ABSTRACT
The advent of God's only Son in the world represents a total break in human history. This is symbolized by the introduction of a calendar dividing history into eras preceding and following Christ. Post-modernity speaks of self-expression and self-realization, slogans that dominate even Chinese studies in America. With the arrival of the Jesuits and the subsequent dissemination of Christianity in China, people find Chinese thinkers confronted with new questions, including a truly profound doubt about the value of tradition. Although the time and circumstances were different, China underwent secularization just as the West did. One of the problems of modernity is the fact of “self-referentiality.” The parallel developments from modernity to postmodernity and from Communism to Late Capitalism can be regarded as the prime currents of 20th century history. Moreover, in the transformation process from Communism to consumerism, man himself has become the object of adornment and adoration, irrespective of gender.
