Communicating with Gods: Symbolism of Chinese Sacrificial Culture

Author: Qu Ming'an
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: What is God? Why do people curry favor with deities? How do humans communicate with gods? These are questions that anyone concerned with religious life must inevitably understand. This book approaches the subject from the perspective of symbolic anthropology, using plain language, concrete facts, and vivid illustrations to provide a preliminary description and explanation of the forms and deeper meanings of Chinese sacrificial culture symbols. The author argues that studying Chinese sacrificial culture symbols not only helps understand the external expressions of religious life in China but also allows insight into the traditional values, psychological states, and ways of thinking of various ethnic groups in China, deepening people's understanding of Chinese society and culture. With plain language, concrete facts, and vivid illustrations, the book roughly describes and explains the symbols and meanings of religious sacrificial culture in China's ethnic groups, providing basic clues and materials for further research.