Chapter One. The Shaping Of The Concept Of Religion In China

Abstract

Modern conception of religion has been shaped by a history which not only involves Western intellectual developments, but also the Wests intellectual encounter with Asia, and especially China. This chapter traces the archaeology of this concept, and also traces its diachronic and synchronic unfolding. In its diachronic aspect, the concept of religion is seen as having changed throughout the course of history, taking on new meanings at each period. Religion in traditional societies, either in China or in the West, did not entail a modern opposition between the religious and secular spheres. The modern concept of religion, used today in the West and in China, is partially the result of cultural interactions, interpretations, and misinterpretations between them. The concept of religion, which had such a tremendous impact in twentieth century China, indeed came from the West, but it was in fact a Western response to a Chinese reality.Keywords: Chinese civilization; religion in China; Western traditions