A Spiritual Geography of Early Chinese Thought

Gods, Ancestors, and Afterlife

Kelly James Clark, Justin Winslett

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Hardback

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English

Bloomsbury Academic
26 January 2023

Non-Western philosophy; Philosophy of religion; Confucianism

Series: Bloomsbury Studies in 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.

By: Kelly James Clark, Justin Winslett
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781350262171
ISBN 10: 135026217X
Series: Bloomsbury Studies in Philosophy of Religion
Pages: 232
Publication Date: 26 January 2023
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Kelly James Clark is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Ibn Haldun University, Istanbul. Justin Winslett is University Lecturer in Chinese Studies at the University of Sheffield, UK.

Reviews for A Spiritual Geography of Early Chinese Thought: Gods, Ancestors, and Afterlife

Kelly James Clark and Justin Winslett take readers on an illuminating journey through early Chinese religion, rewriting the interpretive route they call 'the naturalizing narrative' and correcting its four misleading landmarks: (1) The Chinese don't believe in God(s) or the afterlife; (2) Belief in the High God(s) and belief in the afterlife were common among peasants and in the Mozi, but not in the philosophical texts; 3) The Confucians don't believe in the High God(s) or the afterlife; and (4) The High God(s) and the afterlife are morally irrelevant to Confucian moral theory. * Ronnie Littlejohn, Chaney Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Belmont University, USA *