Tianzhu (Chinese name of God)
Encyclopedia
Tianzhu meaning "Heavenly Master", was the Chinese word used by the Jesuit China missions
to designate God
. The word first appeared in Michele Ruggieri
's Chinese translation of the Decalogo, or Ten Commandements. In 1584, Ruggieri and Matteo Ricci
published their first catechism, Tianzhu shilu (天主實錄, The Veritable Record of the Lord of Heaven).
Matteo Ricci
later wrote a catechism
entitled Tianzhu Shiyi (天主實義, The True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven).
Following the Chinese rites controversy
, the term Tianzhu was officially adopted by the Pope
in 1715, who rejected alternative terms such as Tian (天, "Heaven") and Shangdi
(上帝, "Supreme Emperor").
"Catholicism
" is most commonly rendered as Tīanzhǔ jìao (天主教, "Religion of the Lord of Heaven").
Jesuit China missions
The history of the missions of the Jesuits in China is part of the history of relations between China and the Western world. The missionary efforts and other work of the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits, between the 16th and 17th century played a significant role in continuing the transmission of...
to designate God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. The word first appeared in Michele Ruggieri
Michele Ruggieri
Michele Ruggieri was an Italian Jesuit priest. One of the founding fathers of the Jesuit China missions, and a co-author of the first Portuguese-Chinese dictionary, he can be described as the first European sinologist.-Formation years in Europe:Before entering the Society of Jesus Michele...
's Chinese translation of the Decalogo, or Ten Commandements. In 1584, Ruggieri and Matteo Ricci
Matteo Ricci
Matteo Ricci, SJ was an Italian Jesuit priest, and one of the founding figures of the Jesuit China Mission, as it existed in the 17th-18th centuries. His current title is Servant of God....
published their first catechism, Tianzhu shilu (天主實錄, The Veritable Record of the Lord of Heaven).
Matteo Ricci
Matteo Ricci
Matteo Ricci, SJ was an Italian Jesuit priest, and one of the founding figures of the Jesuit China Mission, as it existed in the 17th-18th centuries. His current title is Servant of God....
later wrote a catechism
Catechism
A catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
entitled Tianzhu Shiyi (天主實義, The True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven).
Following the Chinese rites controversy
Chinese Rites controversy
The Chinese Rites controversy was a dispute within the Catholic Church from the 1630s to the early 18th century about whether Chinese folk religion rites and offerings to the emperor constituted idolatry...
, the term Tianzhu was officially adopted by the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
in 1715, who rejected alternative terms such as Tian (天, "Heaven") and Shangdi
Shangdi
Shangdi , also known as Di in Oracle Bone Inscription and Thirteen Classics, refers to the supreme god or a divine power regarded as the spiritual ultimate by the Chinese people from the Shang Dynasty. He controlled victory in battle, harvest, the fate of the kingdom, and the weather...
(上帝, "Supreme Emperor").
"Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
" is most commonly rendered as Tīanzhǔ jìao (天主教, "Religion of the Lord of Heaven").