A Brief History of Chinese Folk Religion

Author: Ma Xisha
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: A Concise History of Chinese Folk Religion was completed in 1994 and was published as A Chronicle of Folk Religion in 1998. Although this chronicle was published seven years ago, it has been rarely read, so Mr. Yu Xintang of Shanghai People's Publishing House hoped to republish this book, and I readily agreed. How does this concise history compare to the former? The former is comprehensive, nearly 1.2 million words long, and is difficult for non-professionals to read. Folk religion is an important part of the field of Chinese religious beliefs and an integral part of traditional Chinese culture. This book covers nearly two thousand years, from the late Han Dynasty and the Cao Wei period to the late Qing Dynasty, providing an in-depth introduction and discussion on thirteen influential folk religions such as the Maitreya Religion, Manichaeism, the White Lotus Society, the Powerless Religion, the Incense Religion, the Fast Religion, the Huangwu Religion, and the Bagua Religion, from aspects such as historical development, organizational structure, and core doctrines. Especially for folk religions during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the author cites a large number of official documents and archives as primary sources, conducts rigorous and meticulous research, and strives to approach the original state of history. It is both highly readable and maintains its academic rigor.