The Jesus Question

(For an introduction to this series, read Part 1.)

To penetrate the mysteries, to bless with a good conscience, to be great and yet empty, to return to stillness and be forgiving, to be compassionate and to deliver all people, to do good deeds and help people reach the other shore—these are the great benefits of our path of cultivation. To calm people in stormy times, to help them understand the nature of things, to maintain purity, to nourish all things, to respect all life, and to answer the needs of those whose beliefs come from the heart—these are the services the Religion of Light Church can offer. (Stone Sutra 3:54-55, trans. Martin Palmer)

This passage was written onto a stele in Xian by Chinese Christian monks in 781 AD, along with about 2,000 other Chinese characters that together form a stone document that is as much a theological treatise as it is an early history of Christianity in China; religion scholar Martin Palmer refers to this text as the “Stone Sutra,” or “Monument Sutra.” Essentially, the two verses quoted above are a mission statement—the Chinese Christians describe who they are, what they stand for, and how they plan to serve the community. They also thank God for blessing them with the power, through his Spirit, to enact these divine virtues. (I know this sounds egregiously like eisegesis, but I promise, I’m interpreting it in light of the full text of the Stone Sutra, which goes into greater detail about the incarnation, death, resurrection, and ascension of Ye Su [Jesus], as well as his salvific role. More on this in later posts.)

I call them “Chinese Christians,” but really, the name they gave to their new faith was “the Religion of Light.” (See the two Chinese characters they used at right.)   Continue reading →