The Sinister Way

The Divine and the Demonic in Chinese Religious Culture

By: Richard von Glahn

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Hardcover | 20 April 2004 | Edition Number 1

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Hardcover
400 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
23.86 x 17.17 x 2.68

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The most striking feature of Wutong, the preeminent God of Wealth in late imperial China, was the deity's diabolical character. Wutong was perceived not as a heroic figure or paragon of noble qualities but rather as an embodiment of humanity's basest vices, greed and lust, a maleficent demon who preyed on the weak and vulnerable. In The Sinister Way, Richard von Glahn examines the emergence and evolution of the Wutong cult within the larger framework of the historical development of Chinese popular or vernacular religion--as opposed to institutional religions such as Buddhism or Daoism. Von Glahn's study, spanning three millennia, gives due recognition to the morally ambivalent and demonic aspects of divine power within the common Chinese religious culture.

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List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Ancestors, Ghosts, and Gods in Ancient China
The Han Cult of the Dead and Salvific Religion
Shanxiao: Mountain Goblins
Plague Demons and Epidemic Gods
The Song Transformation of Chinese Religious Culture
Wutong: From Demon to Deity
The Enchantment of Wealth Conclusion
Abbreviations
Notes
Bibliography
Glossary
Index
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

The Sinister Way

The Divine and the Demonic in Chinese Religious Culture

At a Glance

Hardcover

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

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