Spirit-writing altars and Daoist rituals in Qing Jiangnan

The study of late imperial spirit-writing altars has so far focused on their textual productions. The historical evidence, however, also shows that many of them operated as ritual service centers, providing for free a large range of rituals including healing, salvation of the dead, exorcism and more...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Studies in Chinese Religions
Main Author: Goossaert, Vincent 1969- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group 2022
In: Studies in Chinese Religions
Further subjects:B amateur Daoists
B Doutan
B spirit-writing
B Daoist rituals
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:The study of late imperial spirit-writing altars has so far focused on their textual productions. The historical evidence, however, also shows that many of them operated as ritual service centers, providing for free a large range of rituals including healing, salvation of the dead, exorcism and more. The article surveys these activities and the ways in which ‘lay’ members were trained in ritual and practiced it not only for themselves but also for the local communities. In conclusion, the article questions the relevance of the commonly held distinction between ‘professional’ Daoist priests performing rituals, and ‘lay’ Daoists supposedly only interested in self-cultivation.
ISSN:2372-9996
Contains:Enthalten in: Studies in Chinese Religions
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1080/23729988.2022.2116857