One of the most important aspects of interreligious dialogue in our times is the emphasis upon commonality. This edifying paperback by an associate professor in the Theology and Religious Studies Department at Villanova University, an expert on Chinese philosophy, and a Taoist priest draws out the parallels between the words of Jesus and those of Lao Tzu and his creative interpreter and popularizer Chuang Tzu. The intent is to "deepen one's understanding of God, clarify one's faith perspective, and enhance one's spirituality."
Jesus and Lao Tzu both use water and light imagery to speak of divine superabundance. They emphasize the importance of compassionate, undiscriminating love as crucial in spiritual growth. Both of them repudiate power and advocate the cultivation of meekness and humility. The law of retaliation is rejected by the man from Nazareth and the Chinese sage; they stand behind the practice of nonviolence. Taoism and Christianity proclaim the value of disinterested virtue — the good person's ego is erased leaving "a tracelessness" behind in the wake of loving acts.