Chinese religions in contemporary societies / [print]
edited by James Miller.
- Santa Barbara, California : ABC-CLIO, [(c)2006.
- xvii, 317 pages : illistrations, map ; 27 cm.
The historical legacy of China's religious traditions The opium of the people : religion, science, and modernity Local religion in contemporary China Buddhism and economic reform in mainland China Daoist monasticism in contemporary China Shamanism in contemporary Taiwan Body cultivation in contemporary China Protestant Christianity in contemporary China Women in contemporary Chinese religions Contemporary Chinese American religious life Chinese traditions in Euro-American society Confucian spirituality in an ecological age.
Chinese Religions in Contemporary Societies is an accessible, multidimensional introduction to religions in present-day China and Taiwan as well as an in-depth exploration of how religious traditions and practices have been adopted by Americans and Chinese immigrants in North America. The work covers the period since the Cultural Revolution but places its focus on the contemporary global context. Written by religious studies expert James Miller and eight acclaimed scholars, this handy one-volume reference answers the demand for a comprehensive yet highly readable handbook on Chinese religions and their various forms. The work breaks down the complexities of religious traditions, highlighting key issues, themes, and movements, such as the legacy of shamanism in popular Chinese and Taiwanese religion, qigong in contemporary China, and the interpretations and practices of Chinese traditions and rituals in North America. Filling a significant gap in the literature, the handbook demonstrates the impact of social, political, and cultural factors on Chinese religion and identifies the forces behind the prevalence, adaptation, and transformation of Chinese religious practices from a global perspective.