Description
Book SynopsisYegor Grebnev examines crucial noncanonical texts preserved in the Yi Zhou shu (Neglected Zhou Scriptures) and the Grand Duke traditions. He develops an innovative framework for the study and interpretation of these texts, focusing on their role in the mediation of royal legitimacy and their formative impact on early Daoism.
Trade ReviewGrebnev’s masterful study begins with a formalistic analysis of
Yi Zhou shu and ends with a new history of religious Daoism and a new model for thinking about early Chinese philosophy. The very definition of groundbreaking, it is certain to reverberate in the work of early China scholars for decades. -- Stephen Durrant, professor emeritus, University of Oregon
Hidden in plain sight in the
Yi Zhou shu, Yegor Grebnev has discovered the missing link between “religious” and “philosophical” Taoism. His elegant and philologically rigorous demonstration that the two are fundamentally of one piece will necessitate the rewriting of current textbook accounts of Chinese intellectual history. -- Lothar von Falkenhausen, author of
Chinese Society in the Age of Confucius (1000-250 BC): The Archaeological EvidenceMediation of Legitimacy in Early China brings together two too-often overlooked sources to make fresh observations concerning the structure of early Chinese texts and what this structure shows about the process of their composition. It has far-reaching implications for understanding all aspects of the early Chinese literary tradition. -- Edward L. Shaughnessy, author of
Unearthing the Changes: Recently Discovered Manuscripts of the Yi Jing (I Ching) and Related Texts[This book] will provide to the field of early China studies a reliable and thoughtful introduction to the many historical and textual difficulties of an undeservedly underread text for many years to come....Grebnev’s book is written on a deep foundation of rigorous and thoughtful research ... While offering honest and refreshing appraisals of some of the text-historical issues posed by the work ... he also provides groundbreaking insights into the ways that the Yi Zhoushu seems to have been integral to major political, religious, and intellectual developments in early and medieval China. * Journal of Asian Studies *
This volume is highly recommended to scholars of ancient Chinese texts, political authority, and the origin of Daoism. * Religious Studies Review *
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations
List of Tables
Acknowledgments
Chronology
Introduction
1. The Structure of the
Yi Zhou shu and Its Formation History
2. Understanding Early Chinese Scriptures
3. Appropriated and Created Scriptures
4. Royal Colloquies as the Main Text Type in the
Yi Zhou shu5. Daoist Scriptures of the Grand Duke
6. Heirloom Treasures, Scriptures, and Legitimacy
Conclusion
Appendix 1. Scenic, Formalistic, and Alarming Contextual Settings
Appendix 2. Summary of the
Zhou shu in the
Shi lüeAppendix 3. “Sequential Outline of the Zhou Scriptures”
Appendix 4. Permutations of the Chapter(s) “Shifa” (Order of Posthumous Names)
Notes
Bibliography
Index
