Brisbane School of Theology

Understanding Confucianism Values

Dr Andrew Prince, Director for Brisbane School of Theology’s Centre for Asian Christianity

The term Confucianism was first thought to be coined during the 17th Century by Jesuit missionaries who saw a strong correlation between the values they observed among Chinese officials and some of the classical texts of Confucianism [Nadeau 2014, 23].  Confucius (551 BC – 479 BC) was a Chinese teacher, politician and philosopher but Confucian values pre-date Confucius himself.

What Confucius did was “to collect, organize and highlight the beliefs and practices that had been definitive of his culture for several centuries. He is recorded as saying, ‘I transmit but do not create” [Nadeau 2014, 23]. Confucianism therefore can be considered more of a general term that encapsulates the religious and ethical values and rules that have been present in Chinese culture for more than three thousand years.

These ideals, behaviours, and values include such things as ancestor veneration, education, harmonious and hierarchical relationships and what Nadeau in Asian Religions describes as, “the grounding of moral teachings and ethical principals in a religious or cosmic reality” [Nadeau 2014, 23]. These behaviours and values are so much part of the cultural DNA of East Asians that they wouldn’t necessarily identify them as Confucian values so much as simply values that have been present in their societies for generations [Nadeau 2014, 23].

While Confucianism originated in China it has progressively spread across much of Asia to the point that China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines can be classified as Confucian cultures [Nadeau 2014, 24].

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Pastor Grace Lung

BSci (Comp Sci), GradDipDiv, MA (ChrStds)

DIRECTOR

Grace grew up in Sydney in a large Chinese church. Since then she has served at various Chinese churches over the years in youth, students, young workers and women. Her passion and interest is contextualizing the gospel to Asian Australians and developing Asian churches in Australia. Grace is a graduate of Sydney Missionary and Bible College and Fuller Theological Seminary. Her study focussed on Chinese Australian identity and ministry.

Her previous roles have included: Director for Asian Contextual Engagement for the RICE Movement, Team Member for Interserve Culture Connect and OMF QLD’s Ministry Team. She was an Anglican Deaconness Ministries Summer Fellow in 2019. Her writing has appeared on the SOLA Network, Gospel Coalition Australia, Centered: Resources for the Asian American Church, Common Grace and Ethos: EA Centre for Christianity and Society.

In addition to her role as Director of CAC, Grace is also serving as a pastor alongside her husband, Chris, at Rise Alliance Church – a new church plant servicing the Rochedale area.