Dulia or Latria: Revisiting the Catholic Missionaries’ View on Guishen in Late Ming and Early Qing

Abstract

Angels and guishen 鬼神, as entities distinct from humans, hold great importance in Chinese and Judaeo-Christian cultures, respectively. Since they share similar roles in providing moral guidance, Jesuit missionaries attempted to identify angels with the guishen to facilitate the introduction of the Catholic cult of angels to China. However, as the Chinese reverence for guishen differed somewhat from the Catholic cult of angels, this identification posed significant doctrinal questions. This article uses the issue of reverence for guishen to review the missionaries’ different understandings and interpretations of Chinese guishen. By distinguishing three different attitudes and positions towards Chinese guishen, it shows that both sides, adhering to their respective cultural centers, are unable to resolve the debates on these spirits, whether interpreting the West through Chinese perspectives, as “Sinicizing Christianity” 以儒化耶, or interpreting China through Western perspectives, as “Christianizing Confucianism” 以耶化儒. Therefore, this article argues that although the controversies over the nature and reverence of guishen between China and the West are unavoidable, there is still common ground in their understanding of sacred existence. As demonstrated by the missionaries’ recognition, interpretation, and understanding of Chinese guishen at different times, it reveals the inherent tension between Chinese and Western cultures.