Appropriating the Dao
The Euro-American Esoteric Reception of China
Franz Winter editor Lukas K Pokorny editor
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published:2nd May '24
£85.00
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Explores the reception and appropriation of East Asian religious and philosophical notions, ideas, and patterns of thought within the Euro-American esoteric current from the 18th to the 21st century.
Assembling original contributions, this book is a pioneering attempt to address the Euro-American esoteric reception and appropriation of China. Positioned between eighteenth-century’s mesmerism and intersections with the modern martial arts current, the contributions specifically centre on nineteenth and early twentieth-century occult appraisals and representations. This book opens up an under-explored area of research in the field of East–West interactions and the global history of religions.
With the blossoming of research on esotericism’s global entanglements, one conspicuous lacuna has remained: the Chinese connection. Not anymore. This pioneering collection firmly establishes Euro-American engagements with China as a central and long-standing element of global esotericism. Its new vistas will shape scholarship for years to come. * Egil Asprem, Professor of the History of Religions, Stockholm University, Sweden *
Esoteric fantasies and orientalist speculations about Chinese religions have played a significant role in Western cultural history, but this a topic that has hitherto been remarkably neglected by scholars. This splendid volume fills a major lacuna and will be the essential point of departure for further research. * Olav Hammer, Professor of The Study of Religions, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark *
This groundbreaking volume offers a penetrating analysis of understudied or previously unknown material. Shedding new light on key dimensions of long-term global entanglements, it is a must-read for anyone interested in esotericism or the reception of Chinese culture. * Per Faxneld, Associate Professor of the History of Religions, Södertörn University, Sweden *
ISBN: 9781350289567
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
240 pages