中欧社会论坛 - China Europa ForumThe challenges of integrating Christianity into Chinese culture
Auteurs : Tang Yi
Extrait de « « Integrating Christianity into Chinese culture » »
Abstract: Integrating a foreign conceptual system into a local culture requires semantic adaptation. The foreign system will only have a clear, appealing and active value in local language once common semantic equivalents are established between the foreign conceptual system and the local linguistic environment. The arrival of Buddhism in China is an example of this process. To examine the idea of common semantic equivalents, this article develops a three-stage model to explain why Christianity has not been completely integrated into the Chinese linguistic environment. This model involves semantic appropriation, the synthesis of ideas and value acquisition.
Semantic appropriation is essentially translation; classical translation as well as the interpretation of theological and ecclesiastical texts written in Chinese. For this type of translation to be successful and concepts accurately transmitted, the original meaning of a text must be preserved by the linguistic resources inherent in the Chinese language. Synthesising ideas involves reconciling on a conceptual level ideas that would logically seem different or even contradictory in terms of values, without seeking to establish a unified theory to resolve the conflicting logic or difference in values. Value acquisition occurs when Chinese culture is seen from a Christan viewpoint and is attributed a totally new meaning.
Despite long-term efforts, these three forms of integration have not been completely successful due to a lack of similarities between the foreign conceptual system and the fundamental values of the local linguistic environment (in terms of how they see the world and life) during the semantic appropriation stage. For Christianity to take root in Chinese culture, a number of ideological, scientific, ethical and aesthetic factors need to be addressed.
So while Chinese culture by nature is not highly receptive of foreign cultures in terms of principles, it does not reject integration with those cultures. Christianity can play a key role in the development of Chinese culture specifically because it is foreign.