Critics of Famous Modern Chinese Buddhist Historians

Author: Zhou Xia
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: This book attempts to take the research status of Buddhist history in China during the first half of the 20th century as its research object. From the perspectives of historiography and academic history, it explores the background and development process of the rise of Buddhist history research during this period. Through case studies and comprehensive analysis, it examines the academic achievements and thoughts of representative Buddhist historians, understanding the impact of their cultural views on Buddhist history research and even the entire modern academia. It objectively evaluates their accomplishments in Buddhist history research and presents a comprehensive picture of the achievements of modern Buddhist historiography in China in various aspects such as general history, chronological history, thematic history, sect history, and regional history. It explores the main characteristics of modern Buddhist historiography in China, providing readers with a relatively complete and clear picture of the discipline's development. This book compiles insightful critiques of many renowned Buddhist historians in modern China.
Liang Qichao: Our nation's capacity to accommodate foreign cultures is best demonstrated during the era of the introduction of Buddhism. Over the two thousand years of its existence, Buddhism has continuously evolved in accordance with the principle of progress, remaining an unending process of development.
Chen Yinke: Since the Han and Jin dynasties, Buddhism has been introduced into China, reaching its peak during the Tang Dynasty. The cultural and military achievements of the Tang Dynasty, along with its extensive exchanges with the Western Regions, facilitated the spread of Buddhism. This is indeed a significant subject of study in the history of world civilization.
Hu Shi: All academic thoughts are merely historical materials. Buddhism is merely a part of human thought and belief that emerged in a particular era.