HOMILETICAL DIALOGUE BETWEEN 'THE JOURNEY TO THE WEST' AND THE JOHANNINE LOGOS (CHINESE, FOLKTALE, PILGRIMAGE, RELIGION, PREACHING)

The purpose of the dissertation was to explore the homiletical value of China's classical novel, Hsi Yu Chi i.e., The Journey to the West, of the late Ming dynasty. The method to achieve the purpose was through a homiletical dialogue between the Chinese novel and the Johannine Logos of the Fourth Gospel. Chapter 1 presented the need for Christian communicators to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the cultural heritage of the Chinese people so that Christian proclamation of the Gospel might be more relevant and effective in transforming the Chinese people and the culture in the light of God's revelation in Jesus Christ.;In light of the biblical, cultural, and homiletical foundations, the homiletical value of the Chinese novel was affirmed in chapter 3 which presented a general introduction to the Chinese novel as well as some religious issues raised by the Chinese novel. The actual dialogue was undertaken in chapter 4 wherein common ground and differences of the Chinese novel and the Johannine Logos were pointed out for mutual dialogue and challenge. The homiletical dialogue was to consolidate Chinese Christian communities and transform Chinese culture into the perfect image of God--Jesus Christ.;Through a homiletical dialogue between the Chinese novel and the Johannine Logos, the cultural journey of the Chinese people is brought to have an encounter with the story of God's odyssey in the Torah Christ. A conclusion and some suggestions for further study were provided in Chapter Five.;Chapter 2 presented three foundations on which the dialogue between the Chinese novel and the Johannine Logos is supposed to take place. The biblical foundation pointed out that the Bible is the product of numerous dialogues between God and human beings. The cultural foundation maintained that human cultures of all peoples are of significant value simply because all human beings are created according to God's image. Christian preaching that receives its message and inspiration from God's unique revelation in Jesus Christ cannot avoid dialoguing with the world, because Jesus Himself is the Word of God dialoguing with all humankind.