The Structure, Characteristics And Identity Mechanism Of Ethnic Religious Identity

The dissertation takes original ancient religion of Liangshan Yi nationalityas an example, discusses the religious identity structure, characteristics and operation mechanism based on "consanguinity" identity of ethnic groups, and on the basis reflects and summarizes the functions and significance of consanguinity identity and original ancient religion type on the religious identity.The religious identity of ethnic groups presents different characteristics and operating mechanism based on different kinds of ethnic groups and religions. Original ancient religion, as an important part of Chinese religious diversity, widely exists in various ethnic groups in China. Besides, original ancient religion, as the religion form that is associated with growth of ethnic groups and rooted in traditional culture and customs, possesses a variety of features that are different from other religions. It often accumulates and becomes the bottom of group culture and beliefs, gradually becomes the thinking mode and living custom, affects the ethnic spirit life and shapes the ethnic cultural characteristics. Due to the importance and uniqueness of original ancient religions, as well as academia’s attention and research on this aspect are still in a marginal place, the exploration of China’s religious identity issue of the dissertation based on the original ancient religion type is of great importance. Consanguinityidentity, as one of the most basic and the most common identity basis of human group (another one is geo-space identity) also plays an important role in shaping religious identity. Nuosu Yiis a case in point of the ethnic group based on consanguinity identity. In the past, for quite a long time, the geographical closure and political and cultural isolation have always maked Nuosu Yi keep the complete form of religion. Until today with the social change, multicultural integration and frequent interaction, the original ancient religion value, idea and action of Nuosu Yi are still of important and irreplaceable significance to the Nuosu Yi groups. Thereby, the discussion of the structure and characteristics of religious identity of ethnic group with the original ancient religion of Nuosu Yi as an example, and the reflection and summary of the influence factors of religious identity are of value and significance in theory and reality.The dissertation primarily conducts qualitative researches, mainly adopts literature method, comparative study, etc., carries out induction, summary and theoretical exploration of the relevant information on the basis of field investigation and participant observation. Besides, the dissertation uses the acquisition and construction of religious identity as well as religious identity core and operation system of identity to display the basic structure of religious identity of ethnic groups, and summarizes the basic characteristics of original religious identity based on consanguinity identity. The studies have found that it is the original religious type and features of emphasizing consanguinity identity of ethnic that shape the religious identity characteristics, type and intensity of Nuosu Yi.In addition, the research indicates that original ancient religion has a variety of features, including originality, grassroot-base, diffusivity and embedability, which make it be closely linked with the society, culture and system of the ethnic group. Moreover, such characteristics first cause the superposition of religious identity boundary and ethnic boundary; religious membership typically reflects upon their ethnic identity. And they cause the closure of the religion, namely, consanguinity boundary limits the possibility of the religious communication and development beyond ethnic groups. Besides, such characteristics also bring the indivisible and close ties between religious identity and ethnic identity as well as cultural identity. Furthermore, the variety of characteristics of original ancient religion makes the religion gradually become the thinking mode and living custom of the groups and have higher stability, so it is not easily be affected by external factors and causes identity deconstruction. In addition, according to the study findings, for the ethic groups who lay particular emphasis on consanguinity identity, their religious identity core extremely emphasizes consanguinity ancestors, with Nuosu Yi being a typical example. By contrast, the ethic groups who gather by geographical-spatial relationship, including Qiang nationality, Miao nationality, HuaYao Dai nationality and Tibetan emphasize and highlight the importance of regional patron saints such as’god of mountain’,’god of land’and’god of village’in different degrees. Thus, the significance of’consanguinity’identity for Nuosu Religion lies in the fact that it shapes the core identity of’ancestors’, and determines that the relationship between identity core and faith groups is a kind of blessing from ancestors, the consanguinity relevance of descendants and ancestors to the descendants. By the relationship between ancestors and the god-man of descendants, it makes the distance of the sacred object and subject closer and makes the consanguinity-based religious identity more stable.The research also find that although the original ancient religion identity of Nuosu Yi group is deeply rooted, the close and indivisible connection between religious identity and ethnic identity as well as cultural identity makes the religion often need to use the ethic group itself to show the identity strength and roles. In other words, religious identity does not work alone; compared with the religious identity of’identity deconstruction type’(to deconstruct all social identity and relationship), it is subject to the limitation of ethnic groups and the role scopes and strength are limited.All in all, through the discussion of original ancient religion of Nuosu Yi, the dissertation reflects and sums up the structure, characteristics and influencing factors of religious identity of ethnic group as well as the relationship between the ethnic group identity and religious identity. Besides, the dissertation further points out that the presence and the absence of identity of independent groups and the organized church as well as religion’identity’(the name of religious believers) do not affect the acquisition and construction of beliefs subjects’sanctity and identification of the religion. Therefore, the organized church, independent groups and specific religious identity are not necessity and key of constituting a religion. Chinese national regions exist various forms of original ancient religions and they respond to identity demand for the sacred, transcendence and eternality in their different ways. Therefore, the summary and exploration of the dissertation have a certain value and significance on realizing the characteristics of religious identity in the Chinese context, reflecting on the western theory of religious identity, and expanding religious cognitive domain on the vision.