The Breakdown and Reconciliation of Ouyang Jingwu and Wang Enyang, 1940–1942: An Analysis Based on Newly Discovered Correspondence

Pei, Changchun; Wu, Shaowei

doi:10.3390/rel17010074

Open AccessArticle

The Breakdown and Reconciliation of Ouyang Jingwu and Wang Enyang, 1940–1942: An Analysis Based on Newly Discovered Correspondence

by

Changchun Pei

^1,* and

Shaowei Wu

²

¹

School of History and Culture, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250061, China

²

School of History, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Religions 2026, 17(1), 74; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010074

Submission received: 9 October 2025 / Revised: 29 December 2025 / Accepted: 30 December 2025 / Published: 9 January 2026

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Microcosm Holds Mountains and Seas: The Sinicization of Buddhism in ‘Multi-Layered Contextualization’ from Local to Global History)

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Abstract

Wang Enyang, together with Lv Cheng, was long regarded as one of Ouyang Jingwu’s closest disciples, often described as his “right- and left-hand man.” Scholarly consensus has generally assumed that their teacher–disciple relationship remained harmonious throughout Ouyang’s lifetime. However, newly published correspondence from Chen Mingshu’s Correspondence with Friends and Colleagues on Scholarly Matters reveals that after 1940 their relationship grew increasingly strained, culminating in a near-complete rupture. Although Wang, under the persuasion of Ouyang, Chen, and Lv, later expressed contrition and sought reconciliation, the rift was never fully repaired. Even at the time of Ouyang’s death, their once intimate bond had not been restored.

Keywords: Ouyang Jingwu; Wang Enyang; Chen Mingshu’s Correspondence with Friends and Colleagues on Scholarly Matters

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MDPI and ACS Style

Pei, C.; Wu, S. The Breakdown and Reconciliation of Ouyang Jingwu and Wang Enyang, 1940–1942: An Analysis Based on Newly Discovered Correspondence. Religions 2026, 17, 74. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010074

AMA Style

Pei C, Wu S. The Breakdown and Reconciliation of Ouyang Jingwu and Wang Enyang, 1940–1942: An Analysis Based on Newly Discovered Correspondence. Religions. 2026; 17(1):74. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010074

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pei, Changchun, and Shaowei Wu. 2026. "The Breakdown and Reconciliation of Ouyang Jingwu and Wang Enyang, 1940–1942: An Analysis Based on Newly Discovered Correspondence" Religions 17, no. 1: 74. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010074

APA Style

Pei, C., & Wu, S. (2026). The Breakdown and Reconciliation of Ouyang Jingwu and Wang Enyang, 1940–1942: An Analysis Based on Newly Discovered Correspondence. Religions, 17(1), 74. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010074

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The Breakdown and Reconciliation of Ouyang Jingwu and Wang Enyang, 1940–1942: An Analysis Based on Newly Discovered Correspondence

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