서광계의 기독교 신앙과 상제(上帝)에 대한 제한적 이해

Abstract

Hsü Kuang-ch'i(徐光啓, 1562~1633) has been called as “the Pillar of Christian Mission to China(開敎三大柱)” with Li Chih-tsao(李之藻, 1565~1630), and Yang T'ing-yün(楊廷筠, 1562~1627) since the beginning of the Christian Mission to China by the Jesuits in 1583. He was one of the most prominent figures in the early history of Chinese Christianity as his friendship with the Jesuits and Western missionaries extended to the founding father of the China Mission, Matteo Ricci(1552~1610). His conversion to Christianity in 1603 and subsequent official role of tranlating the Western books on science and technology into Chinese, such as Chi-ho-yüan-pen《幾何原本》and Tzo-lian I-t'ung《測量異同》, have been studied by the author first. Having examined Hsü Kuang-ch'i's alleged Christian writings, such as《耶蘇像贊》,《聖母像贊》,《規誡箴贊》,《十誡箴贊》,《克罪七德箴贊》,《眞福八端箴贊》,《哀矜十四端箴贊》,《正道題綱》,《答鄕人書》,《跋二十五言》,《造物主垂象略說》,《辨學章疏》, the author of this paper claims that his understanding of Christianity was limited as he regarded Christian faith as the idelogical tool “to supplement Confucianism and to abolish Buddhism 補儒而佛” for the declining Ming Dynasty. The author finds his warrant to maintain this claim in Hsü Kuang-ch'i's understanding of the newly translated Christian name of God in Chinese, Shangti 上帝, in his various writings. His clear understanding of the Christian faith and his evaluation of the newly-translated divine name was not demonstrated in his writings. More than that, he avoided the genuine religious dialogue in his commentary, the Shih-ching Ch'ung-kao《詩經傳稿》, on the same passages Matteo Ricci had found the term Shangti for the divine name of the Christian God in China. Key words : Hsü Kuang-ch'i, Shangti, Society of Jesus, Matteo Ricci, Mission, Name of God, Conversion, Chinese Christianity, Contextualization