Cleric Sean and Dr. Todd interview Fr. James Dominic Rooney OP, on the interaction between Catholic and Confucian thought, both in the modern day and in Medieval China.
Confucianism is not unified in the sense that the Roman Catholic church is unified. The differences are important, and need to be understood.
But also important is the level at which you are observing and describing the beliefs: if you draw an analogy with alcoholic spirits - in the 100% concentrated form it is one thing, watered down is quite another, and mixed drinks are something else. The Pope and the Dali Lama can agree, but the grandmothers and grandfathers in the villages often cannot, and it is from the bottom up that you need to reach agreement, much as it was the mothers in Northern Ireland who broke the impasse there.
Confucianism is not unified in the sense that the Roman Catholic church is unified. The differences are important, and need to be understood.
But also important is the level at which you are observing and describing the beliefs: if you draw an analogy with alcoholic spirits - in the 100% concentrated form it is one thing, watered down is quite another, and mixed drinks are something else. The Pope and the Dali Lama can agree, but the grandmothers and grandfathers in the villages often cannot, and it is from the bottom up that you need to reach agreement, much as it was the mothers in Northern Ireland who broke the impasse there.
It's Father *James Dominic* Rooney, OP