The Spirit of China: Roots of Faith in 21st Century China
by David Burnett
Published by Monarch Books
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Reviewed by Muhammed Hassanali
The Spirit of China traces the religious influences in China. The chapters are arranged chronologically. Each chapter starts with a historical background where major political and social developments are outlined, and this is followed by the religious movements at that time.
While religion does influence politics and social outlook, social outlook also has an impact on how religious doctrine is interpreted. For example, Buddhism came to China from India, over time, a Chinese version of Buddhism developed that was distinct from the one that originally came from India. These different interpretations of Buddhism could be thought of as siblings of sorts–with striking similarities and (at least in my opinion) just as striking differences.
The main religions in pre-modern China are Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism, while modern Chinese history is marked by Socialism. Other religious beliefs have also influenced Chinese society. The most prominent “minor” religions that are part of Chinese history include Christianity, Islam, Shamanism, and Judaism. Of these religious influences, Christianity is given the most thorough analysis. Shamanism is mentioned in passing, and there is virtually no reference of Judaism. I assume this oversight is a reflection of the author’s personal interests.
The book is written with a general audience in mind. The emphasis is not on technical definitions, differences and nuances, but on conveying the flavor of the period being discussed. This I believe is the book’s greatest strength. Sometimes during the discussion, comparisons are made between the faith discussed and Christianity. These comparisons could be annoying to the non-Christian reader and may bring in their wake unintended underlying notions that hold true for one religion but not the other (possibly causing confusion). A minor error is that in the bibliography Bagley is wedged between Reigert and Robinet (instead of being the first entry).
While one can quibble on the completeness of the book’s content, what has been presented is presented well and covers most of the major aspects of China’s spiritual history. It would be a good introductory book for those interested in learning about China’s religions and their developments.
Armchair Interviews says: Interesting look at China and its religions.