On December 6, 2024, the Center for Whitehead Studies at the Institute for Advanced Study of Beijing Normal Hong Kong Baptist University (BNBU) hosted an academic lecture at Huaxin Academy. The lecture was delivered by Dr. Amy Yu-Fu, Professor at the Zhejiang University City College, titled "Oneness of All Things and Finding God in All Things: A Dialogue Between Neo-Confucianism and Ignatian Spirituality." The lecture deeply explored the inherent connections and complementary possibilities between two major philosophical traditions, East and West.

Dr. Amy Yu-Fu delivering the lecture

Professor Guo Haipeng, Director of the Whitehead Research Center, introduced Dr. Amy Yu-Fu

1. Clash and Dialogue of Eastern and Western Thought

Dr. Yu-Fu approached the subject from a historical perspective, reviewing the first encounter between Jesuit missionaries and Chinese Neo-Confucianism in the 16th and 17th centuries. She pointed out that missionaries such as Matteo Ricci regarded Zhu Xi’s philosophy as "rationalism," but overlooked the religious significance of key concepts like "nature" (性) and "principle" (理) in Neo-Confucianism. This misreading stemmed from the fundamental differences between Eastern and Western worldviews — Western thought centers around "monotheism," while Neo-Confucianism constructs a cosmology based on a "principle-qi" (理气) dualism that emphasizes a moral ontology of the unity of all things. French sinologist Jacques Gernet's research further revealed how differences in language, logic, and worldview led to the prolonged "zero-sum game" in East-West dialogue. However, Dr. Yu-Fu proposed that, in the era of globalization, religious dialogue has shifted from "confrontation" to "complementarity," and the encounter between Neo-Confucianism and Ignatian spirituality may provide a new paradigm for cross-civilizational dialogue.

2. Neo-Confucianism’s "Oneness of All Things" and Moral Practice

The core theory of Neo-Confucianism revolves around the dialectical relationship between "principle" (理), the law of the universe, and "qi" (气), the material energy. Dr. Yu-Fu used the interpretations of thinkers such as Cheng Hao, Cheng Yi, Zhu Xi, and Wang Yangming to analyze the profound meaning of "the oneness of all things." On the ontological level, all things originate from the same "principle," but manifest in diversity due to differences in "qi." Humans can return to their true nature through "reverence" (敬) and "stillness" (静), which foster focus and inner peace. On the moral practice level, "benevolence" (仁) is the key, dissolving the boundaries between self and others, extending love for family to all things in the universe. Wang Yangming's concept of "unity of knowledge and action" emphasized manifesting moral ontology through daily actions, such as extending the love one feels for their parents to all of humanity, even to "broken tiles and stones." Regarding self-cultivation, Neo-Confucianism proposes an "inner-to-outer" approach, advocating harmony between the individual and the universe through temperance of desires and adherence to the mean (中和), such as perfecting one’s character through "investigating things and extending knowledge" (格物致知) and "sincerity and rectifying the mind" (诚意正心).

Audience attentively listening

3. Ignatian Spirituality's "Finding God in All Things"

Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises form the foundation of Ignatian spirituality. Dr. Yu-Fu emphasized that the ultimate goal of Ignatian spirituality is to guide individuals to "praise, serve God, and save their souls," with all things serving as tools to achieve this goal. The specific exercises include discerning the "spiritual desolation" (混乱的欲望) from "spiritual consolation" (与神契合), transcending worldly emotions to follow divine will. For example, the Spiritual Exercises require retreatants to meditate on the scenes of hell, contemplating "souls in the burning fire" to inspire repentance. The concept of "finding God in all things" emphasizes God's immanence and transcendence, advocating for practicing charity in daily life and social service. Ignatius’s educational endeavors embody this spirit, aiming to cultivate complete individuals who serve others and tightly integrate spiritual practice with social responsibility.

4. Resonance and Complementarity Between Neo-Confucianism and Ignatian Spirituality

In summarizing the profound resonance between the two traditions, Dr. Yu-Fu pointed out that both Neo-Confucianism’s "oneness of all things" and Ignatius's "all things belong to God" point to the inherent interconnection of the universe, and both emphasize achieving social transformation through moral practice. For example, "benevolence" and "charity" are not abstract concepts but must be manifested through specific actions. Regarding self-cultivation, Neo-Confucianism emphasizes "inner and outer cultivation," while Ignatian spirituality focuses on the balance of intellect and emotion. Both traditions aim to shape a "whole person." In transcending desires, Neo-Confucianism advocates "extinguishing private desires" to return to heavenly principles, while Ignatian spirituality tames disorderly emotions through the Spiritual Exercises. Though their methodologies differ, their ultimate goal is the same. Dr. Yu-Fu further proposed complementary paths: Neo-Confucianism can draw on Ignatian spirituality’s training of imagination to transform abstract "principles" into embodied practice; whereas Ignatian spirituality can adopt Neo-Confucianism’s "daily work," such as focusing on details in speech and action and family ethics, to enhance the practicality and cultural adaptability of spiritual practices.

Audience questions and discussion

Lecture Response and Significance

The lecture attracted many faculty, students, and scholars, and the interaction was enthusiastic. In his opening remarks, the Director of the Center for Whitehead Studies stated that this dialogue not only opened a new perspective for comparative studies of Chinese and Western philosophy but also provided intellectual resources for mutual learning between civilizations in the age of globalization. Dr. Yu-Fu, with her profound scholarship and clear logic, demonstrated the academic value and practical significance of cross-religious dialogue, leaving the audience deeply inspired.

Group photo of participants