ESTUDI EXPERIMENTAL: INTRODUCCIÓ

I. Finding Prisca Theologia

In addition, (different Yins and Yangs of) the six positions in the Yi

could compose a composition. In antiquity, our great master picked

the tangible forms between Heaven and Earth, which could be as

small as our bodies and lives in the modern times, and followed each

disposition, to compare them with the words embedded with deep and

mysterious symbols. (The symbols were) regarded as characters and

compositions, which are hidden items and leading people to exhaust

the principles. (The symbols) detect the ancient relics and look for the

hidden (messages), which reaches the ultimately spiritual and clear virtue of Shangzhu 上主 (Lord above) and probes into nature and imitates the delicacy of his virtue. The efforts stop at the ultimate

goodness and then preserve the greatness of the permanent life after one’s death. The classics such as Shijing and Shujing, together with other ancient classics, whose Dao and studies, are all based on the

Great Yi. Their compositions, characters, and compounds are with

hidden and mystic (messages). They must have the same principles

with the Yi and they are no different.

(又云易六位而成章，蓋古之先師，取天地之間有形，係現代身命 之小，隨各類之情，比擬蘊藏深奧印符之字，以為文為章，隱類 率人窮理，探蹟索隱，鉤深致遠，通無窮上主至神至明之德，盡 性效法其至德之精微，止于至善而保身後永命之大。詩書等經， 並諸古典籍，其道其學，俱既本于大易，其章其文其字之隱藏深 奧，與易亦必一揆而無不同。)277

The Jesuit Figurists are called Suoyin pai jiaoshi 索隱派教士 in Chinese. The above passage, from the second page of the Yi yao易鑰 (the Keys to the Yijing), might explain their approach to proselytizing in China, Suoyin索隱—seeking the mystical and hidden

277 _{Bouvet. Manuscripts stored in the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana. Shelf Mark Borg. Cin. 317, No. 2, p.}

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messages of God embedded in Chinese classics, especially the Yijing, which is the origin and the basis of all classics in their eyes. After detailed investigation of their Chinese handwritten manuscripts, the Jesuit Figurists’ holistic investigation of the Yijing has been revealed more comprehensively in this dissertation.

As stated in Chapter One, the introduction of this dissertation, the Figurists’ approach previously was categorized by Western scholars into three elements: (1) typological exegesis, designed to reveal hidden meanings in the Old Testament; (2) “Ancient Theology” (Prisca theologia), predicated upon the idea of a divine revelation by pagan saints; and (3) the Jewish mystical tradition of the Kabbala. It still falls into a dogmatic and wishful thinking, however, if one does not meticulously examine their Chinese manuscripts, via which they entered the imperial court and circle of literati, exchanged views with the Emperor and even tried to convince others that Christianity lies in the Yijing. To assert that these Jesuit Figurists were following only European theology is too simple an explanation. Figurism in China is actually a Chinese version of biblical hermeneutics, different means of reinterpreting the Yijing, as is elaborated in each chapter of this dissertation.

Compared to the Western version of finding prisca theologia, these Jesuit Figurists had a more in-depth understanding of the Chinese classics and commentaries related to the Yijing, as well as having an ongoing interaction with the emperor and literati, whether this elite group was whole-heartedly supportive or had their own secular purpose. In the West, the term prisca theologia appears to have been used first by Marsilio Ficino in the 15th century. Ficino and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola tried to reform the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church based on the writings of the prisca theologia, which they believed was reflected in Neoplatonism, Hermeticism, and the Chaldean Oracles, among

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other sources. Prisca theologia is believed to have existed in pure form dating back to ancient times. Throughout modern times, it continuously has declined and been diluted, to the extent of being obscure and esoteric.

Traditions derived from prisca theologia, such as Hermeticism, attempted to locate traces of the purest perception of God as well as the universe and flourished during the Renaissance and Reformation in the West. In addition, pagan religious practices also were accepted, such as the veneration of images and the analysis of hieroglyphs of ancient Egyptian languages, in order to defy the dominance of pure rationality or doctrinal faith. Therefore, it is understandable that these Jesuit Figurists found parallels in the Yijing, the most mystical classic in China. The same mystical gist and elements, such as numbers and characters, as well as images of hexagrams, could thus be considered. It is

undoubtedly when following these traditions and travelling to China to find prisca theologia, that the Jesuit Figurists needed to employ Chinese packaging to attract attention from Chinese readers in the imperial court.

II. Different Means to Straddle the East and the West

Figures could be represented by different symbols, including characters, numbers, images and so on. How did Figurism in China make best use of these figures and turn the

Western version of theological interpretation into a Chinese approach? As discussed above in Chapter Two, not only did Jesuit Figurists shed a new light on the

re-interpretation of the Yijing by means of typological exegesis in the intra-lingual translation then, but they also employed images. The mirror and jian 鑑 were the link with the Western tradition of displaying God’s image and with the metaphor borrowed from the previous collection of Chinese prose respectively; the image of the Trinity was

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connected with Taiji 太極, Dao in Dao de jing, as well as with the three purities in

Daoism. The interconnection between Christian stories and these images was manifested in the Yijing and other classics, as translated by Jesuit Figurists; this showed how studious they were and what strenuous effort they made in studying ancient Chinese classics and commentaries.

The Jesuit Figurists also extended their approach of Figurism to deciphering the codes in Chinese language and characters. In Chapter Three, the smaller components of characters were dissected as the obvious relics of Christian stories and God’s guidance. It also follows the principle of indicative 指事 among the six principles of Chinese writing 六書. While referring to the one God, the Jesuit Figurists also attached great importance to different names for God, both in the Classical and vernacular use of Chinese language. It is interesting that not only did they explore a large number of ancient classics, in which they learned which terms fit the description of God or were identical to God, such as Tian,

Di, Shangtian, Shangdi, Huangtian shangdi, etc., but also compiled dozens of entries with three different registers. This demonstrates that their approach to Figurism was customized for China and aimed to use the specific usages of describing God for each of these target groups.

They also exerted their full influence on numbers and mathematics, especially the study of triangles, as indicated in Chapter Five. Numbers and images of triangles in the

Yijing helped them to bridge the esoteric connection, linking the Trinity in Christianity with the images and charts of the Yijing, such as Hetu and Luoshu. Not only did the triangles they drew on the manuscripts divide into the three periods of Xiantian bu bian

先天未變 (Not Yet Changed in Pre-Heaven), Xiantian yi bian 先天已變 (Having Changed in Pre- Heaven), and Houtian bu bian 後天不變 (Remaining Unchanged in

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Latter Heaven) as in Christian stories, but also demonstrated the linkage between the Trinity and these triangles, divinized the numbers and images in the Yijing. They proved that the Yijing preserved relics of God’s instruction.

While different kinds of symbols and figures were employed, Chinese handwritten manuscripts were utilized as a visual medium. As explained in Chapter Four, while imitating Chinese literati, these Jesuit Figurists made a beautiful Chinese literary garment—the Chinese handwritten manuscripts, and composed the commentary-like

intra-lingual translation of the Yijing. The delicate handwriting and the different editing, deleting, and adding as well as the format and grammatology all demonstrated their ambition to capture the attention of the emperor and also to allow for the possibility of future printing of their works by the imperial house.

All these means of proselytization were aimed at starting the conversion of the Emperor, and then eventually the whole of China, to Christianity. The Jesuit Figurists not only inherited mystic theological interpretation, such as Mirror, calligraphy, characters, numbers and triangles from Athanasius Kircher, but also made a careful and detailed re-interpretation of and research on the Yijing. Straddling both sides was a necessary evil for them; while donning Chinese literary garments outside, they still conveyed the Christianized views in content and hoped to stimulate the interests of the emperor. It would be biased if the Christianized views they would like to have spread were regarded as the only axis of the Jesuit Figurists’ dialogue with the Yijing. The main thesis of this dissertation is to analyze and examine the different means and approaches of symbols and figures that these Jesuit Figurists employed in the Chinese manuscripts, in addition to the trajectory of European theological hermeneutics.

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III. Treasure Left for Future Research

More than 400 pages of manuscripts are stored in the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana and Bibliothèque nationale de France, including Gu jin jing tian jian 古今敬天鑒 (The Mirror of Paying Homage to God in the Ancient Times and at Present) by Bouvet, Jing zhuan yi lun 經傳議論 (The Discussion and Arguments of Classics and Commentaries) by Prémare, as well as Da yi yuan yi nei pian 大易原義內篇 (the Inner Chapter of the Original Meaning of the Great Yi), Yi yin 易引 (Introduction to Yi), Zhouyi yuan zhi tan

周易原旨探 (The Exploration of the Original Essence of Zhouyi), Yi yao 易鑰 (The Keys to the Yijing), Yi jing zong shuo gao 易經總說稿 (The Collection of All the Talks on Yijing). In this dissertation, approximately half have been analyzed and examined. The remaining will be a precious treasure for the author’s further research.

One of the interesting aspects worthy of further exploration is the use of the vernacular in these manuscripts. The Jesuit Figurists mimicked the tone, the layout, and the phrasing of Chinese literati to compose their re-interpretation of the Yijing. They did this in order to demonstrate their diligence and erudition in Chinese classics, so as to be considered another authoritative voice. From time to time, however, some vernacular terms were used, such as Erxiao 二小,278 which means a servant to his master. In the next stage, more vernacular terms used in these manuscripts should be collected and then compared to the contemporary vernacular used in novels or in the writings of

contemporary literati. The origin of where and how they acquired and learned to use these colloquial terms will be the next mystery to solve.

In addition, limited by the scope of this dissertation, which mainly focuses on the investigation of these Jesuit Figurists’ Chinese manuscripts, there are still hundreds and