Spirit, Qi, and the Multitude: A Comparative Theology for the Democracy of Creation (Comparative Theology: Thinking Across Traditions)
Book Description
In our interconnected world, where systemic power imbalances challenge our understanding of genuine democracy and pluralism, this scholarly work offers a groundbreaking bridge between Eastern and Western spiritual traditions. Hyo-Dong Lee embarks on an ambitious comparative journey, exploring how the Western concept of spirit can engage in meaningful dialogue with the East Asian understanding of qi, that nondualistic and nonhierarchical force that flows through all existence.
The exploration traces qi through its rich textual heritage in Confucian and Daoist thought, examining the insights of influential thinkers like Laozi, Zhu Xi, and lesser-known Korean philosophers. These Eastern perspectives enter into conversation with Western intellectual giants including Whitehead's concept of Creativity, Hegel's Geist, and contemporary voices like Catherine Keller's theological innovations.
This theological and philosophical investigation reveals how both traditions point toward ultimate creative and spiritual power that operates within the cosmos itself. The work contributes to Spirit-centered Christian theologies that emphasize divine presence as liberating, equalizing, and pluralizing force throughout creation.
By introducing Korean thinkers largely unknown to Western scholarship and drawing on Hegelian, postmodern, and postcolonial perspectives, Lee enriches our understanding of how ancient wisdom traditions can inform contemporary visions of democracy and pluralism. Readers seeking to understand how Eastern and Western spiritual insights can address modern challenges of political oppression, economic exploitation, and cultural marginalization will discover fresh perspectives on creating more inclusive and democratic approaches to existence itself.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~10 hours)
📄 Length: 376 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore timeless philosophical wisdom
- ✓ Explore Spirit
- ✓ Explore Qi (Chinese philosophy)
- ✓ Explore Christianity and other religions
- ✓ Explore Korean Philosophy
- ✓ Explore Chinese Philosophy
- ✓ Explore PHILOSOPHY / General
- ✓ Explore RELIGION / Comparative Religion
