耶易會通 : 清代天主教徒呂立本《易經本旨》研究與編注

Abstract

Yijing benzhi (易經本旨, Original Meaning of the Yijing), compiled in 1774 by Lü Liben, a Qing-dynasty Catholic convert, represents a unique commentary on the Yijing (Classic of Changes) that inherits the Figurist exegetical tradition of the Jesuits. This works interprets the Yijing through a Catholic theological lens, facilitating a dialogue between Yijing and the Bible while revealing the dynamic interplay between Chinese and Western value systems. Moreover, it stands as a testament to the efforts of indigenous Chinese Catholic communities to preserve their faith following the withdrawal of Jesuit missionaries during the prohibition of Christianity—making it a hitherto neglected gem of Figurist Yijing scholarship.

The author of this study meticulously collates, punctuates, and annotates the existing manuscript of Yijing benzhi, focusing on its intertextual connections with both traditional Chinese classics and Catholic theological writings . Through this meticulous analysis, the work traces the origins and integration of Yijing philosophy and theological thought. By introducing this Figurist interpretation of the Yijing—authored by a Chinese Catholic—this book not only challenges the academic stereotype that Figurist Yijing studies were solely foreign imports but also forges new pathways in the research of Catholicism in China and the history of Sino-Western religious-cultural exchange.