The Religious Dimensions of Confucianism

Reviews / Votes

"This is a splendidly definitive study of the old question whether Confucianism is a 'religion.' Taylor's answer is a complex, subtly nuanced, but very positive Yes. After a methodological introduction, he raises the issue of the distinction between politics and religion in Chinese culture, and shows, by analysis of basic texts in Confucius and Mencius, that Confucianism is religious rather than political. The next two chapters are about the Confucian religious hero, the Sage, as founded in classic texts and in comparison with Western models, including that of the saint. The next four chapters deal with major religious themes, including the autobiographical recovery or making of a self, the relation of inner development to good works, the process of spiritual advancement, and the nature of meditation. The penultimate chapter compares Confucianism and Christianity on the problem of suffering, and the final chapter deals directly with a contemporary, theoretical, religious Confucianist in Japan." - Robert Cummings Neville