Daoism: A Beginner's Guide

by James Miller

Overview

Spanning the centuries and crossing the globe, this engaging introduction covers everything Daoist, from the religion of the ancients to 21st century T’ai Chi and meditation. Complete with a timeline of Daoist history and a full glossary, Daoism: A Beginner's Guide will prove invaluable not only to students, but also to general readers who wish to learn more about Daoism’s role and relevance in our fast-moving 21st century existence. James Miller is Assistant Professor of East Asian Traditions at Queen's University, Kingston, Canada.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781780740157
Publisher:	Oneworld Publications
Publication date:	02/01/2008
Series:	Beginner's Guides
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	397,325
File size:	908 KB

About the Author

James Miller is Associate Professor of Chinese Religions at Queen's University, Canada. He is the editor of Chinese Religions in Contemporary Societies, and has studied and worked extensively in the Far East.

James Miller is a professor of politics and the chair of liberal studies at the New School for Social Research. He is the author of The Passion of Michel Foucault among other books. He lives in Manhattan, New York.

Table of Contents

Historical Introduction; Proto Daoism; Classical Daoism; Contemporary Daoism; Identity: Daoism as Chinese religion; Daoism as lineages of transmission; Daoism as universal path; Way; Power; Communication; Body; Qi: The breath of life; Correlation, synchronicity and resonance; Longevity practices; Transcendent bodies; Power: Daoism millenarianism; Daoist messianism; Daoism in contemporary China; Negotiating with destiny; Light: The development of Shangqing Daoism; Light practices; Contemporary visualization practices; Alchemy: Alchemy and the quest for immortality; Laboratory alchemy; Internal alchemy; The Way of Complete Perfection: Transformation; Text; The religious origins and functions of Daoist texts; Transformations of meaning in Daoist texts; Nature: Natural space as sacred space; Marvellous nature; Caverns and texts; A Daoist aesthetic of spontaneity; Glossary of Chinese Terms; Bibliography; Index.