The Tao And The Logos

The author investigates the metaphorical nature of poetic language, highlighting the central figures of reality and meaning in both Eastern and Western thought: the Tao and the Logos.

Questions of the nature of understanding and interpretation—hermeneutics—are fundamental in human life, though historically Westerners have tended to consider these questions within a purely Western context. In this comparative study, Zhang Longxi investigates the metaphorical nature of poetic language, highlighting the central figures of reality and meaning in both Eastern and Western thought: the Tao and the Logos. The author develops a powerful cross-cultural and interdisciplinary hermeneutic analysis that relates individual works of literature not only to their respective cultures, but to a combined worldview where East meets West. Zhang's book brings together philosophy and literature, theory and practical criticism, the Western and the non-Western in defining common ground on which East and West may come to a mutual understanding. He provides commentary on the rich traditions of poetry and poetics in ancient China; equally illuminating are Zhang's astute analyses of Western poets such as Rilke, Shakespeare, and Mallarmé and his critical engagement with the work of Foucault, Derrida, and de Man, among others. Wide-ranging and learned, this definitive work in East-West comparative poetics and the hermeneutic tradition will be of interest to specialists in comparative literature, philosophy, literary theory, poetry and poetics, and Chinese literature and history.

"Christ the eternal Tao shows Lao Tzu's Tao Teh Ching as a foreshadowing of what would be revealed by Christ, and Lao Tzu himself as a Far-Eastern prophet of the Incarnate God."--Back cover

"Christ the eternal Tao shows Lao Tzu's Tao Teh Ching as a foreshadowing of what would be revealed by Christ, and Lao Tzu himself as a Far-Eastern prophet of the Incarnate God."-- Back cover.

The Tao of Christ is a Christian interpretation of the sixth century BC Chinese classic, the Tao Te Ching. It translates this ancient work into concepts and language recognizable to Christians, while maintaining the integrity of the ancient text. The Tao of Christ bridges the gap between East and West. It sheds light on two great spiritual traditions. Those who love the Tao Te Ching will see Christianity in a new light. Christians who love Christ will see this ancient Chinese work as evidence of God's wider revelation to all peoples.

What Is Taoism? traces, in nontechnical language, the history of the development of this often baffling doctrine. Creel shows that there has not been one "Taoism," but at least three, in some respects incompatible and often antagonistic. In eight closely related papers, Creel explicates the widely used concepts he originally introduced of "contemplative Taoism," "purposive Taoism," and "Hsien Taoism." He also discusses Shen Pu-hai, a political philosopher of the fourth century B.C.; the curious interplay between Confucianism, Taoism, and "Legalism" in the second century B.C.; and the role of the horse in Chinese history.

Tao Te Ching: Original Text and A Modern Interpretation by Yuan Zhiming English Translation by Daniel Baida Su and Chen Shangyu Among hundreds of English translation and thousands of Chinese interpretation of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching, Yuan Zhiming offers a unique perspective - seeing Lao Tzu from the vintage point of the ancient Hebrew Bible. This is a dawning moment in the history of Lao Tzu interpretation. Historically, there have always been huge differences from one interpretation to another, each tinted with individual interpreter's specific world view, mostly from the view point of Confucianism, Buddhism, Legalism, Militarism, Yin and Yang, Neo-Confucianism, Marxism, and so on. Only in the light of the Bible, the mysterious and profound Tao becomes visible, touchable, explicit, and understandable. Yuan Zhiming describes his enlightenment: "When I enter into Tao, experiencing the magnificent and miraculous divinity through the life of Jesus, there seems a ray of brilliant light illuminating Lao Tzu, enabling me to recognize the inner meaning behind each of Lao Tzu's word." Yuan Zhiming firmly believes that there must be a spiritual source which links the ancient Hebrew civilization with the ancient Chinese civilization, and with all other ancient civilizations. This source is unquestionably originated from the One who sets all nations on one planet (Earth) and that One is Logos - Tao. Tao is universal. The universal Tao will illuminate all heart in the East and the West.