Journal of East China Normal University (Philosoph ›› 2012, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (2): 123-128.

• 古代文学研究 • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The Polysemous “Sending”
——A Symbolic Anthropologic Analysis of Hong Xiuquan’s “Narration of Unusual Dreams”

CHU Xiao-Bai   

  • Online:2012-03-15 Published:2012-03-29
  • Contact: CHU Xiao-Bai
  • About author: CHU Xiao-Bai

Abstract: There was an unusual dream narration in almost all of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom’ books. The cause of this narration lay in the requirements of Chinese folk beliefs, which were based on traits of family ethics. The Religion of Worship of God (RWG) of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was not like the Christian tradition, which placed “sending” of Christ, a singular form in time, at the centre of the Christian belief, creatively transforming it into a plural form in space. However, this was a creative measure taken by Hong Xiuquan and the RWG to remedy the problem between Christian faith and native consciousness. The key of this transformation was a special understanding and utilization of “sending”.