The Tao and Jesus Christ

The Tao and Jesus Christ

Much of my readership is in the Asian continents so I hope that some of you will realize that we are to reach out to people where they are... as Paul did on Mars Hill.


In reading Heretic’s Guide to Eternity, Spencer Burke touches on The Tao. Actually this sort of surprised me as it seems Mr. Burke and I think quite a bit alike. Simply translated Tao means “the way”. In that The Tao is The Source of all and is the all in all… It is a concept that Tao is eternal and without beginning and without end. In a way it is much the same concept of The “Logos” in Christianity.

I had planned to write on this back in May, but at that time I had some people who seemed bent on showing I was a fraud, liar or worse… because I have a link to Brian McLaren… silly huh? I just decided that I did not want to have my words misrepresented more by these people.

Yet, it kept coming back to my mind and then I read it in Spencer Burke’s book. In that I think Spencer and I might have a very similar understanding of who Christ Jesus is and maybe why some have a hard time understanding where at least I am coming from.

In this I found that I am not alone. Here are a couple of other links to people who have been exploring the idea of Christ Jesus as The Tao.

The Tao of Faith A Reconsideration of Taoist Evangelicalismby Jack Crabtree

Taoism and Christianity Written by Michael Gleghorn

All about Taoism

C.S. Lewis even touched on The Tao in his writings called the Abolition of Man.

Here is another article by Christopher C. McClinch


There is one area that Tao and Christianity do depart… and that the Tao is unknowable. Jesus being the Tao incarnate, (which is not a concept in Taoism though could easily fit into it) has revealed the Tao (The Source/Creator of all Creation). In Christ the Unknown and Unknowable God is now ever being revealed.

Jack Crabtree covers the topic of being “walking n the Spirit” very well. I think as one explores how we are to be “in Christ” and how we are to “walk in Christ” that the realization that the One that Created all wants to some day be "all in all"… recapturing and redeeming the whole universe… not just mankind. God wants it to be “on earth as it is in Heaven” that begins in each of us individually… yet it must go outward and grow… that each thing we do is to bring us one step closer to “The New Heaven and New Earth”.

(In this I am in no way talking of the escapist doctrine of the Rapture… as I see that runs contrary to the very heart of the Gospel and especially Jesus’ own prayer in John 17:15. (For more info read here, and here). For some great article on this thought I recommend NT Wrights writings available here.)

As far as reaching those who believe in Taoism, I think much of the hardest footwork is already done, now all we really have to do is be like Paul and introduce Taoists to Jesus… Who is the Tao Incarnate.

(This is a evangalistic piece to reach out to those who are in the Asain cultures that read my blog. I am not endorsing Taoism, but showing as Paul did on Mars Hill that this unknown and unknowable Force/God/ Creator of all things known as Tao has a Name... the Name above all Names, Jesus. It is my prayer that one will seek to learn and find more out about Jesus through all things were created.)

Blessings,
iggy


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