Gospel of Love: Medieval Christian Humanism

Author: Du Liyan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: In the early 20th century, especially during the May Fourth Movement, with the introduction of Western learning to China, humanism research entered China. The 1903 edition of "New Er Ya" (compiled by Wang Rongbao and Ye Lan) published by Shanghai Mingquan Society included an entry on "humanism." During the May Fourth Movement, humanism research reached its peak. Although affected by years of war, the research at the time had already reached a high level. From 1949 to 1978, due to the limitations of the era and environment, humanism research almost ceased to appear. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, with the reflection on the Cultural Revolution, the philosophy circles in China once engaged in a major discussion on humanism issues, which later ceased due to the campaign against bourgeois liberalization. In 1995, the discussion and publication of humanism were renewed. With the development of reform and opening-up, China opened its doors to the world, making it urgent to understand the world and Western civilization. The essence of Western civilization is humanism, so to understand Western civilization, we must conduct a root-seeking study of humanism, delve into the core of this civilization, explore and absorb its valuable aspects. The writing purpose of the "History of Humanism Thought" series is to trace its origins, reveal the profound connotations of humanism, and present its emergence and development to Chinese readers along its historical context, establishing its central role in the history of Western civilization. The "History of Humanism Thought" series consists of six volumes: "The Dawn of Humanity: Exploring Greek Humanism," "The Gospel of Love: Medieval Christian Humanism," "Humanism of the Renaissance," "Modern Enlightenment Humanism," "Eastern Orthodoxy and Russian Humanism," and "Humanism and Anti-Humanism in the 20th Century." Each volume is approximately 500,000 words. The authors are middle-aged scholars in China's philosophy circles who have achieved notable success, with solid philosophical foundations and years of in-depth research on humanism. Their works have high theoretical standards, reaching unprecedented depth and breadth. The content of this series is extremely rich and substantial, standing out uniquely in humanism research, making it a highly authoritative work. This book is the second volume of the "History of Humanism Thought" series. The Middle Ages were considered by Westerners as one of the darkest periods in history. How was humanism during this era? This book thoroughly explores this question. It introduces the foundation of the emergence of Christianity and its inheritance relationship with Greek civilization, providing solid evidence to prove the existence of medieval Christian humanism. Moreover, with a unique perspective, it positions medieval humanism at the level of the gospel of love.