Introduction to Theory and Theology in Chinese Literary Studies

Abstract

Based in the context of Marxist China, Chinese intellectuals with no church background or affiliation have yet shown a keen interest in reading and applying the insights of western Christian theology. In Chinese literary studies, such scholars, who are secular in orientation, integrate both theory and theology in their work. This Sino-theological scholarship is virtually unknown in literary studies in the USA. Yet as demonstrated in the work of Yang Huilin and Liu Xiaofeng, among others, it contributes to a globalized understanding of literary studies. It also challenges current understandings of secularism, adding a new dimension to post-secular theory.