Professor David Honey’s latest book shares intriguing connections between Eastern and Western scholars.
Many Americans have heard the names of great Western scholars, such as Descartes, Galileo, and Locke. But what about those found in the East—specifically, those in China? For over 20 years, Professor David Honey (Confucian Classics) has dedicated himself to writing a five-volume set of books outlining this scholarship in terms of the research methodologies and major conclusions made by classical Chinese scholars. As Honey begins the process of writing his fifth and final volume, he plans to focus on how these great Chinese thinkers compare to Western classical scholars with the hopes of drawing commonalities between China and the Western world—even in terms of religion.
Introducing the Classics
Honey describes “the classics” very simply: as texts written before the start of the Qin dynasty in 221 BC. Legend says the most famous of these classics, which is comprised of five ancient books, was written by Confucius. The contents of some of the five classics can be recognized by their titles alone: The Book of Documents, The Book of Odes, The Book of Rites, The Book of Changes (scriptural text), and The Spring and Autumn Annals (a history of the Chinese state Lu). Together, these books create the foundation for Confucianism and still influence modern-day Chinese culture.
Seeing the important roles these classical works play in Chinese thought and culture, Honey dedicated his first volume to Confucius, the five classics, and Confucius’s disciples. Volumes two and three focused on scholarship in different Chinese dynasties, and Honey’s final two volumes outline scholarship in the Qing dynasty, with the fourth volume covering scholars and their works during its rise in 1644 and the fifth from mid-Qing until its fall in 1911.
Chinese scholars like moral conduct, just like the Greek patriarch Photius I and Erasmus.
Honey introduces important Chinese classicists with the help of those from the West by comparing and contrasting their research and methodologies to make his points. For example, he explains that Greek patriarch Photius I and Dutch humanist Desiderus Erasmus can often be compared to classical Chinese scholars such as Confucius. Honey says, “I highlight strengths and weaknesses [in the classics] by citing some very famous ones in the West. Chinese scholars like moral conduct, just like the Greek patriarch Photius I and Erasmus.” Connections like this allow readers—whether they be from the East or the West—to see how teachings from different parts of the world complement and support one another.
Using the Classics in Religion
Over the years, Honey has reached an international audience through his works. In fact, because of their popularity in China, three of Honey’s books have already been translated into Chinese, with the fourth one set to start translation in summer 2024. Honey’s research has also taken him to Taiwan—where he has delivered numerous speeches and taught in Taiwanese universities—and even to Wales, where he currently teaches an online course at University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
Beyond the classroom, Honey finds that his studies allow him to share gospel principles in a way that resonates with Chinese culture. As he’s traveled across China talking about his books, Honey can still introduce religious ideals despite strict government regulations. For example, he explains that Chinese scholars initially wrote the classics in an effort to gain control over the self, something many members of the Church would refer to as the natural man. With this in mind, Honey argues that “you can do any moral training of your choice, and then ultimately, you apply it as you return to your rituals as you understand them.” He continues, “I study Chinese culture to overcome the self. And then, when it comes to returning to the rituals, I return to my Latter-day Saint rituals.”
For Honey, the study of classical Chinese scholarship has been a lifelong pursuit with both academic and spiritual benefits. He explains, “The classics have good messages. All the good messages in the classics will lead to Christ.” After years of study, travel, and translation, Honey plans to start his fifth and final volume on classical Chinese scholarship in summer 2024.
Check out Professor Honey’s faculty page to learn more about his books and to find them for yourself.