Apples and Cherries: A New Perspective on Comparing Qi and the Holy Spirit

Dialogue between Christian theologies and the religio-philosophical traditions of China often hinge on one key comparison: that between Qi and the Holy Spirit. In this discussion, theologians have framed the comparison in many way. Here I supply yet one more perspective that may shed light on this important and complicated comparative analysis. I begin by describing the initial reasons for comparing Qi and the Holy Spirit to situate the current conversation. I then describe what has historically been the chief difficulty in the dialogue and how recent scholarship on the subject has addressed it. I will end by offering my argument for a more concise examination employing the definition of Qi from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).