At first sight, Taoism and Christianity seem close to each other. They both favour modesty, moderation, benevolence and peacefulness. Furthermore, they both revere nature. Lao-Tzu’s conception of the Tao is not far away from the conception held by Christians that regard nature as a reflection of the divine.
However, the similarities between Taoism and Christianity are asymmetric. The similarities become strong when we look at Taoist and Christian practitioners during the Middle Ages, but become very weak when we look at theological aspects.
We will not find in Taoism the veneration of a personal God nor a cohort of saints and angels to accompany Him in heaven. We will also not find in Taoism the veneration of the Scripture, doctrinal debates, a hierarchical structure, a detailed catechism, or the construction of large temples or cathedrals.
It is only when we look at the biographies and feats of great Christians that we discover close similarities to ancient Taoism as presented by Lao-Tzu, Yang-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu. I mean close similarities in terms of lifestyle and ethical values.
Taoism and St. Gregory of Nazianzus
The biographies of St. Jerome (341-420), St. Basil the Great (330-379), and St. Gregory of Nazianzus (329-389) illustrate a lifestyle, which in many aspects, mirrors the Tao Te Ching. No Taoist quotation appears in their writings, but their attitudes do not differ much from those of Taoist masters in ancient China.
Take for instance, the love of solitude, which we find in the biography of Gregory of Nazianzus. In the last years of his life, he retired to live in a small estate, where he devoted himself to reading, tending his garden, and writing poetry.
Jerome also displayed the same love of solitude, even when he lived in Rome and worked as papal secretary. As soon as he had finished his daily work, he retired to his room and devoted himself to producing a standard Latin text of the Bible. In only three years, he achieved his project successfully.
Chapter 42 of the Tao Te Ching praises occasional solitude as necessary to align one’s soul with the Tao. Peace of mind is incompatible with constant gregariousness. From time to time, we should take a step aside, evaluate if we are pursuing the correct goals, and regain serenity.
Modesty and benevolence are as much Taoist virtues as they are Christian, but when it comes to practising those virtues, we find different shades and nuances. While Christian emphasise meekness, Taoists prefer to emphasise flexibility.
Taoism and St. Jerome
Chapter 78 of the Tao Te Ching exhorts us to become as soft and flexible as water. If we do so, we’ll be able to circumvent obstacles in the same way that water circumvents the rocks in the river.
Neither Jerome, nor Basil, nor Gregory employed the water metaphor. In theory, they preached Christian meekness and the submission to divine providence, but in practice, they behaved like Taoist masters. Instead of waiting for problems to become overwhelming, Jerome, Basil and Gregory did their best to stay out of trouble.
When Julian the Apostate (331-363) offered Basil a post at the imperial court, Basil refused and preferred to stay a hermit. Why? Had Basil detected potential trouble and wanted to stay away from it? He remained a hermit until the end of Julian’s rule and then relocated to Caesarea.
Jerome also displayed a markedly flexible attitude. When he met a hostile environment in Rome, he relocated to Bethlehem, and never set foot in Italy again. He then spent the last thirty-five years of his life in Bethlehem, where he achieved a large success. He did exactly the same as Lao-Tzu would have done.
When Gregory was confronted with a hostile environment in Constantinople, he also behaved like the proverbial Taoist. It did not matter that he was occupying a high post. He simply resigned, went away, and never returned to Constantinople.
Taoism and St. Basil the Great
In his writings, Chuang-Tzu often depicted wisdom as the ability to get things done smoothly and without fighting. If we clear the path and minimize friction, we will advance faster.
How do Taoists steer away systematically from trouble? By means of alertness and the willingness to say no to dangerous propositions. Lao-Tzu formulated this insight in Chapter 44 of the Tao Te Ching, which praises people who know when to say no to extra possessions and content themselves with what they already have.
In the same way, Taoists say no to pointless complications, bitter debates, narrow-mindedness, excessive impositions, loud communication, and all forms of intolerance.
Medieval Christians such as Jerome, Basil and Gregory also displayed flexibility and tolerance. In theory, they were strictly loyal to the ideas of Christianity, but when push came to shove, they preferred to keep the peace and exert a rather wide margin of tolerance.
For instance, Basil wrote extensively about orthodoxy, the Holy Spirit, and the monastic life, but at the same time, he was tolerant of pagan literature. He possessed a deep knowledge of classical authors, and exhorted his disciples to read them.
Like proficient Taoists, great Christians are aligned with the Tao and display the virtues mentioned in Chapter 67 of the Tao Te Ching: simplicity and compassion. They wisely steer away from anger, and in doing so, they draw admiration from friend and foe.
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