Confucianism and Christianity
M. Douglas McKinney
Philosophy of Religion
The premise of Confucian teachings are centered around the idea of Jen
or the ³virtue of humanity (Ching 68).² To accomplish this divinity, five
relationships must be honored: ruler and minister, father and son, husband and
wife, elder and younger brother, and friend and friend (Hopfe). These
relationships led a push for a revolution of the political system to adopt the
methods of Jen. Confucius sought to revive the ancient Chinese culture by
redefining the importance of society and government. He described a society
governed by ³reasonable, humane, and just sensibilities, not by the passions of
individuals arbitrarily empowered by hereditary status² (Clearly). He felt
that this could be achieved through education and the unification of cultural
beliefs. He believed that a nation would be benefited by citizens that were ³
cultivated people whose intellects and emotions had......
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Approximate Word Count: 1315
Approximate Pages: 6 (260 words per double-spaced page) |