Religion of Confucianism

Kong Qiu (Confucius)

Traditionally, Confucianism was founded by Kong Qiu, a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher during the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history. 

Kong Qui was born c/552 B.C. in the state of Lu and died sometime in 479 B.C., leaving behind the percepts of Confucianism to his followers and students. The Latinized name "Confucius" (based on the honorific title Kong Fuzi, meaning "Master Kong") was introduced by Jesuit missionaries in China in the 16th century A.D.     

Confucius was instrumental in shaping Chinese social relationships and moral thought, as well as advising political figures [such as Duke Jing of Qi]. When the Duke asked the wise sage about proper administration in government that could bring about social harmony, Confucius replied simply, "There is government, when the prince is prince, and the minister is minister; when the father is father, and the son is son." (Analects 12.11) Another famous quote from the Confucius writings states the following about government: "To govern by virtue, let us compare it to the North Star: it stays in its place, while the myriad stars wait upon it." (Analects 2.1) Confucius was not only a wise sage, but a well renowned diplomat even unto our modern times. 

Many modern scholars and theologians agree that Confucianism is not classified as a religion, since the teachings of this ancient thinker contain no mention of deities or the afterlife. Confucianism could better be defined as an abstract creed. The philosophical ethics of Confucius' teachings are described as humanistic and can be practiced by all the members of society. Confucianism is characterized by the promotion of virtues, which is encompassed by the Five Constants: 

• Rén (仁, humaneness);
• Yì (義, righteousness or justice);
• Lǐ (禮, proper rite);
• Zhì (智, knowledge);
• Xìn (信, integrity).

The Five Classics are five pre-Qin Chinese books that make up a part of the Confucian canon. Some scholars believe that Confucius was the author and editor of the Five Classics, while other theologians expand upon a theory of the texts being re-collected and edited writings of prior works by Confucius. Either way, during the Western Han dynasty Confucianism was adopted as its official ideology and became a part of the state-sponsored curriculum. It was during this epochal era that the texts first began to be considered as a set collection of five classic texts and was named accordingly. The Five Classics are:

Title (English)	Title (Chinese)	Brief Description
Classic of Poetry	詩經	A collection of 305 poems divided into 160 folk songs, 105 festal songs sung at court ceremonies, and 40 hymns and eulogies sung at sacrifices to gods and ancestral spirits of the royal house.
Book of Documents	尚書	A collection of documents and speeches alleged to have been written by rulers and officials of the early Zhou period and before. It is possibly the oldest Chinese narrative, and may date from the 6th century BC. It includes examples of early Chinese prose.
Book of Rites	禮記	Describes ancient rites, social forms and court ceremonies. The version studied today is a re-worked version compiled by scholars in the third century BC rather than the original text, which is said to have been edited by Confucius himself.
I Ching (Book of Changes)	易經	The book contains a divination system comparable to Western geomancy or the West African Ifá system. In Western cultures and modern East Asia, it is still widely used for this purpose.
Spring and Autumn Annals	春秋	A historical record of the State of Lu, Confucius's native state, 722–481 BC.

Note: The Classic of Music is sometimes considered as the sixth classic but was lost in the Burning of the Books.

The Four Books are another set of Chinese classic texts considered canonical and illustrates the core value and belief system in Confucianism. They were carefully selected by Zhu Xi in the Song dynasty to serve as an introduction to Confucian thought; during the Ming and Qing dynasties the ancient texts made the official curriculum for the civil service examinations. The Four Books are:

Title (English)	Title (Chinese)	Brief Description
Great Learning	大學	Originally one chapter in the Book of Rites. It consists of a short main text attributed to Confucius and nine commentary chapters by Zeng Zi, one of Confucius's disciples. Its importance is illustrated by Zeng Zi's foreword that this is the gateway of learning. It is significant because it expresses many themes of Chinese philosophy and political thinking, and has therefore been extremely influential both in classical and modern Chinese thought. Government, self cultivation and investigation of things are linked.
Doctrine of the Mean	中庸	Another chapter in Book of Rites, attributed to Confucius' grandson Zisi. The purpose of this small, 33-chapter book is to demonstrate the usefulness of a golden way to gain perfect virtue. It focuses on the Way (道) that is prescribed by a heavenly mandate not only to the ruler but to everyone. To follow these heavenly instructions by learning and teaching will automatically result in a Confucian virtue. Because Heaven has laid down what is the way to perfect virtue, it is not that difficult to follow the steps of the holy rulers of old if one only knows what is the right way.
Analects	論語	A compilation of speeches by Confucius and his disciples, as well as the discussions they held. Since Confucius's time, the Analects has heavily influenced the philosophy and moral values of China and later other East Asian countries as well. The Imperial examinations, started in the Jin dynasty and eventually abolished with the founding of the Republic of China, emphasized Confucian studies and expected candidates to quote and apply the words of Confucius in their essays.
Mencius	孟子	A collection of conversations of the scholar Mencius with kings of his time. In contrast to the sayings of Confucius, which are short and self-contained, the Mencius consists of long dialogues with extensive prose.

The Four Books were written before 300 B.C. and believed to have been authored and/or edited by Confucius.

From the time of the Han dynasty, scholars believed Confucius "fixed" the versions of his ancient text's original writings which became commonly known as the Classics. In the 21st century, many Chinese theologians still hold to this tradition. 

While Confucius was not particularly renowned during his lifetime, and even considered himself a failure, his incredible works of literature created one of China's most renowned religious philosophies. Even without deities and a vision of salvation, Confucianism plays much the same role as religion does in other cultural contexts.

Confucius stated that "heaven and the afterlife were beyond human capacity to understand, and one should therefore concentrate instead on doing the right thing in life." According to the earliest records, his students indicated that Confucius did not provide many moral precepts; rather he taught an attitude of respect towards fellow humans, especially towards parents, teachers and elders. This ancient sage also encouraged his followers to learn from others and honor their cultural norms. 

In modern China, as well as other areas in Asia, the social ethics and moral teachings of Confucius are blended with the Taoist communion with nature and the Buddhist concepts of the afterlife, which constitute Chinese Traditional Religion [a set of complementary and ecumenical religions]. Today, it is estimated that there are over 6.3 million adherents of Confucianism worldwide.