Handbook on Religion in China (Hardcover)

Informative and eye-opening, the Handbook on Religion in China provides a uniquely broad insight into the contemporary Chinese variations of Buddhism, Islam and Christianity. In turn, China's own religions of Daoism, of filial piety and transmissions of rites have spread beyond China, a progression that is explored in detail across 19 chapters, written by leading experts in the field. Utilising a historical focus to emphasize developments and highlight the transformations of ritual practices, festivals, divination and traditions, this Handbook deals with the emergence of new attitudes to selfhood and the great diversity of civic and other rituals. Traditional ways of forming relationships and conducting life-cycle rituals are also considered. This comprehensive Handbook investigates the ways in which all of these changes are affected by governmental controls that have intriguing unintended consequences. Providing a solid introduction for both newcomers and informed readers, this Handbook will be a key resource for sociologists and anthropologists of ritual and religion as well as students of religious studies, contemporary Chinese studies and the sociology of religion. With extensive references to assist readers wishing to further deepen their understanding this Handbook will also be of interest to historians and individuals interested in contemporary China. Contributors include: I. Beller-Hann, S. Billioud, D. Campo, A.Y. Chau, B. Chen, S. Feuchtwang, G. Ha, A. Iskra, S. Jones, J. Kang, R. Madsen, W. Matthews, E. Oxfeld, D.A. Palmer, P.G. Ran, M. Schumann, R.G. Tiedemann, R.P. Weller, F. Winiger, K. Wu, Y. Zhu