Studies On Religions in Modern China

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to give a brief survey of the publications on religious studies by academic circles in modern China so as to facilitate academic exchange in the same field with scholars in the West. Since ancient times China has produced a series of literary works on religious studies, but to regard religion as an object of scientific research resulted mainly from the impact of the 19th century tide of religious studies in the West. The history of religious studies in modern China, beginning at the end of the 19th century, can be roughly divided into four stages, namely: period of enlightenment and initiation, period of creative formulation, period of relative stagnation and period of productive prosperity