Religion In China Research Articles

Adapting Through Belief: The Persistent Rituals of Phuket’s Jia Cai Festival

The Jia Cai Festival, commonly known as the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, has its origins in the early 19th century when Chinese immigrants from Fujian brought their religious practices to Phuket. Initially a private religious ceremony, it has since evolved into a prominent public and globally recognized event, attracting both local and international attention. This paper critically explores the historical roots and cultural significance of the Jia Cai Festival, tracing its origins to a malaria outbreak among Chinese immigrants. In seeking divine intervention, these immigrants dedicated themselves to nine days of vegetarian fasting in honor of the Nine Emperor Gods. Over time, this devotion has solidified into a deeply rooted tradition that reflects both religious faith and cultural identity. The research highlights how the Jia Cai Festival has been shaped by a synthesis of Chinese Taoist and Thai ritualistic elements, creating a unique cultural expression. The enduring belief in vegetarianism has driven adaptations in vegetarian food offerings to suit contemporary tastes while retaining the festival's core spiritual and cultural rituals. This delicate balance underscores the ongoing tension between preserving tradition and embracing modernity. However, the festival faces challenges, particularly the risk of cultural erosion due to increasing commercialization and tourism-driven modifications. By examining these dynamics, the study underscores the Jia Cai Festival's role as a symbol of cultural resilience. It demonstrates how the festival continues to foster social solidarity, cultural diversity, and economic prosperity, even amidst evolving societal contexts. Ultimately, this research contributes to broader discussions on cultural preservation, highlighting the significance of adaptive strategies in maintaining the integrity of traditional practices while ensuring their relevance in a modern, globalized world. The Jia Cai Festival stands as a testament to the enduring power of cultural heritage in promoting community identity and cohesion.

A Comparison of the Extensibility of Marriage in Ancient Greek and Chinese Taoist Traditions

Abstract: In ancient societies, people experienced different wedding rituals under Chinese Taoist culture and in ancient Greece. Women of various social backgrounds faced distinctive treatment. Comparing two kinds of cultural settings, this paper will analyze how these distinct married conventions manifest the past broader societal perspectives and morality towards power dynamics, involving rules, status, and rituals for couples. In addition, this research purposely focuses on their societal structures and gender roles, promoting gender equality and diminishing patriarchal for future development. In ancient Greek society, particularly in Athens and Sparta, this paper reveals that marriage was an important process that reflected family ties and societal expectations, leading to limited rights for women. In contrast, Chinese Taoism approached marriage more practically, this culture emphasized the balance of yin and yang and announced a more egalitarian perspective with some limitations. Utilizing a comparative analysis method, the study gathers insights into the marriage customs of both civilizations. This investigation illuminates the evolution of marital norms and encourages contemporary discussions about relationships and gender roles.

Utilizing Yin-Yang approach to reinforce fuzzy front-end activities and manufacturing startups' growth performance.

Fuzzy front-end is the research frontier of manufacturing industry. This study investigates the relationship between market-oriented FFE activities and manufacturing startup growth performance by adopting an open innovative ancient Chinese Taoism Yin-Yang approach under this post-pandemic circumstance. This study also examines the moderating behavioral effect of Chinese Zen-originated CEO mindfulness between market-oriented FFE activities and manufacturing startup growth performance. Data for this study were gathered from 343 Chinese manufacturing startups' CEOs across different manufacturing industries, including both high-tech and conventional manufacturing industries. The collected data were analyzed by using structural equation modeling and Bootstrap method. The quantitative analysis results show that most market-oriented FFE activities have positive effects on manufacturing startup growth performance and the Chinese Zen-originated CEO mindfulness positively moderates the relationship between most FFE activities and startup growth performance.

A Study on the Mondern Dahnhak Jigam Training and the Taeul Geumhwa Jongji Training of Taoism in China : Focused on the Eyes of the Human Organs

A Study on the Mondern Dahnhak Jigam Training and the Taeul Geumhwa Jongji Training of Taoism in China : Focused on the Eyes of the Human Organs

Study on the Religious and Philosophical Thoughts of Xizi Pagodas in Hunan Province of China

The Xizi Pagoda (惜字塔) is a form of traditional religious building used for burning “Paper with Characters (字纸)”, worshiping the gods, praying for blessings, revitalzing culture, and it is also an important material embodiment in the process of the development and evolution of religion in China, carrying China’s unique “Scholarly Culture (书香文化)”. This paper is the first study of the philosophy of religion of Xizi Pagodas (a vernacular stone religious architectural landscape). The research of the representative Xizi Pagodas in different parts of Hunan province were carried out to analyze the origin of Xizi Pagodas, cultural rituals, modeling paradigms, decorative art, and to explore the traditional Chinese religious and philosophical thoughts embedded in Xizi Pagodas through relevant literatures. The results show that Xizi Pagodas contain the religious concepts of “Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism (儒释道)”: the emergence of Xizi Pagodas is connected to the development of Confucianism; Xizi Pagodas incorporate Buddhistic thoughts and inherit architectural features of Buddhist Pagodas; and the “Xizi (惜字)” ritual and images of deities on Xizi Pagodas are associated with Taoism. At present, the number of Xizi Pagodas is decreasing, and the remaining ones are in a serious state of dilapidation and disrepair, and the “Xizi” Culture is gradually being forgotten and fading away. This paper enriches the relevant research on the Xizi Pagodas and the “Xizi” Culture.

The Shared Origin and Divergent Evolution of Stories about ‘Capturing Yaoguai and Obtaining Treasures in Haunted Houses’ in China and Japan

The Chinese and Japanese stories of capturing yaoguai or yōkai and obtaining treasures in haunted houses share a common origin from ‘Xì Yāo’ narratives. The core motif chain remains largely consistent, despite distinct differences in the treatment of yaoguai. In China, these beings are often expelled or even killed, whereas in Japan they are usually appeased and revered. The underlying reasons can be largely attributed to the influence of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism in China, which perceive yaoguai as ominous and associate them with calamities. In contrast, the integration of Buddhism and Shintoism in Japan has created a cultural landscape that offers a pathway for yōkai to ascend to the status of deities. The dissemination of similar stories primarily relies on the stability of the motif chain, while variations beyond it serve as essential conditions for the acceptance and dissemination of these stories across regions, ethnicities, and even nations.

Magic Matters: Engaging with Nathan Sivin on the History of Divination, Medicine, and Popular Religion in China

Abstract In this essay, the author seeks to highlight some of the many ways that Nathan Sivin’s academic work and personal advice have helped to shape his current book project, titled Magic Matters: Science and Medicine in Chinese Popular Culture, 1800 to 1850). Smith’s essay discusses the conceptual framework of Magic Matters, focusing on the ways that Chinese commoners perceived, represented, and understood the natural world, in all of its variety and complexity. It identifies the historical and cultural context in which traditional Chinese medicine and the mantic arts flourished, even after the introduction of new scientific and medical ideas and practices from the West and Japan post-1850. Along the way, Smith identifies a number of Asian and Western scholars who, together with Sivin, have done extremely productive and stimulating work on Chinese science, medicine and technology. He also provides bibliographical suggestions for further China-focused and comparative research on these topics.

Research on religion and spirituality in China: A bibliometric analysis based on the Web of Science

Research on religion in China is of critical importance due to its impact on society, culture, and politics within the country and in an increasingly interconnected global context. There is a pressing need in academic and scientific realms to understand and analyze the core research themes conducted in this field over the past decade. The relevance of such research lies in their ability to establish a common framework that facilitates collaboration among researchers and consolidates existing knowledge. By identifying major research and areas of academic activity, this common framework opens the door to greater integration and synergy among academics in this field. Furthermore, this framework benefits researchers in the field of religion in China and offers opportunities to expand and deepen understanding of related topics such as sociology, anthropology, and cultural studies. To do that, a comprehensive analysis has been developed using bibliometric techniques and methodologies to identify and evaluate the most significant research on religion in China over the last ten years. This approach enables the visualization of emerging trends, areas of interest, and significant contributions in the field, providing a comprehensive overview of current research. This analysis addresses this demand using bibliometric tools, techniques, and methodologies. Finally, it underscores the importance of understanding recent research on religion in China and how bibliometric analysis can significantly contribute to academic and scientific collaboration and identify new avenues of inquiry in this dynamic and complex field.

Dialogues on the Theory of Reward for the Good and Retribution for the Evil during Late Ming and Early Qing Dynasties

The theory of reward for the good and retribution for the evil (善恶报应) was one of the key issues in the dialogue between Catholicism and indigenous religions in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Under the monotheistic framework, Catholicism advocates supernatural God for rewarding good and punishing evil, thus it had a more logical and rigorous theological arguments. It had exchanges and dialogues with Chinese native religions on the standards of good and evil, who has the rights to reward and punish, and the results of reward and retribution and so on. This article firstly analyzes the Confucian theory of stimulus-response between the heaven and human beings (天人感应). It secondly illustrates the view of the theories of reward for the good and retribution for the evil in Buddhism and Taoism. Then it discusses the Catholic views on rewarding good and punishing evil during late Ming and early Qing, and it also reviews the responses of the native religions in China to Catholic view of rewarding good and punishing evil. Finally, it summarizes the sameness and differences of the theories of reward for the good and retribution for the evil between Catholicism and Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. As to the intentional to do goods, there were some commonalities between Catholicism and Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism in the movement of promoting good deeds during late Ming and early Qing. However, there were distinct in the perspective of the standards of good and evil, the subjects of retribution and the roles of individuals in retribution, which caused the conflicts between Catholicism and its opponents in China. The introduction of Catholic theory of reward for the good and retribution for the evil undoubtedly further enriched Chinese religious thoughts since the late Ming dynasty.

Religious Climate and Corporate ESG Performance

Religion, as an important part of China's history and culture, plays an important role in economic and social life. In the context of China's reality, which emphasizes high-quality development, this study aims to explore the impact of the informal institution of religious atmosphere on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance of firms. Through empirical research, this paper finds that: the stronger the religious atmosphere of a firm's location, the better its ESG performance; further, this paper examines the path of the influence of religious atmosphere on firms' ESG performance. The results show that religious atmosphere promotes the ESG performance of firms through two paths: suppressing managers' self-interested and short-sighted behaviors and creating an ethical environment. Meanwhile, the weaker the degree of marketization (formal system) in the region, the more obvious the role of religion (informal system) in promoting firms' ESG performance, which suggests that there is a certain substitution relationship between religious traditions and formal system. In addition, family business can further enhance the role of religion in promoting firms' ESG performance. Finally, this paper segments different religions and finds that Taoism's emphasis on man and nature makes it better than Buddhism in promoting ESG performance, especially in environmental performance. This study not only provides empirical evidence for the use of ESG at the micro level, but also provides empirical evidence for the high-quality development of firms in the context of Eastern religions in China.

Missionary Writings during the Canton Exile (1666–1671): Crisis in the Manchu-Christian Relationship

During their Canton exile (1666–1671), European missionaries wrote an impressive number of reports and letters which have not been systematically studied until now. After presenting a detailed analysis of the institutional background of the 25 missionaries who arrived in Canton, we analyze the first internal reports about the Calendar Case. Then, we discuss three important Jesuit works by Gabiani, Grelon and Rougemont, who attributed the crisis to the opposition of the Manchus to Christianity. The distrust of the Canton Jesuits towards the Manchus throws a new light into the approach of Christianity towards politics and religion in China.

Mediatization of Religion and Its Impact on Youth Identity Formation in Contemporary China

In response to the trend of information technology development, religions in China are undergoing a process of mediatization. This study takes the popular Chinese animated films Ne Zha: Birth of the Demon Child (哪吒之魔童降世) (2019) and New Gods: Yang Jian (新神榜: 杨戬) (2022) as research cases of mediatization of religion and conducts a focused study of the respective protagonists Ne Zha (哪吒) and Yang Jian (杨戬), both prominent figures in Chinese religious and folk traditions. Through text analysis and empirical research on the two movies and their fans, this study examines how religion is being mediatized in contemporary China in the transformation to Religion 2.0 or a type of amalgamation of real- and virtual-world practices that enact a relationship with the divine, and how this shapes identity formation for fans, who are mostly young individuals in their teens and twenties. This research argues that to obtain permission for dissemination in mainstream media and thrive in the cultural context of China, religion chooses to assume the form of media products that can bypass scrutiny that forbids “supernatural phenomena” and aligns with the mainstream ideology. It has to be a “contributory religion” that contributes to the “revitalization” of national spirit and inherited Chinese culture, not a potential “superstitious” threat to the Marxist orthodoxy. In the context of official promotion of atheism and the regulation of public discourse, animated films with themes adapted from traditional mythological and religious stories, such as Ne Zha: Birth of the Demon Child and New Gods: Yang Jian, have become a major cultural form through which people in China engage with religious symbols and narratives. The enormous success of the two movies resulted in a large population of young fans. Influenced by these films, their fans have developed an egoistic religious perspective rather than assimilating the religious or cultural messages contained in the movies. These fans may experience solace and a call to faith to some extent in their consumption of the movies, but they selectively enhance religious literacy that only meets their personal needs. Interest in divine individuals far outweighs interest in or loyalty to the religious doctrine or sect itself. Pilgrimages are undertaken to fulfill personal fantasies, and the promotion of the divine is aimed at vying for influence within fan communities. The second part of this study examines the activities of the fans that I argue are characteristic of the age of Religion 2.0.

The Philosophy in the Ancient Chinese Musical Instrument-- Guqin

Guqin is one of China’s oldest and most revered musical instruments, which was listed as one of the masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of the world by UNESCO in 2003. It is deeply embedded in the Chinese culture that to embrace an all-encompassing moral philosophy known as the Dao (道) of qin or “the Way of the qin.” This ideology which contains a large sense of living philosophy is to be explored in this article, mainly from the traditional Chinese philiosophy of Confucianism, Buddhism and native Chinese Taoism.

Introduction to the Study of Laozi, Zhuangzi and Liezi During 1911-1949 in China

Laozi老子, Zhuangzi庄子, and Liezi列子 are important texts of Taoism in China and the essence of Chinese traditional culture. Scholars who want to understand China and Chinese culture, it is necessary to understand them, and it is also necessary to understand the research situation from 1911 to 1949 because this period was the time when many important and authoritative works were published. This paper introduces the research on these three books during that period.

Sociological studies on Chinese religion since the turn of the century

This paper reviews research on the sociology of religion in China since the beginning of the new century. In terms of theoretical research, there are three main themes: first, research focusing on C. K. Yang's sociological study on religion, especially the theories of diffused religion and institutional religion; second, the dialogue with forefront issues such as the application of and controversies related to the rational choice theory of religion in China; and third, indigenous theoretical constructs, including “religious ecology theory” and the theory of the “Sinicization of religion”. In terms of quantitative research, this article reviews progress in the measurement of Chinese religiosity.

The Dao of Dialogue: Daoism, Psychology, and Psychotherapy

Abstract: From analytical psychologist Carl Jung's exploration of internal alchemy through humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow's plea for a more Taoistic Science to pioneering person-centered therapist Carl Rogers's embrace of nonaction, Daoist teachings have played a consistent, subtle but significant part in shaping popular approaches in psychology and psychotherapy. Contemporary cognitive therapies are increasingly informed by Daoist principles and cultivation practices—including the emergence of Chinese Taoist Cognitive Psychotherapy. In this paper, I outline the past, present and future of this cross-cultural dialogue, in addition to reflecting on my own Daoist encounters and inspirations that have led to my pursuit of more transpersonal and ecological approaches and insights. Our current global predicament is largely the result of a prevalent, insidious, largely unquestioned anthropocentric mindset, which reduces the natural world to natural resources. It is my firm conviction that a more Daoist-based worldview may prove to be a potent antidote to this detrimental, default way of thinking and more vital than ever when faced with impending climate crises and catastrophe—bridging the psychological, ecological and soteriological.

為侵入性腦機介面技術進行倫理辯護

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.
 The idea that invasive brain–computer interface technology is dangerous is debatable. This technology requires ethical justification, recognizing the coexistence of their benefits and risks. The newly formed professional consensus in China illustrates that it is possible to develop forward-looking and binding ethical guidelines through multidisciplinary argumentation and stakeholder consultation. Invasive brain–computer interfaces need not be limited to the smallest scope of application. Invasive brain–computer interfaces for healthy people and for enhancement purposes will provide technical and ethical options for future human society. Therefore, research into invasive brain–computer interfaces should not be prohibited. Rather, we must be alert to the risky possibility of research and development on brain–computer interfaces becoming entirely driven by business interests and controlled by capital. Furthermore, Chinese Taoist wisdom does not necessarily reject this technology.

Resonance and Intertextuality: Borges and Chinese Taoist Philosophy

Please refer to the URL that includes this article for the abstract.

A Study on Lin Yutang’s Cultural Identity Through His Translation Work: The Wisdom of Laotse

The translation of Chinese classics has a history of more than a century, and Lin Yutang was a model of translating and introducing Chinese classics to the world in English. Lin Yutang translated Tao Te Ching as The Wisdom of Laotse by means of reconstructing, rewriting and interpreting, which has caused widespread concern and far-reaching influence in the world, and many Westerners began to learn about Chinese Taoist culture from The Wisdom of Laotse. By comparing the translated version with the original one, this paper attempts to study Lin Yutang’s cultural identity through The Wisdom of Laotse from a macro perspective. As a famous Chinese writer, linguist and essayist, Lin Yutang not only switched the linguistic code and adjusted the structure of Tao Te Ching, but also explained its contents and interpreted its thoughts in details with his own understanding, removing the strangeness of the original text, adding the logic and systematization of the Tao Te Ching. Lin introduced the indigenous Chinese Taoist culture to the English world with his insights, which has shaped his own cultural identity as a cultural interpreter, communicator and philosopher.

An Analysis of the Role of Religion in China's Foreign Exchanges from the Perspective of the Community of Human Destiny

From the perspective of the community of human destiny, this paper probes into the role of religion in China's international communication. First of all, the article expounds the basic concept of the community of human destiny and the significance of the community of human destiny in the context of globalization. Then, it analyzes how religion, as a special form of cultural communication, plays a unique role in China's communication with other countries in the world. This paper discusses in detail the positive role of religion in promoting cultural understanding between China and foreign countries, enhancing international friendship, promoting economic cooperation and peacefully resolving international disputes, and also points out the misunderstandings and conflicts that may be caused by religion in the process of communication. The article emphasizes that in the face of the challenges and opportunities brought by globalization, China should actively exert the positive effects of religion in foreign exchanges and promote the construction of a more harmonious community of world destiny.