A Christian Reads the Tao te Ching: Chapter One — What's in a Name?

About six months ago, I discovered the Tao te Ching, an ancient book of Chinese wisdom and spirituality that has dramatically influenced my spiritual formation. This may come as shocking to some people, but rather than driving me away from a Christ-centered faith, this book has actually helped me hold onto it. If you’re feeling skeptical, please just keep reading a little bit. I promise I’m not a heretic.


This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://spectrummagazine.org/arts-essays/2020/christian-reads-tao-te-ching-chapter-one-whats-name
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There are a number of Tao te Ching books available on Amazon.
Which is the best one you would suggest??

There is a great book edited by William Johnston.
“The Cloud of Unknowing and the Book of Privy Counseling.”
These are written messages from an older monk to a younger,
new monk in the 1300’s.
Have much of the same prescription as this article relates about
meeting the “unknowing”.
It was written to help the new monk not to get confused by “religion”
activity in enjoying the “unknowing”.

Well done, Corey! I’ve been living in the Tao of Adventism for many years. My favorite translation is Stephen Mitchell’s, but Ursula Le Guin’s is a close second. The Tao Te Ching is the most translated “scripture” next to the Bible.

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This reaches to the heart of the problem organized religion is facing - describing the “numinous” in terms of a system of beliefs. Adventism doubles down even beyond that.

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For most SDAs and SDA pastors is the FEAR of Meditation.
I have heard Meditation preached against and actually being
called a tool of Satan.

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