Macau Ricci Institute, in collaboration with University of Saint Joseph (USJ), will present “From ‘Overcoming Self’ to ‘Overcoming Nature’ – The Teaching on Human Nature in Diego de Pantoja and Giulio Aleni” at the Multi-function Room of USJ’s Saint Joseph Seminary Campus from 6:30 to 8 pm on 5 February, with Professor Thomas Cai as the speaker.
According to the organisers, from Matteo Ricci, the Jesuit missionaries in China insisted on overcoming self in moral cultivation. One example of this endeavour is Diego de Pantoja’s Qike (Seven Victories), which illustrates how one can overcome sins with virtues. When explaining Christian doctrines on the origin of the human race and original sin, Pantoja took further steps by proposing that one must overcome human nature in order to reach perfection. Giulio Aleni gave the teaching a formula in contrast to the Confucian axiom “to follow our nature is called the Way” – instead, to overcome nature is called the Way.
This public lecture, to be conducted in English, will study Pantoja’s and Aleni’s teachings on overcoming human nature and explore the scholastic and Confucian sources in the formulation of the teaching. Registration deadline to join this lecture is 2 February. For more information visit USJ’s website.
Source and Image: Macau Ricci Institute and USJ
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