Original Research: Cross-cultural Religious Studies

A reflection on making ‘Religion’ in China: The Genealogy of Zongjiao through cultural exchange

Xuedan Li, Yuehua Chen
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies | Vol 80, No 3 | a10121 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v80i3.10121 | © 2024 Xuedan Li, Yuehua Chen | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 01 August 2024 | Published: 31 October 2024

About the author(s)

Xuedan Li, Institute for Marxist Religious Studies in New Era, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, China
Yuehua Chen, Institute for Marxist Religious Studies in New Era, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, China; and School of Philosophy, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

Abstract

The term Zongjiao [宗教] originally referring to the teachings of Buddhism and Chinese ancestral worship was not considered the equivalent for the English term ‘religion’ until the late 19th century when Japanese translated religion as shūkyō [宗教]. The later introduction of the concept of Zongjiao into China via Japan triggered a deep exploration of the differences between religion and Jiao among Chinese intellectuals like Liang Qichao, Kang Youwei and Peng Guangyu, representing Chinese scholars’ conceptualisation and reflections of Chinese traditional religious belief, practices and phenomena within the context of Western religious culture. Rather than a simple lexical selection, the translation of ‘religion’ essentially was a process of making the notion of ‘religion’ in China, which had provided valuable insight into the nature of Chinese Confucianism culture and was closely related to the understanding of the state–church relationship in China. With continuous cultural exchanges and integration, reflecting on this translation process will provide a more inclusive perspective on the complexity and diversity of religions and facilitate mutual learning.

Contribution: This article briefly reviews the process of accepting Zongjiao [宗教] as the equivalent for the Western term ‘religion’ in China, in order to shed light on how such translation has influenced people’s understanding of religion and the inclusiveness contained in the study of religion.


Keywords

Zongjiao; Chinese religion; zong; Jiao; cross-cultural translation; Confucianism; state–church relationship

Sustainable Development Goal

Goal 3: Good health and well-being

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