Manufacturing Confucianism
Book Description
This groundbreaking scholarly investigation uncovers a startling revelation about one of history's most revered spiritual figures. Through meticulous research into European missionary documents, Chinese Christian texts, and historical translations, Jensen presents compelling evidence that challenges our fundamental understanding of how Eastern wisdom traditions reached the West.
The book examines how sixteenth and seventeenth-century Jesuit missionaries, working with ancient Chinese ru teachings, constructed the figure we know today as Confucius. Drawing from European letters, memoirs, Christian histories written in Chinese, and the influential Latin work Confucius Sinarum Philosophus, Jensen reveals the complex process by which Western translators and interpreters shaped our modern conception of this philosophical giant.
Rather than simply exposing historical inaccuracies, this work illuminates the fascinating cultural exchange between East and West during a pivotal period in global history. Jensen demonstrates how both European and Chinese civilizations contributed equally to creating a shared understanding that would influence spiritual and philosophical thought for centuries to come.
For readers interested in the intersection of spirituality, cultural transmission, and historical interpretation, this book offers profound insights into how religious and philosophical traditions cross cultural boundaries. It invites us to reconsider not just what we know about Confucian thought, but how spiritual wisdom travels between civilizations and transforms in the process.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Long (> 400 pages) (~12 hours)
🕉️ Tradition: Comparative Religion
📄 Length: 444 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Christianity
- ✓ Explore Christianity and other religions, confucianism
- ✓ Explore Relations
- ✓ Explore Civilization
- ✓ Explore timeless philosophical wisdom
- ✓ Explore Western influences
- ✓ Explore Philosophy, chinese
- ✓ Explore Confucianism
