Meir Shahar, a scholar of Chinese religion and popular literature, traces in this monograph the origin and growth of the cult of Daoji, the twelfth and thirteenth century Hangzhou Buddhist monk nicknamed Crazy Ji for repeatedly breaking monastic rules, into the widely worshipped folk deity Jigong. Its particular strength is combining literary and social historical method, showing how vernacular novels and oral storytelling, not temple ritual alone, carried Jigong's cult and shaped the deity readers and worshippers know today; the book is correspondingly a stronger source for the deity's literary growth and cult history than for a doctrinal Buddhist reading of him. Published in the Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series by Harvard University Asia Center, it stands as the standard scholarly treatment of Jigong in English language sinology.
Facts
Assessment
Reliability Tier1
Tier one: a peer reviewed scholarly monograph published in the Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series by Harvard University Asia Center, combining literary and social historical method to trace the cult of Jigong from its origin. It stands as the standard scholarly treatment of the subject in English language sinology; its limit is that it is stronger on the deity's literary and cult history than on a doctrinal Buddhist reading of him. NotesStandard scholarly monograph on the historical monk Daoji and the literary and social history of his cult as the folk deity Jigong. Use for established facts about Jigong's historical monk, his cult's growth and its literary vehicles.
Citation
AuthorMeir Shahar
PublisherHarvard University Asia Center (Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series)
Publication Year1998
Source Typeacademic monograph
Connections
Associated With
This source names Jigong directly: "into the widely worshipped folk deity Jigong."
Source Crazy Ji: Chinese Religion and Popular Literature (Shahar, 1998)Meir Shahar
Claims Backed By This Source (20 claims)
This source backs 20 claims across the atlas. As facts: 16 well-attested. As cited relationships: 3 holds. Plus 1 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.
Disposition By Topic
- Deities, 12 claims: 9 well-attested, 2 holds, 1 general references.
- Sources, 8 claims: 7 well-attested, 1 holds.
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