The True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven
Matteo Ricci
Written in the form of a dialogue between a Chinese scholar and a Western scholar, The True Meaning of Heaven explores the deepest questions of human existence: What is the source of the universe? What is the nature of the soul? Is there life after death? Can reason lead us to God? And how should human beings live?
Rather than dismissing Chinese philosophy, Ricci engages seriously with the Confucian tradition, drawing upon classical Chinese thought while introducing Christian ideas about the Lord of Heaven, moral responsibility, free will, virtue, and immortality. The result is a thoughtful and often surprising conversation between two intellectual worlds.
First published in China in 1603, this influential work became a landmark in the history of cultural and religious exchange. It reveals both the possibilities and the tensions involved when different civilizations attempt to understand one another.
This carefully prepared English edition makes Ricci’s enduring work accessible to modern readers interested in Chinese history, philosophy, religion, Christianity, Confucianism, and the meeting of East and West.
More than four centuries later, The True Meaning of Heaven remains an invitation to dialogue—and a reminder that the search for truth can cross every cultural boundary.