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Chinese Religions is the most comprehensive and concise work available on the subject. It is written in a clear accessible style, for students and teachers alike.
In this book, Julia Ching offers a survey of over 4,000 years of Chinese civilization through an examination of the relationship between kingship and mysticism. She investigates the sage-king myth and ideal, arguing that institutions of kingship were bound up with cultivation of trance states and communication with spirits. Over time, the sage-king myth became a model for the actual ruler. As a paradigm, it was also appropriated by private individuals who strove for wisdom without becoming kings. As the Confucian tradition interacted with the Taoist and the Buddhist, the religious character of spiritual and mystical cultivation became more pronounced. But the sage-king idea continued, promoting expectations of benevolent despotism rather than democratization in Chinese civilization.
Julia Ching, a noted scholar of Neo-Confucian thought, provides an examination of Chu Hsi's religious thought, based on extensive reading in both primary and secondary sources.
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Dr. Ching presents and comments on China's religious traditions, and Dr. Kungoffers a Christian theological response to her views. Together, they show thesignificance of traditions in China's long and varied history and address therole of Christianity in China today.
This is a comprehensive work on the religions of China. As such, it includes an introduction giving an overview of the subject, and the special themes treated in the book, as well as detailed chapters on ancient religions, Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Chinese Islam, Christianity in China as well as popular religion. Throughout the book, care is taken to present both the philosophical teachings as well as the religious practices of the religious traditions, and reflections are offered regarding their present situation and future prospects. Comparisons are offered with other religions, especially Christianity.
The author probes the soul of China starting with the formation of the Communist Party in Shanghai in 1921. She distinguishes clearly between the legacy of Chinese tradition and the innovations of Marxism. Outlines the power struggles under Mai Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, the causes and effects of the Cultural Revolution, the nature of both dissent and its repression in China and the student protests, and the feasibility of Chinese democracy.