Subject Description Form
Subject Code
CC3231 / CC3231P
Subject Title
Major Religions in China
中國主要宗教 (佛教、道教、基督教、伊斯蘭教)
Credit Value
3
Level
3
Pre-requisite /
Co-requisite/
Exclusion
Exclusion for CC3231:
Objectives
Major religions in China are usually considered to consist of Buddhism,
Daoism, Islam, Christianity, and arguably Confucianism. While part of
this course expediently follows this classification, it highlights a more
complicated historical and social reality, in which boundaries between
these “religions” are not clear and the majority of Chinese people hardly
see themselves as exclusively devoted to any of them. Therefore, the
students will on the one hand learn about the essential teachings, practices,
and historical outline of each of these religions, and on the other hand,
explore the diversity within each religion and the shared repertoire among
the different ones. Ultimately, they will be guided to reflect upon the
Chinese characteristics of religion, the particular ways and key concepts
to discuss Chinese religions, and the modern construction of “religion”
itself.
Intended Learning
Outcomes
Upon completion of the subject, students will be able to:
Subject Synopsis/
Indicative Syllabus
CC3231P
Exclusion for CC3231P: CC3231
a)
understand the multi-religious and multicultural nature of Chinese
society;
b)
know the basic history, religious teachings, and canonical
practices of Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, Islam, and
Christianity in China;
c)
comprehend the modes and conditions of acculturation;
d)
acquire a clear and overall picture of the religious dimensions of
Chinese culture;
e)
develop critical reading and academic writing skills; and
f)
familiarize themselves with key theories and concepts to describe
and discuss Chinese religions scholarly.
1)
How to define “major religions in China”
2)
The Pre-Axial religion in China
3)
Confucian theories about piety, spirituality, and ritual practices
4)
The origin, teachings and practices of Daoism, and its relationship to
Daoist philosophy
5)
The arrival of Buddhism, its teachings and practices, and its early
interaction with Daoism
6)
The Buddhist and Daoist specialists and monasticism
7)
Buddhism/Daoism and the mundane world: festivals, family, and
welfare
8)
Literati’s religions I: Late-Ming Buddhism and Catholicism
9)
Literati’s religions II: Islamic Confucianism and Protestant theology
10) Christianity and Islam for the ordinary Chinese
11) Religions and the state
12) Modern transformation of Chinese religions
13) Summary: how to describe and discuss Chinese religions
academically
Teaching/Learning
Methodology
The reading assignments consist of some of the most influential religious
texts in China and scholarly case studies of intriguing religious
phenomena. No general, introductory essay will be assigned for reading.
Instead, the instructor will lecture in class the historical backgrounds,
explain difficult terms, and relate the particular text or case to a broader
societal or historical realm. She will also read together and discuss with
the students some of the most intriguing excerpts from the assigned or
other primary sources. Short documentaries or video clips will be screened
in class to illustrate the religious experiences.
Students are required to submit 10 short weekly reading reports,
participate in classroom discussions, take a midterm quiz, and write a short
term paper. The weekly reports and midterm quiz will not only test
students’ grasp of the content of the course, but also enable the teacher to
address the interests and difficulties that students have in their learning.
Students should be prepared to reiterate what they have written in the
reports to the entire class for classroom discussion. Through writing the
report and the term paper, students can enhance their understanding of the
course materials, ability of critical thinking, and skills in writing academic
papers.
Assessment
Methods in
Alignment with
Intended Learning
Outcomes
Specific assessment
methods/tasks
%
Intended subject learning outcomes
weighting to be assessed (Please tick as
appropriate)
a
b
c
d
e
f
1. 10 weekly reports
40%




2. midterm quiz
20%




3. Term paper
40%



Total





100 %
Explanation of the appropriateness of the assessment methods in assessing
the intended learning outcomes:
1) The weekly reports ensure that the students read the
assignments in an engaged, critical way, which is the
scholarly foundation in the discipline of the humanities. It
also substantially facilitates the communication between
the instructor and students and guarantees the quality of
classroom discussion. Thus it leads to all the intended
learning outcomes.
2) The quiz ensures that the students’ classroom attendance
and engagement with the lectures and reading materials. It
drills into the students important dates, figures and
concepts, in order to makes sure that they acquire the
knowledge of the basic historical and philosophical facts
regarding this topic. Thus, it will fulfill the intended
outcomes from (a) to (d).
3) The term paper of about 5000 words on a topic derived
from the course subject matter is designed to assess
students’ mastery of the main content of the course and
their ability to pursue their own learning.
Student Study
Effort Expected
Class contact:

Lectures
39 Hrs.

Other student study effort:

Readings
45 Hrs.

Writings
30 Hrs.

Discussion
Total student study effort
8 Hrs.
122 Hrs.
1. 林富士編，《中國史新論——宗教史分冊》，台北：中央研
究院、聯經，2010。
2. 饒宗頤，《老子想爾注校證》，上海：上海古籍出版社，
1991。
3. 韋思諦（Stephen C. Averill）編， 陳仲丹譯，《中國大眾宗
教》，南京：江蘇人民出版社，2006。
4. 宗樹人（David Palmer）、夏龍（Glenn Shive）, 魏克利
（Philip L. Wickeri）編， 吳正選譯，《中國人的宗教生活》
香港：香港大學出版社，2014。
5. Buswell, Robert E, and Donald S. Lopez. The Princeton
Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton: Princeton University Press,
2014.
6. Gethin, Rupert. The Foundations of Buddhism. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2010.
7. Schipper, Kristofer. The Taoist Canon: A Historical Companion
to the Daozang. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2005.
Reading List and
References
8.
Teiser, Stephen, The Ghost Festival in Medieval China, Princeton:
Princeton University Press, 1988.