Communism in an Enchanted World

Nyhet

Chinese Folk Religion under Mao Zedong

Inbunden, Engelska, 2026

599 kr

Kommande

Drawing together decades of research, Steve Smith explores the survival and adaptation of folk beliefs in Mao's China in the face of seismic social change and growing political repression. Bringing an often-neglected aspect of modern Chinese history to the fore, he shows how folk religion maintained a vital presence in everyday life. In myriad ways, through Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism, spirit mediums and spirit healing, divination, geomancy, and the reform of traditional marriage and funeral rites, rituals and beliefs provided resources for adaptation and resistance to the regime. This unique history gives readers a vivid sense of life under Mao Zedong as vibrant, contentious and resilient - a far cry from stereotypes of a secular, regimented and monochrome society.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2026-05-31
FormatInbunden
SpråkEngelska
SerieCambridge Studies in the History of the People's Republic of China
Antal sidor415
FörlagCambridge University Press
ISBN9781009600934

Tillhör följande kategorier

Asiens historia inom Historia och arkeologi
Religion: allmänt inom Filosofi och religion
Buddhism inom Filosofi och religion

Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. Ancestor worship: household and lineage; 2. Temple religion; 3. Worshipping the Gods; 4. Folk religion and the three teachings; 5. Ghosts and demons; 6. Marriage, fertility and folk religion; 7. Death and funeral ritual; 8. Searching for sacred medicine; 9. Health and spirit healing; 10. Spirit mediums and witchcraft; 11. Geomancers and Yinyang masters; 12. Divination and fortune-telling; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.

'A truly amazing book. There is nothing like it either in religious studies or in the field of Chinese history. Smith destroys the myth that China's communists indiscriminately put religion to the sledgehammer, showing instead how the twin forces of revolution and religion reshaped every element of life, from propaganda to pig breeding.' Thomas David DuBois, author of Empire and the Meaning of Religion in Northeast Asia