Table of Contents

List of Illustrations Acknowledgements Prologue: Six Decades of Studying Chinese Religion 1. Chinese Religion: The Oldest Documented Religious Tradition 2. Five Centuries of the Western Misrepresentation of Chinese Religion 3. Familism: The Global Context of Chinese Religion 4. The Theology Implicit in the Early Confucian Tradition: The Fundamental Understanding of the Meaning of Life in Chinese Culture 5. The Role of Possession Trance in Chinese Culture and Religion: A Comparative Overview from the Neolithic to the Present 6. State and Religion in China: The District Magistrate as Priest 7. Freedom of Religion in China: In the Past and Under the Chinese Communist Party 8. Why Buddhism Succeeded and Christianity Failed in China 9. The Theology of the Chinese Jews: A Synthesis of Judaism and Neo-Confucianism Epilogue: Chinese Religion Today in China and the Chinese Diaspora Appendix: Chronological Chart Bibliography Notes Index

Promotional Information

Jordan Paper, for the first time in religious studies, applies the paradigm of familism to Chinese religion, arguing that it allows for a better understanding of religion in China.

About the Author

Jordan Paper is Professor Emeritus at York University (Toronto) and a Fellow at the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society at the University of Victoria (BC), Canada. He is author of a dozen books covering Chinese Religion, Native American religions, polytheism, mysticism, female spirituality, and Chinese Judaism.

Reviews

The volume’s value lies in intriguing questions, informative illustrations, and relevant glimpses at local practices.
*Religious Studies Review*