Book Circle Recap: May 24, 2025

Book available from Angelico Press

On May 24, the USCCA Book Circle discussed pages 77–90 of John C. H. Wu's book, Christian Spirituality and Chinese Humanism. This was the latter part of Wu's chapter entitled "The Wisdom of Chuang Tzu: A New Appraisal."

Wu's philosophical exploration of Chuang Tzu (also translated as Zhuangzi or Zhuang Zhou), the sage of ancient Taoism, challenged Book Circle participants to consider the limits of technology, language, and even ethical practice as distinct from one's ultimate purpose:

For [Chuang Tzu], the ultimate end of man is to be united with the Tao; he looked at moral virtues, such as humanity and justice, as a necessary stage toward this end. (p. 77)

Book Circle participants drew connections between Christian thought and Chuang Tzu's emphasis on union with the Tao, wherein virtues "are no longer practiced as onerous duties imposed on you by an external authority or as a categorical imperative, and in performing them you will feel no sense of being virtuous, but only a deep joy" (p. 77).

Participants also wrestled with Chuang Tzu's ambivalent attitudes toward technology and civilization in general: Chuang Tzu "called a halt to all arts of civilization" (p. 81), but later writings described by Wu indicated that "the true man of the Tao would use the instruments [of technology] as others do without being attached to them" (p. 83). Book Circle participants found this discussion particularly thought-provoking for a time such as ours, where new developments in artificial intelligence are emerging every month.

This meeting was the last Book Circle discussion of the Spring 2025 semester, and we look forward to re-convening in Fall 2025. If you are interested in receiving email updates about the USCCA Book Circle, we invite you to fill out the Book Circle interest form! Also, please note that in Fall 2025 we will continue reading John C. H. Wu's book, Chinese Humanism and Christian Spirituality. With the discount code wu15, you may purchase the book from Angelico Press at a 15% discount.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our supporters for making the USCCA Book Circle Discussions possible. Building on their generosity, we invite you to contribute your own gift. Your donation will help sustain the vital work of fostering understanding between the U.S. and China through shared learning and dialogue.

----------------------

The USCCA is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. Your donations are tax-deductible to the maximum extent allowed by law. The success of our work depends upon the generosity of people like you.