Nestorian, member of a Christian sect originating in Asia Minor and Syria out of the condemnation of Nestorius and his teachings by the councils of Ephesus (431 CE) and Chalcedon (451 CE). Nestorians stressed the independence of the divine and human natures of Christ and, in effect, suggested that they were two persons loosely united. In modern times they are represented by the Church of the East, or Persian Church, usually referred to in the West as the Assyrian, or Nestorian, Church. Most of its members -numbering about 170,000 live in Iraq, Syria, and Iran.

By the end of the 10th century there were 15 metropolitan provinces in the Caliphate and 5 abroad, including India and China. Nestorians also spread to Egypt, where Monophysite Christianity acknowledged only one nature in Christ. In China a Nestorian community flourished from the 7th to the 10th century. In Central Asia certain Tatar tribes were almost entirely converted, Christian expansion reaching almost to Lake Baikal in eastern Siberia. Western travelers to the Mongol realm found Nestorian Christians well-established there, even at the court of the Great Khan, though they commented on the ignorance and superstition of the clergy.

Confucius, Chinese philosopher, and founder of religion. Born 551 BC, dead 479 BC. Born in a poor but noble family in the state of Lu (now Shantung province), he became an orphan at an early age, as a young man he held several minor posts in the government; in his latter years he advanced to the post as Minister of Justice in his home province. But he held these posts sporadically and then only under short periods of time mainly because of conflicts with his superiors. But during his entire life he was known mostly as a teacher. When he died at 72 years of age, he had taught his teachings to more than 3 000 disciples and they continued to do his teachings.

He was heavily tied to the feudal system because of his heritage, he demanded mostly loyal subordination: by the subjects to the prince, the wife to the husband, and the younger to the elders. The greater part of Confucius teachings is that the past surpasses the present.

One major part in Confucius teachings is the belief in Tien,(heaven), the leader of the universe and providence, which established the state, in which it is every humans duty to be a good citizen, the other part is the ”middle course”, the principle for human life, which should be guided by the common sense, the feeling for the appropriate and a scrupulous observance of rituals. Confucianism view of life is optimistic; mankind is good by nature.

Taoism, ”Tao probably means impersonal Nature which permeates all things, and from which all things are evolved.” According to the teaching of Lao Zi, true peace comes from ceasing to strive and by living in harmony with the leading of Tao. The cause of disorder in the world is the development of what is artificial and unnatural, and the only remedy is a return to Tao.” (Pott’s ”A Sketch of Chinese History.”) Tradition makes Lao Zi a librarian of the royal court of Zhou. After the completion of his philosophical work, he retired to an unknown place, leaving the all-important reform movement to be perfected by Confucius.

Lao Zi tied his teachings, Taoism, to the ancient Chinese belief of a dualistic world image: the universe rests on two forces, yin, the dark, earthly, passive, female principle, and yang, the light, heavenly, active, male principle and the connection between them, Tien Tao, ”heavens way”, the natural order. He made this teaching to Tao, ”the way”, the everlasting, creating and arranging principle in the existence, which only one can achieve that has made oneself free from the world. Taoism has developed into a simple, folk religion with numerous deities, temples, and priests. Taoism teaches the believer to live a long and tranquil life by removing mans lust and aggressive impulses.

Taoist religion, Often considered as an offspring to the Taoist philosophy, the Taoist religion started about 300 BC with such practices as alchemy (making elixirs designed to insure the immortality of the body). Alchemy was practiced by priest-magicians at the court of Qin Shi Huang Di. These magicians were told to spiritual mediums and experts on levitating. They were descendants to the ancient folk religion in China, which had been rejected by the early Confucian’s.

Among the more prominent treats in Taoist religion is the belief of immortality, alchemy, breathing control and hygiene (internal alchemy), a world of deities. The Holy Scriptures of Taoism, Tao Te Ching, is hundreds of separate works, which together adds up to more than 5000 chapters!