co-trans. with He Bochao et al.) [Chinese]
(G.C. Berkouwer), Hong Kong: The Logos and Pneuma Press, 2006. (Co-trans. with Liu Zongkun) [Chinese]
Mysteries of the Middle Ages: The Rise of Feminism, Science, and Art from the Cults of Catholic Europe (Thomas Cahill), Beijing: Peking University Press, 2011. [Chinese]
Public Philosophy: Essays on Morality in Politics (Michael Sandel), Beijing: RenMin University of China Press, 2013. (Co-trans. with Chen wenjuan & Zhu Huiling) [Chinese]
The Consolation of Philosophy (Boethius), Beijing: China Social Sciences Publishing House, 2008. (with introduction and Chinese-English index by Zhu Donghua) [Chinese]
Metaphysics and Rational Theology (Luigi Bogliolo), Heilongjiang: Heilongjiang People’s Press, 2005. (Co-trans. with Zhan Wenjie) [Chinese]
Comparative Religion in the Postmodern Age (Kimberley C. Patton), Beijing: RenMin University of China Press, 2005. (with introduction by Zhu Donghua ) [Chinese]
Essays and Book Chapters
“Theologian Jingjing's Two Sources of Inspiration: Yijing and Buddhism,” The Western Regions Studies, 2025 (1): 1-9. (https://link.cnki.net/urlid/65.1121.C.20240923.1201.002).
Jingjing景净, who also bore the Syriac name ?ā?ām (Adam), was a “Nestorian (Jingjiao)” scholar-bishop famous for his translation works and his composition of the “Nestorian (Jingjiao)” Stele inscription景教碑文. Jingjing’s translation of Syriac theological phrases and concepts has been regarded by many as the most elegant Chinese-language translation ever made. In his translation, Jingjing borrowed both terms and linguistic styles from the Chinese classics, including Yijing《易经》 (the Book of Changes) and Buddhist texts. This paper attempts to offer an evaluation of the suitability of several of Jingjing’s more important linguistic choices for ideas found in both Bible and Chinese humanistic tradition. It finds that Jingjing’s work is innovative and meaningful in its use of the “Tongren hexagram同人卦” in Yijing 《易经》 to translate the so-called “hwa barnasa” as “同人出代” in Chinese “Nestorian” Stele of Tang Dynasty. As another source of Chinese Jingjiao theological ideas, the Buddhist “狈颈谤尘ā?补-办ā测补” was used reliably and insightfully to transplant the “ying shen应身” into the so-called “叁身一体 (trinity)” of Dunhuang Zunjing敦煌《尊经》. In so doing, it is argued that Jingjing had obtained a landmark achievement in the Sinicization of “Nestorian”(Jingjiao) Theology.
“The Barrenness of Rabban Sawma’s Mother and its Prototype in Bible”, Legacy International Symposium: “A New Approach of Studies Related to Rabban Sauma and Mar Yahballaha III” September 25-28, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
There is a barrenness narrative of Qyamta, the mother of Rabban Sawma, in the History of the Life and Travels of Rabban Sawma, and its author’s biblical paradigm proposes two cases of births from elderly parents, that of Samuel, the son of Anna and Elkana (narrated in 1 Samuel 1:10 ff.) and that of Samson, of whom the Bible mentions only his father, Manoah (Judges 13:2 f.). In addition to the above two cases, we also think of the barrenness of Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist (Luke 1:7 and 1:36), and especially that of Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel (Genesis 11, 29, 30). The Hebrew word “?āqār” (?aqarā in Syriac) describes the common situation of barrenness of the three matriarchs, Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel, and this situation of hermeneutics further extends, based on the perspectives of Paul, Tatian, Eprem and Theodore of mopsuestia, from “prayer - promise” approach to that of “fasting - abstinence”. According to the History, on the one hand Sawma’s parents besought God with ?a??eptā (supplication) and ?a?nantā (a fervent prayer) not to be without a heir, while on the other, they named their son “Bar ?awmā” which means “the son who was obtained by fasting”, and this also implies their pursuit of ascetic life into the corporeal, psychic, and spiritual orders (?aksē), which was embraced by the large majority of Syriac ascetics. Obviously, the notification of Qyamta’s barrenness had serve successfully as a harbinger of the miraculous birth of Sawma, a divinely chosen male leader. This barrenness narrative also points to the enduring resilience of the Syriac tradition, a resilience that will be able to survive in trans-regional and trans-historical circulation of Syriac rituals and practices.
“Chinese Christianity before 1550,” in: Tao Feiya & Philip L. Wickeri (eds.), A History of Chinese Christianity: From a Cross-cultural Perspective (635-1949), Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press, 2024. Chapter II, pp.29-45.
“The Chronology of the Tang Dynasty Jingjiao Nestorian Theologian Jingjing’s Writings and Translations in relationship to His Thought,” in: Tao Feiya (ed.), Max L. Bohnenkamp (trs.), Beyong Indigenization: Christianity and Chinese History in a Global Context, Brill 2023, pp. 25-45.
“Dunhuang Nestorian Documents and Tatian’s Diatessaron” in: Jason Tsz-shun LAM (ed.), The Use of the Bible in the Chinese Context, Hong Kong: Logos and Pneuma Press, 2023, pp. 31-46.
“On the Convention of Medical Commitment in the Perspective of the Eastern Syrian Apostolic Documents,” in: Journal for Research of Christianity in China, 2022 (12): 45-64.
In the Middle Ages in Eurasia, there was an economic and cultural network built along the Silk Road, among which Nestorian party were undoubtedly one of the more active groups with greater contribution. Chinese and foreign scholars have long noticed the characteristics of Nestorian party by their medical service, medical team and medical quality. In the process of deeply participating in the construction of the community with a shared future along the Silk Road, their medical activities are undoubtedly a very important part. It is precisely because of their practice of practicing medicine, practicing medicine and being good at medicine that the medical team of Nestorian party have won respect and support from people in their society. Therefore, they have also made many achievements and made their own unique contributions to the construction of a community of shared future in which diversity is compatible, adversity is shared and weal and woe is shared. This paper aims to outline various manifestations of the Nestorian tradition of medicine, and on the basis of interpreting the Eastern Syrian apostolic documents, explore the characteristics, connotation and ideological basis of the Nestorian concept of medicine, so as to clarify the basis for the formation of the Nestorian tradition of medicine.
“Winds of Jingjiao (Chinese Nestorianism) and its Cultural effects,” in: Journal of Macao Polytechnic University, 2022 (3) : 70-78.
入华景教乃是基督宗教中国化的第一个歷史形态，同时也是中外文化交流史上的一座丰碑。景教碑的现世开啟了景学研究的大门，并在明清以至民国的西学东渐潮流中，成為其隐秘而基础的部分。反观千百年间景教以及景学与中国本土文化相适应、相融合的方式和方法，我们便可发现，景教已经颇為成功地驾驭了时代的詮释学形势，在神学、经学以及礼仪实践方面做出了创造性的贡献，因而堪称是基督宗教中国化的典型案例和重要的思想文化资源。
“Jewish Ethnical Etiology and Its Historical Evolution: From the Perspective of Female Patriarchs", Academic Seminar on "Mutual Learning of Civilizations and Ancient Near Eastern Classical Studies" (August 14-17, 2022), 110th Anniversary Conference of Henan University, sponsored by the Institute of Comparative Literature and the editorial department of "The Studies of Biblical Literature" at Henan University.
“Chinese Jingjiao and The Antiochene Exegesis,” in: Khiok-Khng Yeo (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of the Bible in China, Oxford University Press, 2021, Chapter 3 (pp. 47-61).
This study has several implications. First, the brief overview of modern studies of the meaning of “jing 景” suggests that the word originally had a sense of “guang” (light) or “da” (great or universal), and then, until the time of the Mid-Tang dynasty, took on the meaning of “jingyang 景仰” (to esteem; to venerate) or even “jingwei 敬畏” (fear [of God]). This kind of Jingjiao-hermeneutical lens shows up in Chinese Jingjiao authors as the legacy of the Antiochene School, evident in its exegesis toward literary, literal, and historical interpretations. The Antiochene influence also appears in Jingjing’s theologi[1]cal expression of “jiyin zhenwei, tongren chudai” (hid His majesty and became a human being) in the Jingjiao Stele Text, which is obviously based on Theodore’s interpretation of the central christological passages of Phil 2:5–11, where he creatively interpreted nap?eh sareq (emptied Himself) as nap?eh ta??i (hid Himself). Generally speaking, the Antiochene approach has ultimately been the most central for the mainstream tradition of Jingjiao theology and exegetics. Second, as the crucial undercurrent of Jingjiao theological and exegetical tradition, Tatian’s Diatessaron and its particular ascetic views exerted profound influence upon the Chinese Dunhuang document XMJ. When examined closely, many Gospel quotations in XMJ, such as the report of the diet of John the Baptist (Matt 3:4), the Encratite view of marriage (Matt 1:18–24), and the narrative of the resurrection of “all the dead” when Jesus died on the cross (Matt 27:52–53), display the unique characteristics of Diatessaronic
readings. It makes Diatessaronic studies more exciting when new Diatessaronic witnesses appear in Jingjiao documents of Turfan and Dunhuang, especially in the Chinese XMJ. Moreover, the Diatessaronic points addressed in this essay serve to show the authenticity of this Chinese Diatessaronic text while at the same time to highlight its value to scriptural studies.
“Phenomenology of Religion,” “History of Religion,” “Comparative Religion,” “Rudolf Otto,” “G. Van der Leeuw,” “F. Max Müller,” “Encyclopedia of Religion,” “Wilhelm Schmidt,” “Nathan S?derblom,” entries for Encyclopedia of China (The Third Edition), 2020. Cf.
“Zhu Qianzhi and Traceability related study of Chinese Jingjiao (Nestorianism),” in: Journal of World Religious Cultures, 2019 (6): 35-42.
本文认為朱谦之已经较為深入地触及了景教溯源研究的学统维度，突破了以聂斯托利為景教肇祖的传统偏见，并能够在景教溯源研究的法统维度上避免套用佐伯好郎篡改之后的世系框架。不过，由於主客观的原因，景教溯源研究未能成為朱谦之的中国景教研究的核心诉求，因此他对聂斯托利的评价还存在着自相矛盾的地方。总结朱谦之在景教溯源研究方面的理论得失，有助於景教研究范式向内在研究路线转移。
“Was Nestorius Really a Heretic? An Exploration of Luther’s Comments on Nestorius,” in: Yearbook of Chinese Theology 2018 (special issue for the Study of Chinese Nestorianism), Brill Press, 2018, pp. VII-XX. (Paulos Huang & Zhu Donghua)
“Chinese Jingjiao (Nestorianism) and The Cultural Exchange between East and West,” in: LAI Pan-chiu (ed.), The History of Religious Exchange between China and Foreign Countries from the Perspective of Cultural Globalization, Centre for Religious and Chinese Social Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2018, pp.137-166. [ISBN 978-988-16703-7-3]
“The English Translation of Foguoji佛国记 and The Early Buddhist-Christian Dialogue,” in: Hong kong Maitreya Studies慈氏学研究, March 2018, pp. 30-40. [ISBN 978-988-78743-5-5]
《佛国记》英譯者理雅各、翟理斯均將“叁宝”观念理解為“佛教叁一”，此种做法源自於欧德理对於系列“叁法”的匹配或類通。在歐德理看來，覺性、覺相、覺用三者“即一而三、即三而一”的統一體，乃是闡發佛教叁一觀念的思想基礎，兼之以“三身”為中心的“三尊”“三德”的類通，共同構成了本體、認識、實踐的完備體系。經由歐德理的佛學研究使我們體察到“叁法類通”的學理基礎，進而讓我們明白此種學理基礎上建構起來的佛耶對話有一個現實的版本，那就是唐代景净等學者所做的“化通玄理”嘗試。
“罢补迟彼: A Sacred and Mysterious Word,” in: The Collected Papers of the 2nd International Forum of Maitreya Studies, Hongkong, March 2018, pp. 263-270. [ISBN 978-988-78743-7-9]
“Reflective Studies on Two Models of Christian-Buddhist Dialogue,” in: Journal of Tsinghua University (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition), 2017 (1): 160-166.
“The Nicene Creed and Theology of Chinese Jingjiao” (Logos and Pneuma: Chinese Journal of Theology (Hong kong), issue 47 (2017): 27-48.
The Commentary of Theodore of Mopsuestia on the Nicene Creed shows three important characteristics: First, it is obvious to see here an AB-pattern, with (A) “only-begotten Son” and (B) “the first born”, making up the two natures of Jesus Christ. Second, with an interpretation of “emptied Himself” as “hid His majesty”, the word “inhumanation” is preferred to incarnation for the salvific role of Messiah’s humanity is more precisely indicated in it. Third, with an actual denial of the filioque clause, it is held that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father only. We can observe all the above characteristics in Chinese Jingjiao documents of Tang and Yuan Dynasties. The expression “Ji yin zhen wei, tong ren chu shi” (戢隐真威、同人出世) in the Jingjiao Stele Text ( 景教碑文 ), is obviously based on Theodore’s interpretation of “hid” and “inhumanation”. And, by signifying the two natures of Messiah with Huang (皇) and Wang (王), respectively, the Dunhuang document Zunjing (尊经) also inherited the traditional AB-pattern of East Syriac Christianity. The characteristic is especially apparent in Rabban Sauma’s interesting discussion of eastern position on the procession of the Holy Spirit. Sauma’s pneumatology strongly indicates that Jingjiao of Yuan Dynasty has its origin in East Syriac Christianity.
“On the Balance of Inclusivism and Pluralism in Max Müller’s Apology for James Legge’s Translation Strategy,” in:Yearbook of Chinese Theology [Brill 2017]，pp. 139-151.
“從援佛入景角度看唐代景教「应身」之「应」的經世內涵，”香港《道风：基督教文化评论》（2013年秋，总第39期），第219-238页。“Ying/应/Nirmana: A Case Study on the Translatability of Buddhism into Jingjiao”, in: Li Tang and Dietmar W. Winkler (ed.), Winds of Jingjiao: Studies on Syriac Christianity in China and Central Asia, LIT Verlag, 2016, pp.419-433.
There is some sort of relationship closer than coincidence that can sufficiently explain the hermeneutic situation of Jing Jing's transplantation strategy. A survey of parallels between Buddhist explanations of Ying应 and Jing Jing's understanding of Ying应 shows how much Jing Jing's efforts in Christian inculturation were rooted in both traditions of Chinese Buddhism and East Syriac Christianity. Without doubt, syncretism occurs as an essential feature of Jing Jing's theology. According to his own strategy of inculturation, Jing Jing was successful increating a Chinese style for his churches. He provided a very inspiring example for comparative religion and comparative theology. Certainly, all of the crossovers require caution, and rash borrowing is a risk for theology, but comparative studies should not be abandoned for fear of the risk.
“On the Influence of Buddhism on Christianity in the Tang Dynasty,” in: Maitreya Studies慈氏学研究(2015), Beijing: Chinese history and literature Publishing Co., 2015, pp. 628-635.
“Person and Shen: Confucianism in Tang China” (Yearbook of Chinese Theology [Brill 2015]，pp. 202-213.)
It suggests that some sort of relationship closer than coincidence can sufficiently explain the hermeneu[1]tic situation of Jingjing’s transplantation strategy. Jingjing’s expression of Trinity in Dunhuang document Zunjing 尊经 can be eventually traced back to the ontological speculations of Antiochene theologian Theodore of Mopsuestia. By a comparative study of Theodore’s concept of qnoma and Confucian idea of Shen身, I attempt to retrieve the original meaning of person as a “holistic-qnomic manifestation”, and thus make an ontological basis for bridging the gap between the Christian concept of person and the Chinese concept of shen 身. A careful analysis of Jingjing’s strategy of inculturation also yields highly suggestive pointers to the rediscovery of the riches of earlier traditions, and to the starting points where primitive Syriac Christianity and Chinese Confucianism seem more similar than different. Thus I think that Jingling had provided a very inspiring example for comparative religion and comparative philosophy.
“Theodore of Mopsuestia’s Ontological Analogy and The Meaning of Prosopon/parsopa/shen身,” in: Religion and Philosophy (Volume 3), Beijing: Social Science Literature Press, 2014, pp. 155-167.
“Phenomenology of Religion,” in: Zhang Zhigang (ed.), The handbook of Religious Studies (Revised Edition), Beijing: Peking University Press, 2013, pp. 349-381.
“The Nestorian Stele in Tang China: it’s Calligraphic Style and the Genealogy of Rubbings,” in: Logos and Pneuma: Chinese Journal of Theology (Hong kong), issue 34 (2011), pp.233-254.
The calligraphy of the Nestorian Stele in Tang China is excellent for its flowing beauty in brush technique,its elegance in structure and its vividness in style. Based on a precise analysis of three kinds of cracking marks (J1, J2 and J3),the author established a genealogy for the rubbing in scriptions, fom which Havret's lithographic version is collected out as one of the best rubbings. The author analyzes Jingjing's taste in literature and art, and points out that the taste of Tang in its Heyday had exerted an edifying influence on Jingjiaobei's aesthetic characteristics. Finally, the author expounds Jingjiaobei’s special characteristics in comparison with Wang Xizhi's and early tang calligraphers’ works.
“Boethius: A Bridge of Thought between Classical Antiquity and Middle Ages,” in: Tian Wen天问, Jiangsu People's Publishing House, 2009, pp. 145-162.
“The Religious Dimension of Neoconservative Political Philosophy,” in: Yearbook of Tsinghua Philosophy (2007), Contemporary China Publishing House, 2008, pp. 189-192.
“A Study of Political Theology of the New Religious Right in Contemporary America,” in: Zhuo Xinpin & Edwin Hui (eds.), The Study of Christianity (Volume X), Beijing: China Religious Culture Publisher, 2008, pp. 222-245.
“Verstehen and Idealtypen: On the Methodological Basis of Leeuw's Religious Phenomenology,” Journal of Tsinghua University(Philosophy and Social Sciences), 2007 (4): 55-62.
“On Rudolf Otto’s Numinological Elements,” in: Yearbook of Tsinghua Philosophy (2005), Contemporary China Publishing House, 2007, pp. 198-213.
“On Phenomenological Methodology of Rudolf Otto’s Numinology,” in: Regent Review of Christian Thoughts (Volume VI) (2005), pp. 266-280.
“Max Scheler and his Selected Works,” in: Peking University Journal of Philosophy, 2005 (6[I]): 311-316.
“Husserl’s, Heidegger’s and Scheler’s Commentary on Das Heilige and the Phenomenological Unscrambling Approach to Otto’s Numinology,” in: Peking University Journal of Philosophy, 2004 (5[II]): 86-102.
“Is Phenomenology an Enterprise without Any Gain in Knowledge?” in: Hebei Academic Journal, 2004 (5): 66-70.
“Covenantal Thinking, Daoist Reform and New Ethics,” in: Journal for the Study of Christian Culture, 2003 (9): 73-84.
