Center of Jadaic and Inter-religious Studies of Shandong University

Hammering Swords into Plowshares: A Metaphor for Peace in the Prophetic Literature

Archie Lee — 2025-06-30

While there are numerous passages on God of the Hebrew Bible being conceived as “a mighty warrior” who engages actively in wars and fights on behalf of Israel against the nations in the so‑called “holy war traditions”, one can also cite the reversal of war in the vision of Isaiah and Micah in their literary formulation of fostering peace and harmony with a metaphorical articulation of hammering military weapon of war into agricultural instrument of production. This article aims at studying the metaphor of beating of swords into plowshares as a vision of peace in Isaiah 2 and Micah 4 in connection with Joel’s reversal of the metaphor in his call for a total war. The fluidity of the metaphor for peace and the polyphonic nature of texts stand out as characteristics of the biblical traditions as these three prophets or their prophetic communities have handed down to us. The passages also revealed their different historical dimensions and the contextual concerns of the communities that inscribe and preserve the textual heritage. In a word, texts, especially those written in the Hebrew Bible, are historically and culturally conditioned. It is also found that metaphors for war and peace persist throughout the biblical tradition with their roots going back to the Mesopotamian and Northwestern Semitic background of a divine warrior who fights on behalf of his or her own people to bring about peace and redemption from the enemies. The notion was adopted and reused in the eschatological imagination of “the Day of YHWH”.

Shulchan Arukh's Perspectives on Procreation

WANG Xiao — 2025-06-30

The Shulchan Arukh, as the most widely accepted code of Jewish law, continues to serve as a guiding principle for Orthodox Jewish communities. This paper examines the treatment of procreation in the Shulchan Arukh, basing on scholarly research on procreation within Judaism. It demonstrates an overarching awareness of procreation within the code and analyzes shifts in perspectives by contextualizing them within the historical and cultural framework of the compilers' time. The paper argues that the Shulchan Arukh mitigates traditional procreation commandment, strengthens the connection between procreation and increasing God's image, and fosters a cultural environment favorable to procreation. These changes can be traced back to two turning points in Jewish history: the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492 and the enactment of the Ban of R. Gershom.

A Study on Young J. Allen's Concept of God with the Integration of Chinese and Western Cultures

HUANG Ding RUAN Yunqian — 2025-06-30

Compared with the practice of merely using certain concepts of traditional Chinese culture to interpret the Christian God, Young J. Allen started from the specific situation in China at that time and constructed a concept of God that neither violates Christian doctrines nor conforms to Chinese practice. Therefore, Young J. Allen's concept of God is both in line with religious principles and opportune, and also a combination of Chinese and Western cultures. Specifically, Young J. Allen's God is a God who is in charge of creation and integrates traditional Chinese ethical spirits such as “reverence” and “filial piety” into the creation process. Young J. Allen's God is also a God who is “in accordance with the golden mean”, advocates the separation of politics and religion, and is a symbol of modern society that strives to promote social innovation. Moreover, in order to promote the development of science and technology in China, Young J. Allen's God is also a God who serves as the efficient cause of investigating things. Whether it is the image of the creator, the image of a symbol of modern society, or the image of the efficient cause of investigating things, they are all constructed by Young J. Allen through in‑depth integration of China’s specific national conditions or traditional Chinese culture with Christianity.

The Study on the Creation Theory of the Mar Jacob of Sarug

DUAN Wenjunyi — 2025-06-30

This thesis makes a preliminary exploration of the creation theory of Syriac Church Father Mar Jacob of Sarug based on the original texts of Mar Jacob’s metrical homilies such as On The Six Days of Creation and On The Chariot which the Prophet Ezekiel Saw, et cetera. Firstly, this thesis emphasizes that Mar Jacob distinguishes between “to create (brā) something from nothing” and “to make (ʿbad) something from something”. Jacob believes that God first created various natures and elements out of nothing, and then used these natures and elements to make all creatures and build the entire created world. Secondly, this thesis points out that Mar Jacob believes that God not only relies on his “divine will” (remzā) and “power” (haylā) to complete the entire creation, but also relies on the two to maintain the existence of all creatures. Jacob also attaches great importance to the creation of angels, so this thesis also analyzes Jacob’s view of angels in his creation homilies. In addition, Jacob thinks that the “rūḥā” in Genesis 1:2 is regarded as the wind created by God, not the Holy Spirit, which is also analyzed in this thesis.

On the Civilizational Connotations of the East Asian Buddhist Cultural Sphere: The Case of “Escapist Zen” in the Ming and Qing Dynasties

SUN Guozhu — 2025-06-30

The East Asian Buddhist cultural sphere continues to play an active role today and holds irreplaceable significance in shaping the future of human civilization. This paper examines the civilizational connotations of this cultural sphere, focusing on the phenomenon of “Escapist Zen” during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The study reveals that the formation of the East Asian Buddhist cultural sphere exemplifies a model of cultural symbiosis that fosters prosperity. The insights derived from this model are of profound importance for preserving the diversity of human civilization and promoting sustainable and peaceful global development.

Why Didn’t We Return Together When We Came Together? — The Confucian Tradition of “the Self” and the Civilizational Perspective of “the Other”

ZHANG Hongbin — 2025-06-30

Understanding China, especially China in the context of its early civilization, requires considerations in terms of both time and space, as well as an echo between reality and value. The former implies that the history of Chinese culture and civilization needs to clarify an appropriate juncture; the latter means the inherent form of Chinese civilization and its own logical pattern. Determining a historical juncture requires the selection of a reference frame and a consistent register, while logic and form represent the possibilities of self‑unfolding. “All thoughts under heaven converge despite diverse origins” serves as the foundation for the concurrent development of human civilizations with different approaches, and “sharing the same path of shamanism and historiography yet reaching different destinations” is the essence for the establishment of the core of Chinese civilization and the enduring value of its self‑identity.

Giulio Aleni's "Cleansing of Sins" as a Christian and Confucian Cultivation Theory: Taking Correct Rules for Cleansing Sins (Dizui Zhenggui) as an Example

YAN Zhaoyu — 2025-06-30

When constructing the Sinicized liturgical thoughts, Giulio Aleni integrated Confucian cultivation terms such as "repent and correct one's mistakes", "pray for one's sins", and "constantly face the divine" to interpret the Catholic "cleansing of sins" (the Sacrament of Confession), making "cleansing of sins" not only have the ideological connotations of sacraments but also contain cultivation purposes similar to those in Confucian cultivation theory. The Sinicized Confession interpreted by Aleni includes Confucian ideas such as "correcting mistakes" and "repenting", and can also promote individual cultivation in terms of "enlightening/contemplating one's own sins", and can promote the practical effect of cultivation through liturgical practice. Aleni's experience in constructing the "cleansing of sins" cultivation theory shows that integrating individual cultivation with liturgical practice is a valuable experience for Catholicism to integrate into Chinese culture, which can be taken for promoting the Sinicization of liturgy today.

The Ambiguous Image of the "Mediator": Roman-Jewish Relation from the End of the Republic to the Rise of the Empire on Coins of Herod the Great

CAO Shunci YANG Meng — 2025-06-30

As a historical object embodying political, economic, and cultural functions, coins silently record the characteristics of social development and collective memory. The ambiguous images on many coins issued by Herod the Great, engraved with the inscription "Year Three", reflect both Roman and Jewish cultural connotations. This ambiguity highlights Herod's role as an "intermediary" who was "neither Roman nor Jewish", striving to reconcile and balance the potential political and religious conflicts between the two sides. It also reveals the profound political and cultural contradictions hidden beneath the apparent harmony between the central and local authorities.

The United States' Anti-Semitism Awareness Act : An Analysis of Complexity and Political Controversy

MA Dongshun — 2025-06-30

The legislative practice of the U.S. Anti-Semitism Awareness Act reflects the institutionalized demand of contemporary society to combat anti-Semitism, while simultaneously exposing the deep-seated tensions between legal intervention and social governance. The legislative framework and core provisions of the Act essentially constitute a structural response to the phenomenon of anti-Semitism in real-world society, with its content reflecting the complex landscape of ethnic relations in American society. The introduction and application of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism within the Act highlights the political controversies and operational dilemmas inherent in conceptual definitions. The potential tension between freedom of speech and the standards for identifying anti-Semitism that the Act may provoke, along with its potential impact within the pluralistic society of the United States, constitutes a significant public policy issue. The political game in the legislative process reveals the Act's implicit attributes as a tool of partisan politics, reflecting the multiple forces at play among interest groups, voter blocs, and ideologies within the American political arena. This legislative practice not only pertains to the efficacy of anti-Semitism governance but also profoundly reins out the value choices and institutional dilemmas faced by contemporary American society in balancing ethnic politics, freedom of speech, and legal intervention.

Are the Rabbis Part of the Wisdom Tradition?

Ishay Rosen-Zvi, YUAN Jiahui (trans.) — 2025-06-30

In this article, I argue that the rabbis perceive themselves as part of the broader wisdom tradition, which is reflected in their self-designation as "sages". However, two fundamental aspects set them apart from this tradition. Frist, The Birth of the Study House, for the rabbis, wisdom is not only identified with the Torah but is also inseparable from the practice of study. This institutionalized approach to learning redefines wisdom as an exclusive, distinctly Jewish pursuit. Second, Anthropological Pessimism—Unlike the classical wisdom tradition, which often attributes transformative power to wisdom, the rabbis maintain a more skeptical view. For them, wisdom does not inherently refine or elevate an individual; sages must continuously struggle against the yetzer (inclination to sin) throughout their lives. These two characteristics—possibly interconnected, as the ethos of study fosters an accumulative rather than a transformative intellectual model—ultimately constrain the rabbis' participation in the broader wisdom tradition.

Sage and Anti-Sage: Proverbs and Qohelet

Simeon Chavel, WU Sijia (trans.) — 2025-06-30

This chapter describes (1) how the Biblical book of Proverbs constructs the sage as one who recognizes the divinely ordained patterns by which the world runs and expresses them in patterned language spoken by dramatized figures; (2) how the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes, or Qohelet, deconstructs sagacity as an illusion and the sage as delusional, since no patterns hold and no one knows the deity's mind other than by the human condition, which is to be off-balance and anxious; and (3) how, in Mikhail Bakhtin's terms, Qohelet effects a dialogical relationship with Proverbs, mimicking its linguistic forms, mocking its dramatized speakers, and contradicting its ideas in prose.

Textual Approach in the Study of Religious Transmission History: Review of Ni Aixia's A Study of the Acculturation Strategies of Kaifeng Jews during the Ming and Qing Dynasties

WANG Qiangwei — 2025-06-30

Ni Aixia's monograph A Study of the Acculturation Strategies of Kaifeng Jews during the Ming and Qing Dynasties focuses on the Jewish community in Kaifeng during the Ming and Qing periods, delving into their religious acculturation process. Departing from the traditional historical-textual approaches, Ni adopts a cross-cultural interpretive strategy of "con/text interpretation" using the Torah as a comparative text to examine how the Kaifeng Jews contextualized their practices within the Chinese society. This reveals their creative adaptations of the Biblical traditions, such as the translation of God's name, and the reimagining of Abraham and Moses' images in a Confucian context. This book offers new case studies for understanding the adaptive strategies of diasporic cultures and provides references for contemplating cultural exchange and mutual learning among civilizations.

Jewish Intellectual Evolution in the Context of Civilizational Exchanges and Mutual Learning: Revisiting Dong Xiuyuan's A Study of Maimonides' Cosmogony

WANG Qiangwei — 2025-06-30

Dong Xiuyuan's monograph A Study of Maimonides' Cosmogony is one of the most representative achievement by Chinese scholars these years for the studies in Maimonides. By focusing on the cosmogony issue within Maimonides' intellectual system, Dong critically examines related international academic research moving freely between Jewish and Greek philosophical classics, the intellectual worlds of the Mediterranean, Christian theology, Kalam, Sabianism, Arabic Aristotelianism, and even Indian Buddhist thought, successfully reveals Maimonides' intellectual genealogy and his influences on this topic. In this review, I will specifically highlight these topics covered in the book, including "Cosmogony" as a fundamental theological issue in Judaism, Maimonides' controversy with Sabianism, "dialectical argument" as the key to interpreting Maimonides, the origins of Kalam's Atomism-Occasionalism in either ancient Greece or India, and the reception and study on Maimonides' thought and his The Guide for the Perplexed. Overall, this book paints a vivid picture of civilization exchanges and the Jewish intellectual evolution, and it advances the construction of an academic discourse system for Maimonidean studies in China.