Lecture Notes: Primary Source Case Study and Contextualization

Introduction

• Focus on a piece of primary source evidence.
• Definition of a primary source: Direct evidence from the period being studied.
• Importance: Understanding historical dynamics through original evidence.

Case Study Context

• Cultural and Linguistic Crossings:

  • Persian, Afghan, and Syrian missionaries bring Christianity to Tang China.
  • Cross-cultural exchanges between Persian Empire and Tang Dynasty.

• First Engagement with Chinese Culture:

  • Christianity enters the imperial capital in China.
  • Challenges in language and cultural translation.

Religious Context in Tang China

• Religious Pluralism and Toleration:

  • Collaboration with Buddhists, seen as foreign missionaries.
  • Shared practices between Buddhist and Christian monks (prayer, fasting, celibacy).

• Geopolitical Awareness:

  • Chinese knowledge of Persian and Roman empires.
  • Recognition of Christianity as an import from the Roman Empire.

Translation and Contextualization Strategies

• Borrowing from Buddhism and Confucianism:

  • Use of Buddhist terminology and Confucian concepts to convey the gospel.
  • Examples: "Sutras" for Bible books, "Buddha" for divine person, "Cool Wind" for Holy Spirit.

• Translation Decisions:

  • Transliteration vs. Translation of concepts (e.g., Yeshua as "God saves").
  • Use of proper names vs. interpreted meanings (e.g., Yahweh as "Lord").

• Challenges of Contextualization:

  • Balancing cultural engagement with maintaining distinctiveness.
  • Example: Misunderstanding due to over-identification with Buddhism.

Reflections on Contextualization

• Creative Approaches:
  • Analyzing creative and potentially fruitful contextualization.
  • Identifying instances of problematic syncretism.

Assignment and Discussion

• Text Analysis:

  • Read the Xi'an Stele text, a historical artifact with 7th-century Christian doctrine in Chinese.
  • Focus on the first two pages for doctrinal articulation, but engage with the entire text.

• Discussion Task:

  • Reflect on instances of creative contextualization vs. syncretism.
  • Prepare for discussion posts and possible Zoom debates on findings.

Conclusion

• Encouragement to explore and critically think about historical texts and contextualization.
• Anticipation for interactive discussions and reflections on the case study.