In the Beginning Was the Tao: Interreligious Paths Based on a Chinese Translation of John 1:1
Abstract
:1. Introduction
- How Tao became the preferred translation for Logos for Protestant Bibles.
- The potential impact of using Tao for both Christianity and Taoism.
- Logos, yán, and/or Tào;
- Logos, davar, and Tào;
- Logos as an untranslated proper name.
- The impact on Taoism;
- The impact on Christianity.
2. How Tao Became the Preferred Translation for Logos for Protestant Bibles
2.1. Logos, Yán, and/or Tào
2.2. Logos, Davar, and Tao
“This term Logos again combines two meanings. It is the Word of the Lord by which the heavens were made, and which came to the Prophets. It is also the Rational Principle which gives unity and significance to all existing things. In this sense it had been used by Heraclitus of Ephesus in the sixth century before Christ. […] This conception of the Logos, the principle of Law or Reason, was taken up by the Stoics and handed on from them to Philo, the Platonising Jew of Alexandria. […] The term ‘Logos’ was in general use in the Hellenistic world; among Hellenised Jews the intellectual currents represented by Philo inevitably exerted an influence. The Evangelist is not here proclaiming unfamiliar truth; rather he is seeking common ground with his readers. […] The Jew will remember that ‘by the Word of the Lord were the heavens made’; the Greek will think of the rational principle of which all natural laws are particular expressions. Both will agree that this Logos is the starting-point of all things. It exists as it always did ἐν ἀρχῆ—in the beginning, at the root of the universe”.
“The Tao produces (all things);
Virtue nourishes them;
The things give them form;
The circumstances complete them.
Therefore all things without exception honour the Tao, and exalt its virtue”
2.3. Logos as un Untranslated Proper Name
3. The Potential Impact of Using Tao for Both Christianity and Taoism
3.1. The Impact on Taoism
3.2. The Impact on Christianity: A Hermeneutic Interreligious Proposal for “Those of the Way”
- EcclesiologyIf Christians are “Those of the Way/Tao”, it is the Way/Tao that keeps them together, unifying them as a community. This means that the Christian Church identifies with those who pursue a path of salvation in Christ: the Church is the道Tao of Christ.
- Sacramental TheologyWe said that the Way is also a “Way of Life”. An important part of this renewed way of life are rituals, especially those that allow you to enter the 道門 Dàomén, the gate to the path of salvation. The Christian sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist) are thus seen as the first steps to orient your life’s path towards Christ and God, together with the other Christian walkers. Christian ethics, in general, is a lifestyle practice and can be seen as a sort of “walking training”.
- Wisdom Theology道Tao is the Way but also the Logos: this finds correspondence in the Christian revelation, in which Christ says he is the Way and is said to be the Logos of God. This means not only that the Christian person must conform to Christ by following his path of salvation, but also that this path is not only an ethical–practical question. It is also a matter of converting thoughts and words, Logos, toward their origin and end, thus acquiring a new Wisdom given by God.
4. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Bondi, D.; Zhao, J. In the Beginning Was the Tao: Interreligious Paths Based on a Chinese Translation of John 1:1. Religions 2025, 16, 218. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16020218
Bondi D, Zhao J. In the Beginning Was the Tao: Interreligious Paths Based on a Chinese Translation of John 1:1. Religions. 2025; 16(2):218. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16020218
Chicago/Turabian StyleBondi, Damiano, and John Zhao. 2025. "In the Beginning Was the Tao: Interreligious Paths Based on a Chinese Translation of John 1:1" Religions 16, no. 2: 218. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16020218
APA StyleBondi, D., & Zhao, J. (2025). In the Beginning Was the Tao: Interreligious Paths Based on a Chinese Translation of John 1:1. Religions, 16(2), 218. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16020218