The first detailed account of the Ainu, the little-known aboriginal people of Japan, Neil Gordon Munro's classic work was based on decades of research in the first half of this century. Munro, a medical doctor who lived and worked in Japan for almost fifty years, studied the Ainu for years before finally going to live among them for the last twelve years of his life.

Munro's object in writing "Ainu Creed and Cult" was not only to give an account of his close observation of this mysterious people and their customs, but also to demonstrate to the world at large and to the Japanese in particular that the Ainu had an independent culture worthy of respect and preservation.

The author's unique insider's position among the Ainu enabled him to accurately describe their religious beliefs, homes, ceremonies, social organizations, arts, festivities, and funerary practices. "Ainu Creed and Culture" establishes the intricacy of the group's spiritual beliefs and ritual practices, a dominant force in their daily lives.

Munro's work stands today as a fine example of the anthropological method, as a historical record of those decades at the beginning of the century when the old Ainu ways were still followed, and as an eloquent and timeless plea for the dignity and survival of a minority cultural group.

"Chinese Religion" is a new introduction to the field of Chinese religion and culture. It seeks to guide readers through some of the primary source material and to introduce them to continuing, contemporary debates and interpretations of religious ideas, concepts and practices in China and beyond. Religious beliefs are never pursued and held in a vacuum; they are an integral part of a particular culture, interwoven and interactive with other elements of the culture and tradition. Chinese religion in this sense can be said to be part of Chinese culture and history. In this clear account, Xinzhong Yao and Yanxia Zhao move away from the traditional and outmoded definition of Chinese religion, the three institutional doctrines: Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism, towards a multi-layered hermeneutic of the syncretic nature and functions of religions in China. Additional features include questions for reflection and discussion and suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter.

"This book marks a new milestone in the study of Chinese religious history. Only a scholar as intelligent and dedicated as Campany would dare tackle and so eloquently translate one of the most important and difficult works of early Chinese religious history."--Paul Katz, author of "Images of the Immortal: The Cult of Lu Dongbin at the Palace of Eternal Joy

"This is a pathbreaking work of lasting significance to the field of Chinese religious history. The scholarship is solid and current, drawing upon the best research from America, Europe, China, and Japan. The translation is accurate, clear, and elegant, based upon an innovative analysis of surviving sources."--Terry Kleeman, author of "Great Perfection: Religion and Ethnicity in a Chinese Millennial Kingdom

"A competent translation of Ge Hong's hagiographies, with close attention paid to sources and editions, would already have constituted a major contribution to the field of Taoist studies. But Campany provides as well a survey of religious practices in Ge Hong's writings and a reading of the hagiographies which enables us to see the social practices that lie behind them. Together, these two works-in-one constitute the best available portrait of religion and society in early fourth-century China."--John Lagerwey, author of "Taoist Ritual in Chinese Society and History

"Campany's annotated translation of Ge Hong's (283-343) classic, the first in English, admirably captures the book's rich evocation of the religious culture of Southern China in the fourth century. Ge Hong here offers a series of case studies of what he regarded as the historical and exemplary evidence for the existence of immortals. This translation ofTraditions of Divine Transcendents conveys a lively and multifaceted vision of the Taoist conception of physical immortality. The book's emphasis on practices related to the cult of the immortals and the hope for transcendence squarely places its subject in the religious life of traditional Chinese society."--Franciscus Verellen, co-editor of "The Taoist Canon: A Historical Guide

Die religiose Erziehung durchlief bei den Hui, den chinesischen Muslimen, vom 17. bis 19. Jahrhundert eine besondere Entwicklung und wird als Jingtang Jiaoyu, Bucherhallen Erziehung, bezeichnet. Es wurden eigenstandige Schriften zum Islam in chinesischer Sprache verfasst. Geistliche und Gelehrte versuchten die islamische Lehre in ihre konfuzianisch gepragte Umwelt zu transferieren und schriftlich zu fixieren. Auch die Verwaltung von Schule und Gemeinde erhielt ihre eigene Form. Diese Arbeit stellt die verschiedenen fur die Ausbildung relevanten Aspekte dar. Die Aussagen basieren auf den Inhalten islamischer Steleninschriften, den religiosen Werken bedeutender Gelehrter sowie den Studien von Forschern und Muslimen im heutigen China.

This study deals with examples of Buddhist and Sivaite dvarapalas or temple-guardians from mainland Southeast Asia, compared to examples from Indonesia which are still in situ, that is to say on their original location, within the architectural layout of Buddhist and Sivsite sanctuaries. Two issues are dealt with. Firstly, that foreign frameworks (notably from southern India, southern Vietnam and Cambodia) iconographically and stylistically founded the dvarapala in Indonesia. Secondly, that the dvarapala in this latter area is the outcome of a distinct acculturation process of adoption and reinterpretation, based on local developments. This book contributes to knowledge of the dvaralapa, and as well as the text, provides a collection of 100 black-and-white plates of dvarapala statues. It is suitable for archaeologists, and those interested in Asian iconography and cultural history.