Richard von Glahn

Professor von Glahn introduces his text as a "history of the cult of Wutong [who begins as a plague demon and ends up, surprisingly, as a wealth god] within the larger context of China's evolving religious culture." And as he notes, "the Wutong cult [does] demonstrate the primacy of the eudaemonistic regime of sacrifice and exorcism in Chinese veracular religion" (p. 263). But it would significantly shortchange this text if one stopped there, for the study of the cult of Wutong is a mere drop in the sea of information and insights readers will gain from this thoughtful, incredibly well researched, well-written volume that dips and surfs and then dives into the diversity of Chinese religious culture.

Although perhaps not for the general lay reader, as a student of Chinese history I couldn't put this volume down. Anyone with an interest in Chinese religions will find its overview of the ways that folk religion, Daoism, Confucianism and Buddhism developed throughout the years, at times spilling over or rubbing against one another, riveting. The Sinister Way takes all the basic facts one knows of Chinese religions (pre-Shang through modern times) and ratchets them up. Von Glahn also helps readers take much of the diverse information one may have acquired over years of reading and study, and gives it a fascinating framework, making the parts form a whole that substantially adds to an understanding of how religions made their way in China. Each topic is framed in its proper historical period and geography, but then linked forward (or back) so readers can follow a sect's growth or a deity's transformation, or the rise of a new religious trend or practice.

The nine bronze cauldrons, the Queen Mother of the West, the demon-kings and immortals, Guandi and Tianhou are all here, but von Glahn has found the most extraordinary details that rend them so much more comprehensible and fascinating. Guandi's origins in an obscure local snake cult? The Demon Catcher (Zhong Kui)'s name perhaps evolving from a magical hammer? The transition of Xiwangmu from a horrific figure with tiger-sharp teeth to the graceful lady of the elixir of immortality? The money trees found in the tombs of the Han Dynasty and their relationship to the Fusang Tree? It's all here. AND easy to find.

So many books today are rich in detail that's irretrievable for lack of a good index, but this index is excellent. As are the numerous detailed notes and the extensive bibliography.

I read this book once, then immediately turned back to page 1 to re-read it, stopping to read the extensive end notes, and make my own marginal notes. What a wonderful rich find this book is. If you've gotten this far, don't hesitate, and don't let the title or its subtitle ('The Divine and the Demonic in Chinese Religious Culture') divert you from one of the most rewarding books on religion in China I've read in years.… (plus d'informations)