Chinese Religion: A Contextual Approach

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Chinese Religion: A Contextual Approach 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. Defining religion as a way of life, this book examines religious beliefs and practices in particular cultural contexts, and highlights the relevance of religion to personal, communal and political life.

In this clear account, Xinzhong Yao and Yanxia Zhao move away from the traditional and outmoded definition of Chinese religion, towards a multi-layered hermeneutic of the diverse and yet syncretic nature and functions of religions in China. Additional features include questions for reflection and discussion at the end of each chapter and suggestions for further reading at the end of the book.

Reviews

With 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. -- Andr van der Braak * Tijdschrift voor Theologie [Bloomsbury Translation] *

Author Bio

Xinzhong Yao is Professor of Chinese Religion at King's College London, UK, and author of An Introduction to Confucianism (Cambridge University Press 2000). Yanxia Zhao isLecturer in Chinese Studies at theUniversity of Wales, Lampeter, UK,and author of Father and Son in Confucianism and Christianity: A Comparative Study of Xunzi and Paul (Sussex Academic Press, 2007).