Popular Religion and Shamanism

Popular Religion and Shamanism addresses two areas of religion within Chinese society; the lay teachings that Chinese scholars term folk or popular religion, and shamanism. Each area represents a distinct tradition of scholarship, and the book is therefore split into two parts. Part I: Popular Religion discusses the evolution of organized lay movements over an arc of ten centuries. Its eight chapters focus on three key points: the arrival and integration of new ideas before the Song dynasty, the coalescence of an intellectual and scriptural tradition during the Ming, and the efflorescence of new organizations during the late Qing.

Review:

...this monograph provides solid information on Chinese popular religion and shamanism in a single convenient volume, with contributions from the leading Chinese experts in the field. Richard Shek, California State University, Sacramento, Journal of Chinese Religions No. 40 (2012)