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Religious Transformation in Early China: the Period of Division
  • Level Professional
  • Duration 22 hours
  • Course by The Chinese University of Hong Kong
  • Offered by

About

This sequence of four courses will propose a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of Chinese cultural history conceived of as a succession of modes of rationality (philosophical, bureaucratic, and economic). The focus will be on the moments of paradigm shift from one mode of rationality to another. For each of these moments, cultural facts and artifacts—thought, literature, ritual—will be examined in relationship to changing social, political, and economic systems. The first two courses will cover the periods of the Warring States (481-256 BCE) and the Period of Division (220-589 CE), with a brief excursion into the Han (206 BCE-220 CE). The Warring States laid the social and cultural foundations for the emergence of the imperial mode of rationality; the Period of Division saw the Buddhist “conquest” of China and the emergence of a rationality defined by the opposition of the Three Teachings to shamanism, that is, of a clear contrast between elite and popular culture. The third and fourth courses will focus on the emergence of modern China in the Song-Yuan (960-1368) and of today’s China 1850 to the present. We will see how the modern attack on religion, redefined as "superstition", led not only to religious reform movements but also to a society in which science and the nation became the primary value systems promoted by the state. The courses are listed below: A Critical Cultural History of China - Early China I: Intellectual Change in the Warring States and Han (481 BCE-220 CE) A Critical Cultural History of China - Early China II: Religious Transformation in the Period of Division (220-589 CE) A Critical Cultural History of China - Modern China I: Religion and Thought in the Song, Jin, and Yuan (960-1368) (To be launched in late 2018) A Critical Cultural History of China - Modern China II: Structuring Values (1850-2015) (To be launched in late 2018)

Modules

Getting started

    • 3 Readings
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3 Readings

  • Course Overview
  • Course Editorial Conventions
  • Suggested Textbooks

M06.1 Basic facts

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M06.1 Basic facts

1 Videos

  • M06.1 Basic facts

M06.2 Buddhism, Daoism and the state

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M06.2 Buddhism, Daoism and the state

1 Videos

  • M06.2 Buddhism, Daoism and the state

M06.3 Liang Wudi

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M06.3 Liang Wudi

1 Videos

  • M06.3 Liang Wudi

M06.4 Conquest or sinification?

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M06.4 Conquest or sinification?

1 Videos

  • M06.4 Conquest or sinification?

M06.5 Liminality

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M06.5 Liminality

1 Videos

  • M06.5 Liminality

M07.1 Local cults of a new kind

    • 4 Videos
    • 4 Assignment
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4 Assignment

  • M07.1.1 Who are the transcendents
  • M07.1.2 Stories of transcendents
  • M07.1.3 Elite or popular?
  • M07.1.4 The world of the dead before Buddhism

4 Videos

  • M07.1.1 Who are the transcendents
  • M07.1.2 Stories of transcendents
  • M07.1.3 Elite or popular?
  • M07.1.4 The world of the dead before Buddhism

M07.2 Heavenly Master communities

    • 3 Videos
    • 3 Assignment
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3 Assignment

  • M07.2.1 Basic facts
  • M07.2.2 Lu Xiujing
  • M07.2.3 Initiation

3 Videos

  • M07.2.1 Basic facts
  • M07.2.2 Lu Xiujing
  • M07.2.3 Initiation

M07.3 The Buddhist community

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M07.3 The Buddhist community

1 Videos

  • M07.3 The Buddhist community

M08.1 Buddhism as a public religion

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M08.1 Buddhism as a public religion

1 Videos

  • M08.1 Buddhism as a public religion

M08.2 The rule of law

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M08.2 The rule of law

1 Videos

  • M08.2 The rule of law

M08.3 Orality and dualism

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M08.3 Orality and dualism

1 Videos

  • M08.3 Orality and dualism

M08.4 In sum

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M08.4 In sum

1 Videos

  • M08.4 In sum

M08.5 The Daoist petition

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M08.5 The Daoist petition

1 Videos

  • M08.5 The Daoist petition

M08.6 Daoism in North China

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M08.6 Daoism in North China

1 Videos

  • M08.6 Daoism in North China

M08.7 Lingbao Daoism

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M08.7 Lingbao Daoism

1 Videos

  • M08.7 Lingbao Daoism

M08.8 The Lingbao fast and Lu Xiujing

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M08.8 The Lingbao fast and Lu Xiujing

1 Videos

  • M08.8 The Lingbao fast and Lu Xiujing

M09.1 Translated and indigenous Buddhist scriptures

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M09.1 Translated and indigenous Buddhist scriptures

1 Videos

  • M09.1 Translated and indigenous Buddhist scriptures

M09.2 Buddhist orality and logic

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M09.2 Buddhist orality and logic

1 Videos

  • M09.2 Buddhist orality and logic

M09.3 Daoist writs

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M09.3 Daoist writs

1 Videos

  • M09.3 Daoist writs

1 Readings

  • Bonus Readings

M09.4 The visual and the spatial

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M09.4 The visual and the spatial

1 Videos

  • M09.4 The visual and the spatial

M09.5 Lord Lao

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M09.5 Lord Lao

1 Videos

  • M09.5 Lord Lao

M09.6 The Celestial Worthy

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M09.6 The Celestial Worthy

1 Videos

  • M09.6 The Celestial Worthy

1 Readings

  • Bonus Readings

M10.1 New Buddhist literary genres

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M10.1 New Buddhist literary genres

1 Videos

  • M10.1 New Buddhist literary genres

M10.2 Buddhist influence on Chinese poetry

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M10.2 Buddhist influence on Chinese poetry

1 Videos

  • M10.2 Buddhist influence on Chinese poetry

M10.3 The Lotus and Vimalakirti sutras

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M10.3 The Lotus and Vimalakirti sutras

1 Videos

  • M10.3 The Lotus and Vimalakirti sutras

M10.4 Daoist poetry

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M10.4 Daoist poetry

1 Videos

  • M10.4 Daoist poetry

M11.1 Mountains as sacred sites

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M11.1 Mountains as sacred sites

1 Videos

  • M11.1 Mountains as sacred sites

1 Readings

  • Bonus Reading

M11.2 Mountains and revelation

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M11.2 Mountains and revelation

1 Videos

  • M11.2 Mountains and revelation

M11.3 Imperial and Daoist convergence

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M11.3 Imperial and Daoist convergence

1 Videos

  • M11.3 Imperial and Daoist convergence

M11.4 The “Scripture of the Man-Bird Mountain”

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M11.4 The “Scripture of the Man-Bird Mountain”

1 Videos

  • M11.4 The “Scripture of the Man-Bird Mountain”

M11.5 The Daoist subject

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M11.5 The Daoist subject

1 Videos

  • M11.5 The Daoist subject

M11.6 Buddhist sacred geography

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M11.6 Buddhist sacred geography

1 Videos

  • M11.6 Buddhist sacred geography

M12.1 Return and repression of the shamans

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M12.1 Return and repression of the shamans

1 Videos

  • M12.1 Return and repression of the shamans

M12.2 Buddhist and Daoist responses to shamanism

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • M12.2 Buddhist and Daoist responses to shamanism

1 Videos

  • M12.2 Buddhist and Daoist responses to shamanism

Auto Summary

Explore the transformative phases of Chinese cultural history with Coursera's "Religious Transformation in Early China: the Period of Division." This comprehensive series spans four courses, examining paradigm shifts in Chinese rationality through philosophical, bureaucratic, and economic lenses. Delve into the Warring States, Han, and the Buddhist influence during the Period of Division, leading up to modern China. Ideal for professionals, each course offers an in-depth, multidisciplinary study over 1320 minutes, with flexible subscription options. Join now to understand the intricate evolution of Chinese thought and society.

Prof. John Lagerwey
Instructor

Prof. John Lagerwey