Tianzhu (), meaning 'Heavenly Master' or 'Lord of Heaven', is the Chinese word used for God in Catholicism, designated by the Jesuit China missions.Manufacturing Confucianism: Chinese traditions & universal civilization by Lionel M. Jensen p.73
History The word first appeared in Michele Ruggieri's Chinese translation of the Decalogo, or Ten Commandments. In 1584, Ruggieri and Matteo Ricci published their first catechism, Tiānzhǔ shílù (天主實錄, The Veritable Record of the Lord of Heaven).The Jesuits: cultures, sciences, and the arts, 1540-1773, Volume 1 by John W. O'Malley p.365 Matteo Ricci later wrote a catechism entitled Tiānzhŭ Shíyì (天主實義, The True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven).
Following the Chinese rites controversy, the term Tiānzhŭ was officially adopted by the Pope in 1715, who rejected alternative terms such as Tiān (天, "Heaven") and Shàngdì (上帝, "Supreme Emperor").Chinese Christians in America: conversion, assimilation, and adhesive identities by Fenggang Yang p.52 "Catholicism" is most commonly rendered as Tiānzhǔjiào (天主教, "Religion of the Lord of Heaven"). An individual Catholic is Tiānzhŭjiào tú;"Catholic", in Collins Chinese Concise Dictionary (2006), New York: HarperCollins. tú includes the meanings "disciple" and "believer.""tú" in Collins Chinese Concise Dictionary (2006), New York: HarperCollins. The same hanja characters are used in the Korean words for Catholicism and Catholic believer.
See also Chinese rites controversy Names of God Names of God in China Shangdi Shen (Chinese religion) Tian
References
Further reading Vincent Cronin (1955), The Wise Man from the West: Matteo Ricci and His Mission to China, New York: Dutton. 天主 (中國)