Love and Ren (仁) in plague: An analysis of Martin Luther and Wang Yangming's plague narrative from the perspective of emotion studies

Abstract

As the most important reformers of Confucianism and Christianity, early modern thinkers in China and the West, Wang Yangming and Martin Luther both experienced deadly plagues. This article analyzes how they offered emotional direction and assistance to ordinary Christians or the public through their plague narratives, viewed through the lens of emotion studies. By exploring their response to plague, this article aims to facilitate a dialogue between Wang Yangming's doctrine of “extending humanity to form one body with Heaven, Earth and all things” (天地万物一体之仁) and Martin Luther's Christian principle of “loving your neighbor as yourself.”