The proposed paper will focus on the integration between Western and
Eastern people, namely dealing with the Christian spread in China during
the 7th-8th century and the accommodation with both Chinese cultural
and political background. A remarkable document like the famous stele of
Xian and an array of less known manuscripts show a deep
interpenetration of theological concepts: their authors were faced with
the urgency and the effort required to superimpose (sometimes by means
of adaptation or accommodation) Christian terms on pre-existing
concepts. In particular, the doctrinal compendium they offer is relevant
as far as theological aspects are concerned. Such a refined work of
inculturation is due to the fact that Christian missionaries "came into a
society with a highly literate culture and a long cultural tradition in
which they could only gain access through an adoptional process"
(Deeg); on the other hand, from a political perspective, they
demonstrated a sensitive awareness and prudence that lent Christian
Church to enjoy great esteem, official recognition, and freedom to
propagate. The information provided by these sources can be useful to
reconstruct the spread and success of Christian communities, endorsed by
the emperor himself. This aspect, which will be the core of our
presentation, was achieved also thanks to the fact that the Tang dynasty
showed a certain cosmopolitan interest for foreign usages and ‘exotic'
practices, abandoning the Sinocentric attitude that had usually
characterized the relationship with other countries and would also
characterize them in subsequent epochs.
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