The Religious Question in Modern China

David Palmer author Vincent Goossaert author David A Palmer author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:The University of Chicago Press

Published:19th Apr '11

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

The Religious Question in Modern China cover

Recent events - from strife in Tibet and the rapid growth of Christianity in China to the spectacular expansion of Chinese Buddhist organizations around the globe - vividly demonstrate that one cannot understand the modern Chinese world without attending closely to the question of religion. "The Religious Question in Modern China" highlights parallels and contrasts between historical events, political regimes, and cultural movements to explore how religion has challenged and responded to secular Chinese modernity, from 1898 to the present. Vincent Goossaert and David A. Palmer piece together the puzzle of religion in China not by looking separately at different religions in different contexts, but by writing a unified story of how religion has shaped, and in turn been shaped by, modern Chinese society. From Chinese medicine and the martial arts to communal temple cults and revivalist redemptive societies, the authors demonstrate that from the nineteenth century onward, as the Chinese state shifted, the religious landscape consistently resurfaced in a bewildering variety of old and new forms. "The Religious Question in Modern China" integrates historical, anthropological, and sociological perspectives in a comprehensive overview of China's religious history that is certain to become an indispensable reference for specialists and students alike.

"This is a pioneering and original work of scholarship that draws on long-term and painstaking research to successfully redefine the role of religion in modern Chinese history. Experts and casual readers alike will benefit immensely from its publication." (Paul Katz, Institute of Modern History, Academia Sinica, Taiwan)"

  • Winner of PROSE (Theology/Religious Studies) 2011

ISBN: 9780226304168

Dimensions: 24mm x 17mm x 3mm

Weight: 765g

480 pages