Interrelatedness in Chinese Religious Traditions

Description

The study of religions is essential for understanding other cultures, building a sense of belonging in a multicultural world and fostering a global intercultural dialogue. Exploring Chinese religions as one interlocutor in this dialogue, Diana Arghirescu engages with Song-dynasty Confucian and Buddhist theoretical developments through a detailed study of the original texts of the Chan scholar-monk Qisong (1007-1072) and the Neo-Confucian master Zhu Xi (1130-1200). Starting with these figures, she builds an interpretive theory focusing on “ethical interrelatedness” and proposes it as a theoretical tool for the study of the Chinese religious traditions.
By actively engaging with other contemporary theories of religion and refusing to approach Chinese religions with Western frameworks, Arghirescu’s comparative perspective makes it possible to uncover differences between the various Western and Chinese cultural presuppositions upon which these theories are built. As such, this book breaks new ground in the methodology of religious studies, comparative philosophy and furthers our understanding of the Confucian-Buddhist interaction.

Diana Arghirescu is Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy and Research Director of the Observatoire de l’Asie de l’Est at the University of Québec at Montreal, Canada.

Introduction: Intercultural Philosophical Approach and Cultural Presuppositions
Part I. Western Theories and Cultural Presuppositions 1. Classical Theories of Western Philosophy of Religion: A Brief Examination of their Foundations
2. Contemporary Western Theories of Religion: An Analysis of their Presuppositions
Part II. Chinese Cultural Presuppositions: Interrelatedness as Sameness in Chinese Religions and Philosophies 3. Zhu Xi’s Meaning of the Good (shan) and its Practice: A Hermeneutical Study of Ethical Interrelatedness as Organic and Moral Growth
4. Chan Monk-scholar Qisong’s Meaning of the Sameness (tong) and its Practice: Ethical Interrelatedness as Interaction between Heart-mind and Names
Part III. Ethical Interrelatedness 5. A Philosophical Theory for Chinese Religions
Part IV. Contemporary Approaches to Chinese Religious Traditions 6. A Comparative Perspective: Similarities and Differences
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index

“Interrelatedness in Chinese Religious Traditions is as timely as it is intelligent. In many different ways Diana Arghirescu seeks to turn old habits of thinking on their head: philosophy’s condescension to religion is challenged by a holistic Asian philosophico-religiousness, the privileging of potted methodologies is challenged by a comparative cultural hermeneutics that emerges from the specificity of praxis, the oppressiveness of Enlightenment rationality is challenged by the reciprocity and inclusiveness of intracultural dialogue.” —Roger T. Ames, Humanities Chair Professor, Peking University, China“A beacon, this book exposes the conceits of the modern theory of religions for understanding nonwestern religions. The author’s comparative reading of two Song Chinese sacred texts reveals interrelational underpinnings that defy the Procrustean bed of the theory of religions. Intriguingly, the author detects a subtle dialogue between the Chan and Confucian traditions in the two texts that suggests a new intercultural dialogue approach to religious studies, one that respects nonwestern religious traditions.” —Kirill O. Thompson, Professor of Philosophy, National Taiwan University, Taiwan

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