Includes bibliographical references (pages 209-226) and index.

1.1 Purpose and Methodology of Writing 13 -- 1.4 The English Rendering of the Chinese Documents 15 -- 2. The Discovery of the Nestorian Tablet 17 -- 2.1 The Description of the Tablet 17 -- 2.2 Some Technical Questions Concerning the Tablet 19 -- 2.2.1 Arguments for and against the Genuineness of the Tablet 19 -- 2.2.2 Evidences of the Nestorian Presence in China 22 -- 2.2.3 The Date of Discovery of the Nestorian Tablet 25 -- 2.2.4 The Place of Discovery of the Nestorian Tablet 27 -- 2.2.5 The Purpose of the Digging 29 -- 2.2.6 The Purpose of Erection in A.D. 781 29 -- 3. The Origin of Nestorianism 33 -- 3.1 Background of Nestorianism 33 -- 3.1.1 The School of Alexandria 34 -- 3.1.2 The School of Antioch 35 -- 3.2 Life of Nestorius 35 -- 3.3 Nestorianism Seen in the History of Dogma 37 -- 3.3.1 On the Term theotokos 3.3.2 Christological Settlement 39 -- 3.3.3 Council of Ephesus 40 -- 3.4 Nestorius' Personal Conviction: A Self-Defense 41 -- 3.4.1 On the Term christotokos 42 -- 3.4.2 On the Term prosopon 44 -- 3.5 Orthodoxy or Heresy? 46 -- 4. The Beginning of the Nestorian Church 49 -- 4.1 The Indigenous People and Their Political History 49 -- 4.2 The City of Edessa 51 -- 4.3 The Church at Edessa 51 -- 4.3.1 Biblical Record (Acts 2:9) 53 -- 4.3.2 The Legend of Abgar of Edessa 53 -- 4.3.3 Jewish Communities at Edessa 55 -- 4.4 Outstanding Personalities at Edessa 56 -- 4.4.1 Bardesanes (154-227) 56 -- 4.4.2 Tatian (Tatianus Assyrus, 120-175) 57 -- 4.4.3 Ephrem the Syrian (Ephraem Syrus, 306-373) 58 -- 4.5 The School of Edessa 59 -- 4.6 Factors Relating to the Development of the Early Edessen Church 60 -- 5. The Nestorian Church in Persia (Up to the 7th Century) 63 -- 5.1 The Pre-Nestorian Period (up to A.D. 489) 63 -- 5.1.1 Various Records and Sources 63 -- 5.1.1.1 Biblical Records 63 -- 5.1.1.2 Records of the Church Fathers and Historians 63 -- 5.1.1.3 Records of the Nestorian Church 64 -- 5.1.2 Status of the Church 65 -- 5.1.2.1 Organization of the Church 65 -- 5.1.2.2 Monastic Movement 66 -- 5.1.2.3 Tension Between Religions 67 -- 5.1.2.4 Persecutions from the Sassanic State 68 -- 5.2 The Stage of Re-organization 69 -- 5.2.1 Independence of the Persian Church 70 -- 5.2.2 The School of Nisibis 71 -- 5.3 The Stage of Expansion (After the Islamic Conquest in 642) 73 -- 5.3.1 The Status of Christians under the Caliphs 74 -- 5.3.2 The Nestorian Expansion in Central Asia 75 -- 6. Nestorians in China (Tang and the Mongol Periods) 77 -- 6.1 Christian Presence Before the Tang Dynasty 77 -- 6.2 Conditions Favorable to the Coming of the Nestorians 78 -- 6.2.1 Political Conditions in the Early Tang Period 79 -- 6.2.1.1 The Repulse of Eastern Turkic Khanate 79 -- 6.2.1.2 Goodwill between China and Persia 80 -- 6.2.1.3 Tolerance of the Emperor Tang Taizong towards Religions 81 -- 6.2.2 Early Trade Contacts on the Silk Road 83 -- 6.3 Chinese and Non-Chinese Records on the Nestorian Presence in China from the Tang Dynasty Onward 86 -- 6.3.1 Some Important Evidence Found in China 86 -- 6.3.1.1 The Nestorian Tablet in Xi'an 86 -- 6.3.1.2 The Dunhuang Texts 86 -- 6.3.1.3 Syriac Documents Found in Chinese Territory 87 -- 6.3.1.4 Carved Stones with Crosses Found in China 88 -- 6.3.1.5 Ordos Crosses of the Mongol Period 88 -- 6.3.2 Non-Chinese Records 89 -- 6.4 Nestorian Activities in the Tang Period 90 -- 6.4.1 The Spread of Christianity -- Church Planting 90 -- 6.4.2 Life and Work of the Nestorian Monks 94 -- 6.4.3 Translation and Composition of Christian Literature 96 -- 6.5 The Decline of Nestorianism in China 97 -- 6.6 Nestorians in the Mongol Yuan Dynasty 98 -- 6.6.1 Yelikewen (Erekhawiunn) 98 -- 6.6.2 The Nestorian Inhabitants 99 -- 6.6.3 Yahb Allaha III 101 -- 7. The Chinese Nestorian Documents 103 -- 7.1 Introduction to the Chinese Nestorian Documents 104 -- 7.1.1 Aluoben's Texts 105 -- 7.1.1.2.1 The Book of Jesus, the Messiah 107 -- 7.1.1.2.2 On the One-God 109 -- 7.1.2 Jing Jing's Texts 111 -- 7.1.2.2.1 The Nestorian Inscription Text 112 -- 7.1.2.2.2 Gloria in Excelsis Deo 114 -- 7.1.2.2.3 Honored Persons and Sacred Books (Zunjing) 116 -- 7.1.2.2.4 Book on Mysterious Peace and Joy 116 -- 7.1.2.2.5 Book on Declaring the Origin of the Jing Religion of Da Qin 118 -- 7.1.2.2.6 Praise to the Transfiguration of the Great Holy One 123 -- 7.2 Text Analyses 125 -- 7.2.1 The Literary Style 125 -- 7.2.2 Translation Problems 128 -- 7.2.2.1 Translation of Ideas 128 -- 7.2.2.2 Translation of Special Words 129 -- 7.2.2.3 Translating Nestorian Documents into Modern Languages 133 -- 7.3 The Theological Thoughts Contained 134 -- 7.3.1 From Monotheism to the Trinitarian God 134 -- 7.3.2 A Christology Manifested 136 -- 7.3.3 A Theology Contextualized 139 -- 7.3.3.1 Political Diplomacy 139 -- 7.3.3.2 Cultural Accommodation 140 -- 7.3.4 The Question of Syncretism 141 -- 8. Nestorian Documents in Dunhuang: A New English Translation 145 -- 8.1 Book of Jesus, the Messiah 145 -- 8.2 One the One-God 157 -- 8.3 Gloria in Excelsis Deo 182 -- 8.4 Honored Persons and Sacred Books (Zunjing) 184 -- 8.5 Book on Mysterious Peace and Joy 188 -- 8.6 Book on Declaring the Origin of the Jing Religion of Da Qin 200 -- 8.7 Praise to the Transfiguration of the Great Holy One 203 -- 9.1 Chronological Survey of Nestorian Christianity in China 205 -- 9.2 Status of Development 205 -- 9.3 The Decline of Nestorianism in China 207.