Popular Religion in China

The Imperial Metaphor

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, Ethnic Studies
Cover of the book Popular Religion in China by Stephan Feuchtwang, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Stephan Feuchtwang ISBN: 9781135791643
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: September 2, 2003
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Stephan Feuchtwang
ISBN: 9781135791643
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: September 2, 2003
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

The institution of local festivals and temples is not as well known as that of ancestor worship, but it is just as much a universal fact of Chinese life. Its content is an imperial metaphor, which stands in relation to the rest of its participants' lives as the poetry of collective vision, theatrically performed, built and painted in temples, carved and clothed in statues. Stephan Feuchtwang has brought together unpublished as well as published results of his own and other anthropologists' fieldwork in the People's Republic of China and Taiwan and put them into an historical, political and theoretical context.
Students of anthropology will be intrigued. This is not a religion of a Book. Nor is it one of the named religions of China. Popular religion includes some elements of both Buddhism and the former imperial cults, more of Daoism, but it is identifiable with none of them. It is popular in the sense of being local and true of the China of the Han, or Chinese-speaking people, where every place had or has its local cults and the festivals peculiar to them. Its rites, in particular offerings of incense and fire, suggest a concept of religion. It is quite different from theories of religion based on doctrine and belief.
Students of politics will also find here vital and new perspectives. Politics is never far from religion, least of all in the People's Republic of China or colonial and post-colonial Taiwan. In the People's Republic of China, there is continuing conflict between the state and the growth of congregational and lo

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The institution of local festivals and temples is not as well known as that of ancestor worship, but it is just as much a universal fact of Chinese life. Its content is an imperial metaphor, which stands in relation to the rest of its participants' lives as the poetry of collective vision, theatrically performed, built and painted in temples, carved and clothed in statues. Stephan Feuchtwang has brought together unpublished as well as published results of his own and other anthropologists' fieldwork in the People's Republic of China and Taiwan and put them into an historical, political and theoretical context.
Students of anthropology will be intrigued. This is not a religion of a Book. Nor is it one of the named religions of China. Popular religion includes some elements of both Buddhism and the former imperial cults, more of Daoism, but it is identifiable with none of them. It is popular in the sense of being local and true of the China of the Han, or Chinese-speaking people, where every place had or has its local cults and the festivals peculiar to them. Its rites, in particular offerings of incense and fire, suggest a concept of religion. It is quite different from theories of religion based on doctrine and belief.
Students of politics will also find here vital and new perspectives. Politics is never far from religion, least of all in the People's Republic of China or colonial and post-colonial Taiwan. In the People's Republic of China, there is continuing conflict between the state and the growth of congregational and lo

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book In The Space Of A Song by Stephan Feuchtwang
Cover of the book Theories of International Relations by Stephan Feuchtwang
Cover of the book Zoos and Animal Rights by Stephan Feuchtwang
Cover of the book The Feminine Subject in Children's Literature by Stephan Feuchtwang
Cover of the book A Skin for Thought by Stephan Feuchtwang
Cover of the book The Rule of Law in Developing Countries by Stephan Feuchtwang
Cover of the book Stream of Consciousness by Stephan Feuchtwang
Cover of the book Security Culture by Stephan Feuchtwang
Cover of the book Self-directed Learning by Stephan Feuchtwang
Cover of the book The Troubles With Postmodernism by Stephan Feuchtwang
Cover of the book Does the Pro-Life Worldview Make Sense? by Stephan Feuchtwang
Cover of the book Space, Time, Justice by Stephan Feuchtwang
Cover of the book Narrative and Violence by Stephan Feuchtwang
Cover of the book Intelligence, Destiny and Education by Stephan Feuchtwang
Cover of the book Creating the High Schools of Our Choice by Stephan Feuchtwang
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy