Beyond the Suburbs and Temples
Long dismissed by scholars like Max Weber as rigid, state-separated official ceremonies, medieval Chinese state rituals are reexamined in *Beyond the Suburbs and Temples*. This work challenges the long-held view that imperial sacrifices—such as suburban worship, ancestral temple rites, and Yue Du mountain-water rituals—were disconnected from ordinary people’s personal beliefs. Focusing on the Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties, it reveals how state rituals absorbed folk religious traits, like the personification of natural gods, idol worship, and local shrine practices, creating a shared belief system between rulers and the masses. The book explores key cases: the secularization of the Houtu Earth Goddess cult, the transformation of Confucian temples into popular prayer sites, the fusion of imperial ancestor worship with Taoism and Buddhism, and rain prayer practices that united state rites, religion, and folk faith to reinforce legitimacy and integrate societies. By bridging ritual studies and religious history, it offers a nuanced take on medieval China’s state-society interactions through faith.