From Fr. Kilkelly, MM: The author takes sources from the East and West and places them in dialogue with each other in order to arrive at a fuller, richer, and more nuanced understanding of divine revelation. This work fundamentally tries to elevate Chinese sources as a necessary dialogue partner with Western ones. Yan critiques the Western centuries-long practice of undervaluing Eastern sources in doing theological reflection. He forcefully states that "it is a mistake for the West to make its interpretation absolute.

Yan has a rich understanding of Chinese sages and classic sources of Chinese wisdom. He rightly harvests the wisdom from these sources and places them in dialogue with Western and specifically Catholic ones. He approaches this theological task not just as a scholar of Chinese philosophy be also as a committed Catholic.