A Spiritual Geography of Early Chinese Thought

Gods, Ancestors, and Afterlife

Kelly James Clark, Justin Winslett

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Year: 2022
• ISBN:
  9781350262195
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Philosophy of Religion

It is widely claimed that notions of gods and religious beliefs are irrelevant or inconsequential to early Chinese ("Confucian") moral and political thought. Rejecting the claim that religious practice plays a minimal philosophical role, Kelly James Clark and Justin Winslett offer a textual study that maps the religious terrain of early Chinese texts. They analyze the pantheon of extrahumans, from high gods to ancestor spirits, discussing their various representations, as well as examining conceptions of the afterlife and religious ritual. Demonstrating that religious beliefs in early China are both textually endorsed and ritually embodied, this book goes on to show how gods, ancestors and afterlife are philosophically salient. The summative chapter on the role of religious ritual in moral formation shows how religion forms a complex philosophical system capable of informing moral, social, and political conditions.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Halftitle Page
• Title Page
• Contents
• List of Tables
• Introduction
• Part 1 High Gods and Their Critics
• Part 2 God and the Philosophers
• Part 3 Ancestors and Afterlife
• Part 4 A Deeper Dive
• Appendix: The Curious Case of Dong Zhongshu
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index
• Imprint