Description
Book Synopsis"Chinese Religion" is a new introduction to the field of Chinese religion and culture. It seeks to guide readers through some of the primary source material and to introduce them to continuing, contemporary debates and interpretations of religious ideas, concepts and practices in China and beyond. Religious beliefs are never pursued and held in a vacuum; they are an integral part of a particular culture, interwoven and interactive with other elements of the culture and tradition. Chinese religion in this sense can be said to be part of Chinese culture and history. In this clear account, Xinzhong Yao and Yanxia Zhao move away from the traditional and outmoded definition of Chinese religion, the three institutional doctrines: Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism, towards a multi-layered hermeneutic of the syncretic nature and functions of religions in China. Additional features include questions for reflection and discussion and suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter.
Trade ReviewWith interest in China and things Chinese growing at an unprecedented rate, this wide-ranging, informative and readable introduction to Chinese religion by Xinzhong Yao and Yanxia Zhao is both timely and welcome. Based on twenty years experience of teaching a course in Chinese religion and culture, the authors provide a first-rate account of Han Chinese religion in its social and historical context, aimed at students and the general reader. Highly recommended! -- Professor Brian Bocking, University College Cork, Ireland
This book is excellent for educational purposes thanks to the thematic approach, and can also be used as a supplement for introductions to more traditional forms of Chinese religion. -- André van der Braak * Tijdschrift voor Theologie [Bloomsbury Translation] *
Table of Contents1. What is Chinese religion?; 2. Religion and Zongjiao; 3. Religion in history; 4. Religion as culture; 5. Religion in family contexts; 6. Religion and the state; 7. Beliefs, deities and sacrifices; 8. Religion as ritual systems; 9. Sacred space and sacred time; 10. Divining the future; 11. Conclusion: Religion as the way of life.
