The metamorphosis of Buddhism synchronizing with alterations in political ideology, rapid
economic growth, and evolving societal demands in China’s new era is the focus of this
book. It traces the metamorphosis to 2002 when the Communist Party of China declared
upholding traditional Chinese culture, including Buddhism, to be essential to its leadership.
The chapters offer rich case studies of updated “authentic” Buddhist teachings by clerics
and other innovations in temples and nunneries, new lay communities and their practices,
and the emergence of Buddhist cultural sites ranging from scenic areas to mega-expos.
The comprehensive view of Buddhism in China illustrates how Buddhism is going beyond
state-imposed boundaries of religious space. With a primary focus on Mahayana Buddhism
practiced among Han Chinese, it also considers interactions with Theravada and Tibetan
Buddhism, as well as Confucianism, Daoism, and folk beliefs. The eleven contributing
scholars—experts in anthropology, history, philosophy, religious studies, and sociology— draw on extensive fieldwork to provide transdisciplinary analyses of the metamorphosis,
raising key questions about the dynamics of religious space
Edited by:
David L. Wank (Sophia University Japan),
Ji Zhe (National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations,
France),
Yoshiko Ashiwa (Hitotsubashi University,
Japan)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781350504561
ISBN 10: 1350504564
Series: Bloomsbury Studies in Religion, Space and Place
Pages: 296
Publication Date: 07 August 2025
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
College/higher education
,
Undergraduate
,
Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
1. The Metamorphosis of Buddhism in New Era China: Argument and Analytic Framework, David L. Wank, Ji Zhe and Yoshiko Ashiwa, 2. Theravada meditation in modern and contemporary Chinese Buddhism: Mahasati DynamicVipassana in Shifo Temple, Ester Bianchi 3. Taixu’s Vision of a World Buddhist Academy in New Era China: Discourses, Designs, and Realities, Yoshiko Ashiwa and David L. Wank 4. Vinaya and Volunteers: Updating Tradition and Initiating Change at Pushou Temple, Amandine Pe´ronnet 5. In the Name of “Wushu Chan”: Reinventing Han Buddhist Meditative Traditions in Songshan Shaolin Temple, Lufeng Xu 6.Innovations in Lay Buddhist Education in Sinophone Tibetan Buddhist Milieu: The Rise of the Larung Textual Community, Catherine Hardie 7.Saving the Aborted Fetus Spirit, Saving the World: Agencies, Varieties, and Implications of a Ritual Invention, Ji Zhe o 8. Does Location Matter? An Analysis of Nunnery Relocation in Shanghai, Weishan Huang 9. Developing the Famen Temple Buddha Cultural Scenic Area: Blurring the Religious and the Secular, Uchralt Otehode and Paul J. Farrelly 10. Chinese Buddhism in the Global Market: Analysis of a Buddhist Products Mega Expo, Yoshiko Ashiwa and David L. Wank 11. Combining Meanings in the Popular Sphere: Buddhist and Governmental Engagements in a Syncretic “Scenic Area”, Guillaume Dutournier
Yoshiko Ashiwa is Visiting Professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies and Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at Hitotsubashi University, Japan. David Wank is Visiting Researcher at the Oriental Library and Emeritus Professor of Sociology at Sophia University, Japan. Ji Zhe is Professor of Sociology at the National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations (INALCO) and Director of The Center for Interdisciplinary Studies on Buddhism (CEIB), France.
Reviews for Metamorphosis of Buddhism in China’s New Era: Between State, Culture, and Religion
This is an exceptional study of Buddhism’s evolution in China as the twenty-first century unfolds. Filled with rich case studies from accomplished experts in the field, it shows how the religion continues to adapt in creative and unexpected ways to both the evolution of state policies and continuing social change. * Gareth Fisher, Syracuse University, USA * The in-depth and multi-year research conducted by this multi-disciplinary team of scholars presents the challenges faced by the largest population of Buddhists in the world as the Communist Party of China seeks to instrumentalize their belief system as a form of traditional culture. It articulates a thought-provoking and original understanding of the changing relationship between state and religion under Xi Jinping. * André Laliberté, University of Ottawa, Canada * Yoshiko Ashiwa, David Wank, and Ji Zhe are among the most thoughtful observers and analysts of Buddhism and the politics of religion in contemporary China. The essays in this volume demonstrate what happens when the Chinese state emphasizes Buddhism less as a religion and more as a cultural form. Metamorphosis of Buddhism in China’s New Era helps us think more precisely about how Buddhist institutions and practice have responded to government policy since 2002 and is an invaluable new framing. * Thomas Borchert, University of Vermont, USA *
