Religion, Ethnicity, and Gender in Western Hunan during the Modern Era
This book explores how beliefs and practices have shaped the interactions between different ethnic groups in Western Hunan, as well as considering how religious life has adapted to the challenges of modern Chinese history.
Combining historical and ethnographic methodologies, chapters in this book are structured around changes that occurred during the interaction between Miao ritual traditions and religions, such as Daoism, with particular focus on the commonalities and differences seen between Western Hunan and other areas of Southwest China. In addition, investigation is made into how gender and ethnicity have shaped such processes, and what these phenomena can teach about larger questions of modern Chinese history. As such, this study transcends existing scholarship on Western Hunan which has stressed the impact of state policies and elite agendas by focusing instead on the roles played by ritual specialists. Such findings call into question conventional wisdom about the standardization of Chinese culture, as well as the integration of local society into the state by means of written texts.
Religion, Ethnicity, and Gender in Western Hunan during the Modern Era will prove valuable to students and scholars of history, ethnography, anthropology, ethnic studies, and Asian studies more broadly.
Paul R. Katz is Distinguished Research Fellow at the Institute of Modern History, Academia Sinica, and Program Director of the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange. His research centers on modern Chinese religious life, with his most recent monograph (Religion in China and its Modern Fate) published in early 2014.
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Religion, Ethnicity, and Gender in Western Hunan during the Modern Era
The Dao among the Miao?
Paul R. Katz
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First published 2022
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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Katz, Paul R., 1961- author.
Title: Religion, ethnicity, and gender in western Hunan during the modern era : the Dao among the Miao? / Paul R. Katz.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY : Routledge, 2022. | Series: Academia Sinica series | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021011304 | ISBN 9780367184681 (hbk) | ISBN 9781032066448 (pbk) | ISBN 9780429196478 (ebk)
Subjects: LCSH: Hunan Sheng (China)Religious life and customs. | Hmong (Asian people)ChinaHunan ShengReligion. | TaoismChinaHunan Sheng. | TaoismInfluence. | Hunan Sheng (China)Civilization. | China, SouthwestCivilization.
Classification: LCC BL1945.H78 K38 2022 | DDC 299.5/140951215dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021011304
ISBN: [978-0-367-18468-1] (hbk)
ISBN: [978-1-032-06644-8] (pbk)
ISBN: [978-0-429-19647-8] (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9780429196478
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Contents
- Western Hunan: An overview
- Temple cults
- Ritual specialists
- Ritual violence and the judicial continuum
- Female mediums and rites of resistance
- The Incense Dancing festival
- Repaying a Nuo Vow
- Half Title
- 1 Western Hunan: An overview
- 2 Temple cults
- 3 Ritual specialists
- 4 Ritual violence and the judicial continuum
- 5 Female mediums and rites of resistance
- 6 The Incense Dancing festival
- 7 Repaying a Nuo Vow
- 2.1 Heavenly Kings temple in Jishou (formerly Yaxi). Photo by He Xi. Used with permission
- 2.2 Matron of the Umbrella. Photo by Kang Shih-yu. Used with permission
- 2.3 Miao shrine. Photo by He Xi. Used with permission
- 2.4 Miao master performing rites to mountain deity. Photo by He Xi. Used with permission
- 2.5 Village sacred geography portrayed by Miao master. Photo by He Xi. Used with permission
- 3.1 Guest master. Courtesy of the Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica. Used with permission
- 3.2 Guest master performing rites in local temple. Photo by Xie Xiaohui. Used with permission
- 3.3 Miao master. Courtesy of the Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica. Used with permission
- 3.4 Oxen sacrifice. Photo by Wu Pei-Hua. Used with permission
- 3.5 Miao female medium. Photo by He Xi. Used with permission
- 6.1 Guest master reading memorial during Incense Dancing festival. Photo by Kang Shih-yu. Used with permission