With well over 100 million adherents, Buddhism emerged from near-annihilation during the Cultural Revolution to become the largest religion in China today. Despite this, Buddhism's rise has received relatively little scholarly attention. The present volume, with contributions by leading scholars in sociology, anthropology, political science, and religious studies, explores the evolution of Chinese Buddhism in the post-Mao period with a depth not seen before in a single study. Chapters critically analyze the effects of state policies on the evolution of Buddhist institutions; the challenge of rebuilding temples under the watchful eye of the state; efforts to rebuild monastic lineages and schools left broken in the aftermath of Mao's rule; and the development of new lay Buddhist spaces, both at temple sites and online. Through its multidisciplinary perspectives, the book provides both an extensive overview of the social and political conditions under which Buddhism has grown as well as discussions of the individual projects of both monastic and lay entrepreneurs who dynamically and creatively carve out spaces for Buddhist growth in contemporary Chinese society. As a wide-ranging study that illuminates many facets of China's Buddhist revival, Buddhism after Mao will be required reading for scholars of Chinese Buddhism and of Buddhism and modernity more broadly. Its detailed case studies examining the intersections among religion, state, and contemporary Chinese society will be welcomed by sociologists and anthropologists of China, political scientists focusing on the role of religion in state formation in Asian societies, and all those interested in the relationship between religion and social change.

With well over a 100 million adherents, Buddhism emerged from near-annihilation during the Cultural Revolution to become the largest religion in China today. Despite this, Buddhism's rise has received relatively little scholarly attention. The present volume, with contributions by leading scholars in sociology, anthropology, political science, and religious studies, explores the evolution of Chinese Buddhism in the post-Mao period with a depth not seen before in a single study. Chapters critically analyze the effects of state policies on the evolution of Buddhist institutions; the challenge of rebuilding temples under the watchful eye of the state; efforts to rebuild monastic lineages and schools left broken in the aftermath of Mao's rule; and the development of new lay Buddhist spaces, both at temple sites and online. Through its multidisciplinary perspectives, the book provides both an extensive overview of the social and political conditions under which Buddhism has grown as well as discussions of the individual projects of both monastic and lay entrepreneurs who dynamically and creatively carve out spaces for Buddhist growth in contemporary Chinese society. As a wide-ranging study that illuminates many facets of China's Buddhist revival, Buddhism after Mao will be required reading for scholars of Chinese Buddhism and of Buddhism and modernity more broadly. Its detailed case studies examining the intersections among religion, state, and contemporary Chinese society will be welcomed by sociologists and anthropologists of China, political scientists focusing on the role of religion in state formation in Asian societies, and all those interested in the relationship between religion and social change.

Comment devient-on un saint dans la Chine moderne? Cette interrogation represente le point de depart d'une enquete biographique sur le maitre du bouddhisme chinois le plus revere de l'epoque moderne, Xuyun ( Nuage vide, env. 1864-1959): une enquete qui se fonde entierement sur la tension entre historiographie et hagiographie. A l'aide de documents historiques et des temoignages de ses disciples, sont retracees ici la vie de cet eminent abbe entre la fin de l'empire chinois et la premiere decade de l'ere maoiste, ainsi que la genese de son mythe religieux. Ascete et faiseur de miracles, maitre eveille et abbe eminent, personnage autoritaire et martyr: du recit de la vie de Xuyun se degage une representation concrete de la facon dont vivaient les communautes bouddhiques chinoises a cette epoque et de la maniere dont elles reagissaient aux changements politiques et sociaux. Il emerge surtout le climat d'une epoque inquiete, marquee comme elle l'est depuis plus d'un siecle par la tension entre l'heritage de la tradition et les aspirations de la modernite. Outre l'histoire de la vie de Xuyun, c'est aussi l'histoire du recit de cette vie qui est retracee ici - et de l'enquete qui a conduit a deconstruire la biographie religieuse de ce personnage avant de reconstruire sa biographie historique. Ce livre est aussi une histoire sur la facon dont on ecrit, et l'on reecrit, l'histoire. Historienne et sinologue, Daniela Campo est docteur en Histoire des religions a l'Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes et membre de l'equipe GSRL (Groupe Societes, Religions, Laicites). Ses recherches portent sur l'histoire du bouddhisme chinois, et de ses elites religieuses et laiques, a l'epoque moderne.