Catholic Theology and Confucian Ritual Exegesis: Zhu Zongyuan’s New Interpretation of the Rites of Jiao and She

Zhu Zongyuan’s short treatise Jiao she zhi li suoyi shi Shangdi ye (郊社之禮所以事上帝也, The rites of the suburban and earth-altar sacrifices are for serving Shangdi, the Supreme Lord) introduces the strictly monotheistic concept of God from Catholicism, shaping the Shangdi of the Confucian classics into a supreme and unique sovereign who commands all spirits. Through this theoretical construction, he convincingly argues that although the rituals of Jiao and She differ in form, their object of worship is ultimately the same, thereby resolving the long-standing Confucian debate between separate sacrifices and joint sacrifice at an ontological level. This interpretive approach elevates this treatise beyond mere proselytizing literature, establishing it as a representative work that engages with Confucian classical scholarship through Catholic theology. It signifies the emergence of an independent intellectual lineage within the Chinese scholarly tradition, characterized by a synthesis of Christianity and Confucianism.