The Religions of Eastern Asia

The book is arranged into six lectures. Lecture I, “Taoism,” examines Chinese religious origins, the idea of Tao, Lao-tzu, the distinction between Taoist philosophy and popular Taoist religion, and the movement from early theistic ideas toward spiritism and ritual practice. Lecture II, “Shintoism,” presents Japan’s indigenous religious tradition through mythology, kami worship, imperial symbolism, ritual purity, ancestor reverence, and national identity. Lecture III, “The Shamanism of Korea,” studies Korean folk religion through shamans, spirits, household worship, protective rites, fear of demons, and the religious psychology of Korean popular practice. Lecture IV, “Confucianism,” analyzes Confucius, Mencius, moral cultivation, filial piety, ancestral rites, Heaven, social order, and the question of whether Confucianism is properly religious. Lecture V, “Buddhism,” discusses the Buddha, Buddhist doctrine, nirvāṇa, karma, rebirth, monastic life, devotional Buddhism, and the transformation of Buddhism in East Asia. Lecture VI, “A Comparison of the Foregoing Theisms with that of the Old and New Testaments,” synthesizes the preceding material and contrasts East Asian religious conceptions with biblical monotheism.