Mere Orthodoxy

I only skimmed this book, written by Hieromonk Damascene, an associate of the late Seraphim Rose, a controversial American convert to Orthodox Christianity. The book is not an attempt to synthesize Taoism and Christianity, nor does it seek an ecumenical dialogue between the two traditions. The point, rather, is to proselytize Taoists (or Chinese in general?) by claiming that the relationship between Lao Tzu and Christ is analogous to the relation between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Thus, Taoism is a kind of "Old Testament" precursor to Christianity on Chinese soil.

What Lao Tzu didn't know was that the Tao is personal and can incarnate on Earth as a man to thereby save humanity. In the beginning was the Tao, and the Tao was with God, and the Tao was God. The Tao has incarnated as the God-man Jesus Christ...

The book contains a poetic rendering of the Gospels written (I suppose) in a Taoistic style, in which Jesus is called "the sage", his powers are referred to as "Teh", etc. Long chapters of exposition follow, centred on the mystical path of the Orthodox Church. There is also a section on the history of Eastern Orthodoxy in China, and a letter from Rose about his break with Guénon's Traditionalism in favour of Christianity. Interestingly, Damascene says very little about the tradition of the Immortals within Taoism. I wonder why. Isn't he sufficiently familiar with it? Or does it resemble the resurrection of Jesus too much?

"Christ the Eternal Tao" is, I suppose, mere Orthodoxy.