Upcoming Book Circle Discussion: August 23, 2025
- USCCA Digital Communications Coordinator
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
In the USCCA's Book Circle discussions, attendees from around the world come to discuss history, Chinese culture, theology, philosophy, and the life of the Church in China. Since January, the Book Circle has been reading John C. H. Wu's Chinese Humanism and Christian Spirituality, available from Angelico Press for 15% off with the discount code wu15.
On August 23, the Book Circle will discuss pages 95–120 of Wu's work; these pages cover the chapter entitled "St. Thérèse and Lao Tzu: A Study in Comparative Mysticism." This discussion will be held at the usual Book Circle discussion time: 6 am PT / 7 am MT / 8 am CT / 9 am ET. This is 9pm Chinese Standard Time.
Prior to the discussion, Book Circle participants are invited to consider the following prompt from Book Circle facilitator Kathy Stout:
For our first meeting in the fall on Aug 23, we will read pages 95-120 of John C. H. Wu's book, Chinese Humanism and Christian Spirituality. This chapter is about the wonderful coincidences between Laozi and Thérèse of Lisieux in their mysticism and spirituality. It is structured around a series of paradoxes. You are invited to consider the following questions as you read: 1) How do the Daoist paradoxes (masculine and feminine, white and black, glorious and lowly, 98-109), illuminated by the examples of Thérèse and Laozi, help you see the Gospel in a different light? 2) The next section of the chapter deals with these topics: the motherliness of God, the relationship between virtue and mysticism, redemptive suffering, and Dao as the eternal Law. What do you find most interesting? What questions do you have?
If you have not yet joined us for a Book Circle discussion, please sign up for Book Circle email updates today, and invite your friends to do the same! For additional opportunities to learn about the Church in China, we invite you to sign up for the upcoming October 2025 Study Tour in Northern China.
----------------------
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.