A 'Chinese Tunic for Christ': John C. H. Wu's Incorporation of the Chinese Classics in Translating the Psalms and New Testament

John C. H. Wu’s classical Chinese translation of the Psalms and New Testament has been regarded my many as the most elegant Chinese-language translation of the Bible ever made. In it, Wu borrowed both terms and linguistic styles from the Chinese classics, including Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist texts as well as classical poetry, to translate biblical phrases and concepts in new and surprising ways. This dissertation analyzes many of these theological and linguistic features of the Wu Version, and offers an evaluation of the suitability of several of Wu’s more important linguistic choices as analogous terms or phrases for ideas found in both Bible and Chinese humanistic tradition. It finds that Wu’s work is striking and innovative in its use of these terms and styles, including such choices as the Chinese term “dao” to translate the Greek word “logos,” the abundant use of chengyu, or four-character set phrases, from classics such as the Analects, Mencius, the Tao Teh Ching (Dao Dejing), and the Diamond Sutra, the poetic styles of Tang dynasty poetry, and the imitation of “marked” or “authoritative” language found in many classical texts. In so doing, it is argued that Wu created a unique and personal work of sacred art that bears the imprint of his own admitted love and devotion, a landmark achievement comparable to Antoni Gaudi’s Basilica of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, Spain. Although its use is still somewhat limited today, it continues to attract readers for the aforementioned qualities, and continues to be used in prayers and music by those who desire beauty and an authentic Chinese-sounding text that draws from China’s ancient traditions. In addition to being suited for liturgical and devotional use, its immersion in the Chinese classics also merits further scholarly study.