Search Results (35)

Walter Henry Medhurst’s translation of The Shoo King (尚書/書經) represents the first complete English rendering of this classic Chinese text. However, limited attention has been given to how Medhurst navigated the tension between Confucian thought in The Shoo King and his own religious beliefs, as well as his treatment of this tension in comparison to James Legge, Joseph de Prémare, Walter Gorn Old, and his interpretation in contrast to Cai Shen’s annotated edition of The Shoo King. This study adopts a “history of the book” approach to examine how Medhurst, as a Protestant missionary, translated key Confucian anthropocentric concepts, including “Ren” (仁), the Doctrine of Mind-Nature, people-centered governance, and religious ideas related to the divine. Through extensive textual analysis and comparison with other scholars’ translations, this study finds that Medhurst adhered to the principle of textual fidelity, striving to minimize the interference of his religious stance with the original meaning of Confucian philosophy. His translation of terms varied according to the context, especially reflecting the shift in The Shoo King from the idea of “Heaven’s mandate is inviolable” to “Heaven is not trustworthy.” Additionally, he enhanced the communication of the original text’s meanings through paratextual elements such as illustrations and footnotes, while retaining Cai Shen’s historical background interpretations and significantly reducing the philological commentary, presenting a “concise and focused” annotation approach. These findings highlight Medhurst’s unique contribution to the cross-cultural transmission of the Confucian canonical text. Full article

This paper probes into the intricate nexus between freedom and benevolence within Liberal Confucianism, a prominent intellectual current in the epoch of globalization. Through an exploration of how these two core values are construed and interlinked within the context of Liberal Confucianism, our objective is to proffer a more profound comprehension of this philosophical-ethical system. We trace the historical evolution of these concepts in Confucian thought and analyze how Liberal Confucianism reinterprets them in response to modern challenges. Through a comparative analysis with Western liberalism and an examination of their practical implications in contemporary society, we demonstrate that the relationship between freedom and benevolence in Liberal Confucianism holds the potential to contribute to a more harmonious and just global community. Despite facing challenges in cross-cultural adaptation, this exploration of the two-value relationship can provide valuable insights for both academic research and real-world applications. Full article

Background: The suicide rate among Iraqis is rising, with many analysts attributing it to political instability, exposure to trauma, economic hopelessness, social stigma surrounding mental health as well as cultural and societal pressures. However, the prevalence of suicidal ideation and associated risk factors in Iraqi youth is unknown, requiring urgent attention and effective public health initiatives. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore rates of suicidal ideation and associated risk factors among female secondary school students in Baghdad, Iraq. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted, utilising quantitative survey data collected in four girls’ secondary schools across Baghdad, Iraq, between August and December 2023. The survey consisted of questions relating to their demographic characteristics (age, gender, school) and a series of measures pertaining to participants’ levels of suicidal ideation, as well as factors commonly identified in the literature as predictors of suicide. Results: Four-hundred and two female participants took part. Participants were aged between 13 and 17 years (M = 15.50; SD = 1.22). In total 11.3% of the students scored in the at-risk range for suicidal behaviour and only 20.1% (n = 91) said they had not had some thoughts of suicide in the previous two weeks. Previous diagnoses of anxiety, high levels of depression and hopelessness, and poor quality of life were significant risk factors for suicidal ideation. On average, students reported moderate levels of depression and high levels of hopelessness. Conclusions: Female Iraqi secondary school students experience high levels of suicidality, alongside several other known risk factors for suicide ideation. However, a limitation of this study is that cross-sectional designs limit causal interpretation. Findings emphasise the importance of developing targeted school-based interventions to support students’ mental health. Increasing research and attention in this area is vital to not only improving the mental health of students in Iraq but also reducing the stigma around mental health and suicide. Future policies should include specific mental health support for those young people affected by conflict, displacement and family loss, integrating trauma-informed care into both mental health and educational services. Full article

Self-love is a fundamental psychological construct cultivated throughout human history. In Confucian culture, it is considered the ultimate Ren, while in ancient Greek thought, it serves as the center from which love radiates. Previous qualitative research identified five dimensions of self-love, but these lacked quantitative validation. This study developed the Chinese Adult Self-Love Scale (SLS) based on prior qualitative findings, constructing an initial item bank of 90 statements. The first study assessed the item relevance and clarity, resulting in a preliminary 68-item scale. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of 456 participants refined it to a 22-item scale with five indicators. The second study, with 929 participants, examined its reliability and validity. Cronbach’s α exceeded 0.75, and the test–retest reliability after six weeks was 0.66. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the scale’s validity (CFI = 0.91, TFI = 0.90, RMSEA = 0.048). This study highlights self-love’s inheritance and development among Chinese adults, as well as its cross-cultural commonalities. It provides a valid, reliable tool for measuring self-love and offers a theoretical foundation for future cross-cultural research. While limitations exist, the findings suggest promising directions for further exploration. Full article

This paper introduces the concept of “Extracanonical Buddhist Literature” and explores its origins and development in the two major Buddhist cultural spheres of India and China. It investigates the roles such texts played in religious practice, doctrinal interpretation, and cross-cultural transmission. In India, extracanonical texts frequently remained outside the official canon due to factors such as sectarian divisions and geographic constraints, reflecting ongoing debates and dialogues with non-Buddhist thought. In China, the formation of these texts was influenced by indigenous cultural integration, political pressures, and translation practices, highlighting a distinct trajectory of Buddhist localization. By analyzing the complementary relationship between these extracanonical works and canonical scriptures, this study demonstrates that these texts not only supplement the canonical system but also offer critical insights into the diversity of Buddhist thought and cultural exchange. Ultimately, they hold significant academic and cultural value, shedding light on how Buddhist ideas were disseminated and adapted across diverse regional contexts. Full article

Research into the unio mystica has revealed what seems to be an area of “real discussion” between scholars of different traditions of mysticism, particularly those of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Although this research serves as a promising start to the dialogue among scholars, it has also raised many questions about a “shared moment” that is nevertheless expressed in “irreducibly diverse” and distinct ways in each tradition. What purpose, for instance, can generic cross-cultural categories serve when they mean little or nothing to scholars in each tradition? By contrast, tradition-specific vocabularies are profuse and often difficult to represent in interlinguistic contexts without significant explanation. The challenge of translating mystical texts, imagery, and ideas across cultures and linguistic traditions raises obvious concerns about the misrepresentation and distortion of traditions in an environment of post-colonial critique. Nevertheless, the continued promise of dialogue calls for specialists of these traditions—particularly non-western and non-Christian traditions—to approach, assess, re-formulate, and even challenge the categories of mysticism from within the conceptual and theoretical horizons of the traditions that they research. The present study models such an approach to scholarship in mysticism. It offers a (re)formulation of the unio mystica from within the theoretical frame of the 12th/13th-century Muslim/Sufi mystic, Ibn ʿArabī (d. 638/1240) and early members of his school of thought. By unpacking the primary terms involved in such an account—“God”, the “human being/self”, and “union”—from within the conceptual and theoretical horizons of that tradition, it problematizes the prevailing understanding of the unio mystica constructed from the writings of specialists in Christian mysticism. More importantly, it illustrates the payoff in terms of dialogue (incorporating the critique of existing theories) when each tradition operates confidently from its own milieu, developing its own theoretical resources for mysticism rather than prematurely embracing existing ideas or categories. Full article

The article addresses one of the central issues of Buddhist thought, the status of selfhood and individuality, as they are discussed in the work of the Japanese Zen thinker Dōgen (1200–1253). It discusses critically and rejects the widespread assumption that Dōgen postulates two levels of selfhood, that of the deluded individual and a transcendent True Self to the attainment of which one should aspire. On the basis of rigorous methodological principles, formulated at the outset, the article analyzes in detail the terminology Dōgen uses for selfhood and individuality and provides a comprehensive, coherent interpretational framework for the reading of a number of key passages that have usually been presented in support of the True Self theory. Full article

This study examines art inspired by Sufi thought in Bosnia and Herzegovina, focusing on the artistic contributions of Meliha Teparić (b. 1978 in Sarajevo), a Bosnian artist and professor of fine arts and the history of art. Teparić’s art, particularly in pieces like To Douse Out Hell and Burn Down Paradise and Gens Una Sumus, delves into Sufi thought, reflecting the belief that divine love transcends religious boundaries. Her work fosters trans-religious dialogue through visual expression. By employing a comparative analysis of Sufi symbolism alongside other religious traditions, this article reveals shared metaphysical values that emerge in her art. The findings emphasize the power of art in promoting spiritual connection and cross-cultural understanding in contemporary society. Ultimately, this study concludes that Teparić’s work embodies a core Sufi principle: the pursuit of divine love as a unifying force that transcends religious and cultural distinctions. Full article

Background/Objectives: Individuals with spinal cord injuries have a higher incidence of chronic conditions such as hypertension and cardiovascular diseases due to a sedentary lifestyle and low levels of physical activity caused by their disability. Additionally, their physical fitness levels are lower compared to those without disabilities. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the relationship between hypertension and the fitness of individuals with spinal cord injuries in South Korea while considering differences across sexes and spinal cord injury levels. Methods: This study used data for 835 individuals with spinal cord injuries aged 20–64 years who visited the Korea Paralympic Committee fitness standard test centers from 2018 to 2022, obtained from the Korea Culture Information Sports Association’s big data market. The data were analyzed using a series of t-tests, a one-way analysis of variance, a logistic regression analysis, and the four-quartile method. Results: The prevalence of hypertension was 24.4%, and it was different according to the spinal cord injury impairment level. A lower grip strength, a lower arm curl, and a higher body mass index were associated with increased blood pressure. Conclusions: Therefore, a high level of physical strength in people with spinal cord injuries is thought to contribute to lowering blood pressure. Full article

Trying to answer the challenges proposed by the Laudato si’ encyclical letter and its proposed “integral ecology,” this essay deals with the possible interactions between ecotheology, ecophenomenology, and cultural anthropology, outlining an interdisciplinary approach to Incarnation. In the first part, the core ideas of the aforementioned encyclical are discussed. In the second part, ecotheology is discussed as an answer to the critiques that see in Christianism a hindrance against a deeper ecological thought. The third part discusses ecophenomenology, while proposing to integrate within the debate some new theoretical proposals. The fourth part discusses how to “cross the Rubicon” between ecotheology and ecophenomenology, while also describing both limits and opportunities for such crossings. In the conclusions, some ideas for further research are proposed, in the sense of a layered theory of Incarnation. Full article

From the late 17th to the early 18th century, Europe witnessed various intellectual debates, and it undeniably received help from places outside Europe such as China. When Chinese history, culture and thought, especially the Confucian classics translated into Latin, were introduced to Europe, they provided resources for comparison and reference for Europe’s ideological crisis. Confucius ou la Science des Princes, the Confucian classic translated by François Bernier, is a typical example. From the perspective of the cross-cultural history of ideas, after carefully analyzing the terminology used in Bernier’s translation and his understanding of Confucius’s thought, this paper will show that Bernier accepted, through the Jesuit translation, the non-religious dimension of politics and ethics in Confucianism, but unlike the Jesuits, he did not see Confucianism as needing Christianity; on the contrary, he believed that politics and ethics could be based on a purely secular philosophy. Based on his secular understanding of Confucius’s thought, Bernier reconstructed Confucius’s texts as a manual to teach European princes, regarding the prince’s virtue, reason and benevolence as the foundation of a country’s good government. Full article

This paper explores how the Jesuit missionary Alfonso Vagnone selected, interpreted, and presented historical examples in The Western Learning of Governance (Zhiping xixue 治平西学) to support their political theories and viewpoints. It analyzes how this cross-cultural knowledge exchange aimed at facilitating the interaction and integration of Chinese and Western political thought. When choosing historical examples, Vagnone reduced the religious elements and highlighted the secular dimension and the Western political principles which align with the political practices of the Ming dynasty. This process demonstrates cultural adaptation and adjustment. By comparing Western and Eastern interpretations of the same historical examples, this paper illustrates how missionaries used these examples to bridge Western and Eastern political thought, promoting their interaction and integration. Full article

This research delves into the intricacies of the “Buddha Story Stele” in Cave 133 of the Maiji Mountain Grottoes, China, examining the sculptural combinations and conceptual nuances rooted in Buddhist culture from the 5th to the 6th centuries CE. The research focuses on discerning the identities of the “Two Adjacent-Seated Buddhas” and the Cross-Legged Bodhisattva carved on the stele, concurrently delving into the embedded symbolic significance within its structural composition. Our investigation posits that the upper, middle, and lower segments of the “Buddha Story Stele” respectively symbolize the post-Nirvana Dharmakāya Shakyamuni, the Bodhisattva Shakyamuni, and the Buddha Shakyamuni of Sumedha. Advancing scholarly discourse, it reevaluates the Cross-Legged Bodhisattva’s identity and the configuration of the “Two Adjacent-Seated Buddhas”, elucidating the interplay of imagery and conceptual themes. This study provides pivotal insights into the sculptural arrangement and religious thought transmission in the Maiji Mountain Grottoes, contributing significant academic and cultural value to preserve this unique heritage. Full article

As an aesthetic resource in ancient China, the Zhuangzi’s description of Dao is similar to the American philosopher Emerson’s experience of beauty, and both reveal that the essence of beauty lies in its inherent vitality, spiritual transcendence, and the unity of multidimensional connotations. Emerson defines beauty as the constitution of all things in the world and believes it to be an expression of the universe. The Zhuangzi proposes the thought of tiandi damei 天地大美 (lit. Great Beauty of heaven and earth) as a manifestation of the function of the wordless Dao. Nature, intact from any human interference, becomes the common intermediary for Emerson and the Zhuangzi to elaborate on the connotations of beauty. The Emersonian definition of beauty originates from the philosophical implication of the world in ancient Greek, whereas the meaning of Great Beauty in the Zhuangzi, which embodies the worship of heaven in primitive religion, is very close to Emerson’s definition of beauty. The pattern of mei 美 consisting of da 大 (lit. great, equivalent to Dao) and yang 羊 (lit. auspice) signifies the natural celestial phenomena predicting good or bad luck and can be seen as synonymous with Dao illuminated by Daoism. By describing such natural imagery as forest, time sequence, dawn, and wilderness, Emerson reveals the vastness, harmony, brightness, and tranquility of beauty, which not only delights the spirit but also brings the human soul back to its natural state and improves personality. Emerson’s illumination of beauty conforms to those of Dao unraveled by the Zhuangzi. Despite the difference between the former’s poetic linguistic feature and the latter’s application of allegorical fables, both resort to visualized language to express internal aesthetic perceptions of the physical nature. Using the approaches of word tracing, textual comparison, and logical analysis, this article identifies the consistency in the original meanings of beauty in both Emerson’s essays and the Zhuangzi first and then goes on to analyze the similarities between their descriptions of natural imagery, so as to hint at the commonality in their understanding of natural beauty and verify the significance of literary language in cross-cultural comparative research. Full article

Foreign students in China may have difficulty adjusting to Chinese culture and may experience mental health problems related to acculturation, interpersonal issues, and social communication within the context of campus life. Therefore, this study attempts to apply a collaborative ethnography approach to explore the adjustment to Chinese culture and mental health issues among foreign students on Chinese campuses during the COVID-19 pandemic. We spent 16 months exploring the feelings and perceptions of 82 foreign international undergraduate students at six Chinese higher education institutions regarding their adjustment to Chinese culture and gathered their suggestions about how to address the mental health issues experienced by foreign learners in China. The results show that international students tend to have a limited understanding of Chinese culture and rely on very few channels for information—in particular, the Internet, teachers’ lectures, and daily life—which can easily result in mental health problems and thoughts of marginalization. In addition, the results showed that international students’ mental health problems are subjectively positively correlated with their own personality, cultural intelligence, and cultural identification ability and objectively related to their cultural distance and all aspects of the educational work of international students. It is suggested that Chinese higher education institutions should strengthen their attention to the mental health of international students in China and promote international students’ cross-cultural adaptation abilities and understanding of Chinese culture. Full article