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Exorcism in Daoism: A Berlin Symposium (review)

Exorcism in Daoism: A Berlin Symposium (review) Reviews 235 FlorianC.Reiter,editor.Exorcism in Daoism: A Berlin Symposium. Asien-undAfrika-StudienderHumboldt-UniversitätzuBerlin,36. Wiesbaden:Harrassowitz,2011.vii,300pp.Paperback£37.00,isbn 978-3-447-06434-7. ThisvolumeisoneinaseriesofconferencevolumesdevotedtoDaoismconvened byFlorianReiteratHumboldUniversity,Berlin,andpublishedby Harrassowitz.ThisconferencewasheldinDecember2009,andthevolume came outsoonafterwards,whichiscommendable,butcomesatthepriceof light and,atplaces,veryinsufficienteditorialwork.Thevolumefeaturesfifteen articles,eleveninEnglishandfourinChinese,andwithagoodnumber of black-and-whiteillustrations.Thisreviewerfindsthatsuchanapproach,that is, authorswritingintheirownlanguagewithouttranslations,ismostappropriate, andthepressshouldbecommendedforpublishingsuchbilingual volumes. Thevolumeisdevotedtothethemeofexorcism.Thisimportantconceptis nowhereclearlydefined:thereisnointroduction,eventhoughJohnLagerwey's shortbutdensechapterservesasahistoricalsurveyoftheplaceofdemonology andexorcisminearlyDaoism.Manyauthorsactuallydealwithdemonologyrather thanexorcisminthenarrowsense,andexplorehowDaoistsatvariouspointsof historydefinedandrituallycontainedevil(orpotentiallydangerous)spirits.As oftenisthecaseinDaoiststudies,mostcontributionsdealwitheitherearlyhistory orthecontemporaryperiod;athirdclusterofchapters(DavidMozina,Florian Reiter)dealswiththeSong-Yuanemergenceofthunderritualsthathasshapeda considerablepartofmodernDaoistritual. ThegroupofchaptersdiscussingearlyDaoistdemonology(StephenBokenkamp,LiuYi,LüPengzhi,ChangChaojan)showsindetailhowideasofevilversus goodspiritsevolvedandclarifiedovertime,thusshiftingtheveryparametersof demon-expellingandexorcisticritual.TerryKleeman'schapter("Exorcisingthe SixHeavens,"pp.89­104)bringsoutveryclearlyhowearlyDaoistssawalmostall deitiesasmoreorlessdemonic,andfundamentallyambiguous,includingthose theycommunicatedwithinthecourseofrituals(earthgods,thestovegod,even thethreeofficers),standingincontrastwiththeneaterdistinctionbetween uprightversusevildeities underliningmodernritual.Someofthe ambiguityofearlyDaoistdeitiesremainswithcertainmartialdeities,however, includingtheghostlygeneralsandsoldiersofthefivecamps,whoplayakey roleinexpellingevilforcesfromanyinhabitedplace(seenotablychaptersbyLee FongmaoandLinWei-ping). Authorswhowriteabouttheirfieldwork(DavidMozina,TamWai-lun,Hsieh Tsung-Hui)discuss,albeitbriefly,therangeofexorcisticritualsnowperformed andthedifferenttypesofpriestswhoperformthem.Manyoftherituals © 2012 by University of Hawai`i Press 236 ChinaReviewInternational:Vol.18,No.2,2011 d iscussed inthisvolume,basedoneitheradiscussionofliturgicalmanualsor actualfieldworkobservation,actuallyaimtopurifyaplacefromallevilqi,consideredinverygenericterms(notably,chaptersbyLinWei-pingonvillageritual cleansingandLinZhenyuanonthealtarpurificationinthejiaooffering).The volumeoffersveryfewdiscussionsofactualritualexpulsionofaspecificspirit causingharmtoanindividualhuman.Casesofhauntingspiritscausingillnesses, whicharethemostcommoncontextforexorcisminChinesenarrativesources, arenotrepresentedhere--thechaptercomingclosestisHsiehShuwei'sdiscussion ofmanualsdescribingcontrolledpossessionofchildrenbyspiritsunderinvestigationbyDaoistpriests.Thatsaid,theopen-endedcharacterofthevolume'stheme maderoomforarticlesthat,eventhoughnotnarrowlyfocusedonexorcism,are veryvaluablecontributionstothehistoryofDaoismandritualinChinesesociety. Amongthem,VolkerOlles'schapter("TheDivisionofLaborbetweentheWayand Ritual,"pp.105­136)isaremarkableanalysisofamodernConfucian-cum-Daoist religiousmovement,Liumen,foundedinChengdu,Sichuan,duringthe nineteenthcentury.HebothdescribesoneritualperformedbyLiumenpriestsand discussesthehistoryoftheirliturgy. Inshort,Exorcism in Daoism isaveryvaluablecontributiontotherobustfield ofDaoistritualandwillcertainlyfinditsplaceinthelibraryofmanyamongthe evergrowingnumberofscholarsinDaoiststudies. VincentGoossaert Vincent Goossaert is a historian of modern Chinese religions, and his most recent book is TheReligiousQuestioninModernChina (Chicago, 2011, with David Palmer). He serves as the deputy director of Groupe Sociétés-Religions-Laïcités (EPHE-CNRS) in Paris. JonathanSchwartzandShawnShieh,editors.State and Society Responses to Social Welfare Needs in China: Serving the People.NewYork:Routledge, 2009.xiv,214pp.Hardcover$130.00,isbn978-0-415-45224-3. InthefirstcomprehensivesurveyofChina'snongovernmentalorganizations (NGOs)andtheirroleandactivitiesinresponsetonaturaldisasters,publichealth crisis,andsocialserviceneeds,JonathanSchwartzandShawnShiehofferaprovocativeconceptualizationabouttherelationshipbetweenthestateandNGOsand proposeanalternativeframeworktounderstandtheemergingcivilsocietyin © 2012 by University of Hawai`i Press http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png China Review International University of Hawai'I Press

Exorcism in Daoism: A Berlin Symposium (review)

China Review International , Volume 18 (2) – Sep 19, 2011

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Abstract

Reviews 235 FlorianC.Reiter,editor.Exorcism in Daoism: A Berlin Symposium. Asien-undAfrika-StudienderHumboldt-UniversitätzuBerlin,36. Wiesbaden:Harrassowitz,2011.vii,300pp.Paperback£37.00,isbn 978-3-447-06434-7. ThisvolumeisoneinaseriesofconferencevolumesdevotedtoDaoismconvened byFlorianReiteratHumboldUniversity,Berlin,andpublishedby Harrassowitz.ThisconferencewasheldinDecember2009,andthevolume came outsoonafterwards,whichiscommendable,butcomesatthepriceof light and,atplaces,veryinsufficienteditorialwork.Thevolumefeaturesfifteen articles,eleveninEnglishandfourinChinese,andwithagoodnumber of black-and-whiteillustrations.Thisreviewerfindsthatsuchanapproach,that is, authorswritingintheirownlanguagewithouttranslations,ismostappropriate, andthepressshouldbecommendedforpublishingsuchbilingual volumes. Thevolumeisdevotedtothethemeofexorcism.Thisimportantconceptis nowhereclearlydefined:thereisnointroduction,eventhoughJohnLagerwey's shortbutdensechapterservesasahistoricalsurveyoftheplaceofdemonology andexorcisminearlyDaoism.Manyauthorsactuallydealwithdemonologyrather thanexorcisminthenarrowsense,andexplorehowDaoistsatvariouspointsof historydefinedandrituallycontainedevil(orpotentiallydangerous)spirits.As oftenisthecaseinDaoiststudies,mostcontributionsdealwitheitherearlyhistory orthecontemporaryperiod;athirdclusterofchapters(DavidMozina,Florian Reiter)dealswiththeSong-Yuanemergenceofthunderritualsthathasshapeda considerablepartofmodernDaoistritual. ThegroupofchaptersdiscussingearlyDaoistdemonology(StephenBokenkamp,LiuYi,LüPengzhi,ChangChaojan)showsindetailhowideasofevilversus goodspiritsevolvedandclarifiedovertime,thusshiftingtheveryparametersof demon-expellingandexorcisticritual.TerryKleeman'schapter("Exorcisingthe SixHeavens,"pp.89­104)bringsoutveryclearlyhowearlyDaoistssawalmostall deitiesasmoreorlessdemonic,andfundamentallyambiguous,includingthose theycommunicatedwithinthecourseofrituals(earthgods,thestovegod,even thethreeofficers),standingincontrastwiththeneaterdistinctionbetween uprightversusevildeities underliningmodernritual.Someofthe ambiguityofearlyDaoistdeitiesremainswithcertainmartialdeities,however, includingtheghostlygeneralsandsoldiersofthefivecamps,whoplayakey roleinexpellingevilforcesfromanyinhabitedplace(seenotablychaptersbyLee FongmaoandLinWei-ping). Authorswhowriteabouttheirfieldwork(DavidMozina,TamWai-lun,Hsieh Tsung-Hui)discuss,albeitbriefly,therangeofexorcisticritualsnowperformed andthedifferenttypesofpriestswhoperformthem.Manyoftherituals © 2012 by University of Hawai`i Press 236 ChinaReviewInternational:Vol.18,No.2,2011 d iscussed inthisvolume,basedoneitheradiscussionofliturgicalmanualsor actualfieldworkobservation,actuallyaimtopurifyaplacefromallevilqi,consideredinverygenericterms(notably,chaptersbyLinWei-pingonvillageritual cleansingandLinZhenyuanonthealtarpurificationinthejiaooffering).The volumeoffersveryfewdiscussionsofactualritualexpulsionofaspecificspirit causingharmtoanindividualhuman.Casesofhauntingspiritscausingillnesses, whicharethemostcommoncontextforexorcisminChinesenarrativesources, arenotrepresentedhere--thechaptercomingclosestisHsiehShuwei'sdiscussion ofmanualsdescribingcontrolledpossessionofchildrenbyspiritsunderinvestigationbyDaoistpriests.Thatsaid,theopen-endedcharacterofthevolume'stheme maderoomforarticlesthat,eventhoughnotnarrowlyfocusedonexorcism,are veryvaluablecontributionstothehistoryofDaoismandritualinChinesesociety. Amongthem,VolkerOlles'schapter("TheDivisionofLaborbetweentheWayand Ritual,"pp.105­136)isaremarkableanalysisofamodernConfucian-cum-Daoist religiousmovement,Liumen,foundedinChengdu,Sichuan,duringthe nineteenthcentury.HebothdescribesoneritualperformedbyLiumenpriestsand discussesthehistoryoftheirliturgy. Inshort,Exorcism in Daoism isaveryvaluablecontributiontotherobustfield ofDaoistritualandwillcertainlyfinditsplaceinthelibraryofmanyamongthe evergrowingnumberofscholarsinDaoiststudies. VincentGoossaert Vincent Goossaert is a historian of modern Chinese religions, and his most recent book is TheReligiousQuestioninModernChina (Chicago, 2011, with David Palmer). He serves as the deputy director of Groupe Sociétés-Religions-Laïcités (EPHE-CNRS) in Paris. JonathanSchwartzandShawnShieh,editors.State and Society Responses to Social Welfare Needs in China: Serving the People.NewYork:Routledge, 2009.xiv,214pp.Hardcover$130.00,isbn978-0-415-45224-3. InthefirstcomprehensivesurveyofChina'snongovernmentalorganizations (NGOs)andtheirroleandactivitiesinresponsetonaturaldisasters,publichealth crisis,andsocialserviceneeds,JonathanSchwartzandShawnShiehofferaprovocativeconceptualizationabouttherelationshipbetweenthestateandNGOsand proposeanalternativeframeworktounderstandtheemergingcivilsocietyin © 2012 by University of Hawai`i Press

Journal

China Review InternationalUniversity of Hawai'I Press

Published: Sep 19, 2011

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