The “Brilliant Teaching”: Iranian Christians in Tang China and Their Identity
Max Deeg
The last three decades or so have seen an increasing interest in the early history of Christianity China, particularly Christian communities Tang period. One pertinent questions asked—particularly by theologians—is whether “Brilliant Teaching” (Jingjiao), as religion called itself Chinese, had a substantial number Chinese converts, i.e. it was proselytizing rather Iranian diaspora religion. While recent documents and new interpretations existing sources has made probable that we are indeed dealing with “expat” religious community, question cultural identity this community not really been addressed: they were using Syriac their liturgical communal language, but Persian, Sogdian maybe even Bactrian terms origin culture. This paper will summarize data can get from discuss them light identity.
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