Believing in Ghosts and Spirits

The present book by Hu Baozhu explores the subject of ghosts and spirits and attempts to map the religious landscape of ancient China. The main focus of attention is the character gui , an essential key to the understanding of spiritual beings.

Autorentext

Anthony Hu (Hu Baozhu ) received his M.Div. in 2009 and M.A. in Theology in 2010, both at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He took up his studies in Sinology at the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich in the fall of 2011 and passed his Ph.D. exam in February 2018. Since May 2018, he works in the editorial office of the Monumenta Serica Institute.

His main research areas include popular religions and culture in China, demonology, communications and cultural exchanges between the West and East, and Christian missions in the period of Ming-Qing.

Inhalt

1. The Preliminary Understanding of Gui 2. The Original Meaning of the Character Gui: An Examination of Jiaguwen and Jinwen 3. What's in a Character? Definition and Variegated Characteristics of Gui in the Zuozhuan and Liji 4. Confucian, Daoist, and Mohist Perspectives on the Concept of Gui 5. Folk-oriented Usages of Gui in the Rishu Manuscript. Conclusion. Appendix I: Table of the Radical Gui and Its Related Characters. Appendix II: Gui-related Oracle Bone Inscriptions. Appendix III: Investigations: Annotated Translation of the "Jie" Section. Bibliography. Index with Glossary.