Jinhua Jia & Xiaofei Kang 
Gendering Chinese Religion 
Subject, Identity, and Body

Gendering Chinese Religion marks the emergence of a subfield on women, gender, and religion in China studies. Ranging from the medieval period to the present day, this volume departs from the conventional and often male-centered categorization of Chinese religions into Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, and popular religion. It makes two compelling arguments. First, Chinese women have deployed specific religious ideas and rituals to empower themselves in various social contexts. Second, gendered perceptions and representations of Chinese religions have been indispensable to the historical and contemporary construction of social and political power. The contributors use innovative ways of discovering and applying a rich variety of sources, many previously ignored by scholars. While each of the chapters in this interdisciplinary work represents a distinct perspective, together they form a coherent dialogue about the historical importance, intellectual possibilities, and methodological protocols of this new subfield.

Tabella dei contenuti

List of Tables and Figures

Acknowledgments



Introduction


Jinhua Jia, Xiaofei Kang, Ping Yao




Part I. Restoring Female Religiosity and Subjectivity


1. Tang Women in the Transformation of Buddhist Filiality


Ping Yao



2. Writing Oneself into the Tradition: The Autobiographical Sermon of Chen Master Jizong Xingche (b. 1606)


Beata Grant



3. Making Religion, Making the New Woman: Reading Su Xuelin’s Autobiographical Novel
Jixin (Thorny Heart)


Zhange Ni




Part II. Redefining Identity and Tradition



4. The Identity of Tang Daoist Priestesses


Jinhua Jia



5. Revisiting
White-haired Girl: Women, Gender, and Religion in Communist Revolutionary Propoganda


Xiaofei Kang



6. Negotiating between Two Patriarchies: Chinese Christian Women in Postcolonial Hong Kong


Wai Ching Angela Wong




Part III. Recovering Bodily Differences



7. Birthing the Self: Metaphor and Transformation in Medieval Daoism


Gil Raz



8. Female Alchemy: Transformation of a Gendered Body


Elena Valussi



9. A Religious Menopausal Ritual: Changing Body, Identity, and Values


Neky Tak-ching Cheung




Bibliography

About the Contributors

Index

Circa l’autore

Jinhua Jia is Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of Macau.
Xiaofei Kang is Associate Professor of Religion at the George Washington University.
Ping Yao is Professor of History and Director of the Asian and Asian American Studies Program at California State University, Los Angeles.