Confucian ritual religion (
s 礼教,
t 禮教 ''Lǐjiào'', "rites' transmission", also called 名教 ''Míngjiào'', the "names' transmission"), or the Confucian civil religion, defines the
civil religion
Civil religion, also referred to as a civic religion, is the implicit religious values of a nation, as expressed through public rituals, symbols (such as the national flag), and ceremonies on sacred days and at sacred places (such as monuments, bat ...
of
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
. It consists in the state-endorsed ceremonies and sacrifices (
cults
In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This ...
), held according to
Confucian
Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...
modalities, dedicated to the
Gods
A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greater ...
which represent the
theologico-political origin of the state itself and the Chinese civilisation. These rituals have undergone a great revitalisation in post-Maoist China creating a public space in which the Chinese state and popular Confucian movements jostle and negotiate with each other.
Worship of cosmological gods and of
Confucius
Confucius ( ; zh, s=, p=Kǒng Fūzǐ, "Master Kǒng"; or commonly zh, s=, p=Kǒngzǐ, labels=no; – ) was a Chinese philosopher and politician of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. C ...
, is carried out regularly at
consecrated public spaces.
See also
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Chinese folk religion
Chinese folk religion, also known as Chinese popular religion comprehends a range of traditional religious practices of Han Chinese, including the Chinese diaspora. Vivienne Wee described it as "an empty bowl, which can variously be filled ...
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Confucianism
Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a Religious Confucianism, religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, ...
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Shendao
Shendao () is a Chinese philosophical perspective on religion. It originally refers to conformation to the momentum of Nature, following the subtlety of the operation of , and setting up teaching in World to make people obedient.
Later, the gods ...
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Confucian Academy
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Supreme Council for the Confucian Religion in Indonesia
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Holy Confucian Church
The Holy Confucian Church or Holy Church of Confucius (孔圣会 ''Kǒngshènghuì'') or Holy Confucian Church of China (中华孔圣会 ''Zhōnghuá Kǒngshènghuì'') is a body formed of many local Confucian churches or halls (孔圣堂 ''K� ...
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Religion in China
The People's Republic of China is officially an atheist state, but the government formally recognizes five religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity (Catholicism and Protestantism are recognised separately), and Islam. In the early 21 ...
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State religion
A state religion (also called religious state or official religion) is a religion or creed officially endorsed by a sovereign state. A state with an official religion (also known as confessional state), while not secular, is not necessarily a t ...
&
Civil religion
Civil religion, also referred to as a civic religion, is the implicit religious values of a nation, as expressed through public rituals, symbols (such as the national flag), and ceremonies on sacred days and at sacred places (such as monuments, bat ...
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Religious Confucianism
Religious Confucianism () is an interpretation of Confucianism as a religion. It originated in the time of Confucius with his defense of traditional religious institutions of his time such as the Jongmyo rites, and the ritual and music system ...
References
Citations
Sources
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Chinese folk religion
Religious Confucianism
Confucian rites
{{Confucianism-stub