Springer Religious Faith of the Chinese (China Insights)

This book comprehensively examines religious faith in China from the perspective of cultural philosophy and cultural history. It explores the social, political, cultural and spiritual meanings of religions, tracing their historical development and related paradigm shifts. It also analyzes the characteristics of the country’s local religions and the process of indigenization of world religions, and describes the peaceful co-existence and harmonious confluence of multiple religions in Chinese spiritual life, revealing the vibrant and diverse colors of its religious culture. Examining these religions’ social and cultural functions in contemporary Chinese society, the book demonstrates the rich and complex intertwinement of religious faith, cultural spirit and national disposition among the Chinese people. From the Back Cover This book comprehensively examines religious faith in China from the perspective of cultural philosophy and cultural history. It explores the social, political, cultural and spiritual meanings of religions, tracing their historical development and related paradigm shifts. It also analyzes the characteristics of the country’s local religions and the process of indigenization of world religions, and describes the peaceful co-existence and harmonious confluence of multiple religions in Chinese spiritual life, revealing the vibrant and diverse colors of its religious culture. Examining these religions’ social and cultural functions in contemporary Chinese society, the book demonstrates the rich and complex intertwinement of religious faith, cultural spirit and national disposition among the Chinese people. About the Author Zhuo Xinping, director of the Institute of World Religions in Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, researcher, president of Chinese Religious Society. He has obtained the Master’s degree of Philosophy in graduate school of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in 1981 and Doctor’s degree in University of Munich of Germany in 1987. In 1988 he was elected as lifetime member of Germany (Europe) Association for the history of religion. Since 1998, he has been served as the director of the Institute of World Religions in Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. From 2000 to 2004, he is served as the vice chairman of international philosophy and human science research council under UNESCO. In 2002 he held a post as distinguished visiting professor in Tsinghua University and keynote speaker of Susic Singer academic lecture in American Berkeley United Theological Institute. From 2003 to 2004 served as the Payton researcher (visiting scholar) of University of Birmingham in Britain. From 2003 to 2009 served as the director of Higher Education United Board of the USA-Asia Christian Religion. In August of 2006 selected as the academician member. In 2011 selected as presidium member of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. In 2013 elected as the vice chairman of the second session of Council of Taihu Culture Forum. The individual published academic works are about 30 works, co-authored and edited about dozens of works, more than 200 works of published thesis, and other articles for more than 100 pieces.    Zhao Dong, PhD, Associate Professor of the School of English and International Studies of Beijing Foreign Studies University, China, has research interests in Buddhism and Christianity from cultural and literary perspectives and Chinese religions through textual and anthropological approaches. He was Visiting Scholar of Harvard University Center for the Study of World Religions (2015-2016) and Yale Divinity School (2003-2004). He teaches in English courses such as Buddhism in Chinese Culture, Guided Readings in Confucian, Buddhist and Taoist Classics, Bible as Literature, etc. He is the author of the book The Bible and the Faerie Queen (2008), and has published 13 peer reviewed papers in English in international academic journals.