| This study draws on the standard sources of medieval Chinese history--local gazetteers, official histories, and miscellaneous notes--as well as less frequently used temple inscriptions to examine popular religion in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, a time of far-reaching social and economic change.; Temples, gods, and practitioners are described (Chapter I); the implications of the belief in reciprocity between men and gods sketched (Chapter II). Devotees built images and temples to honor the gods: starting in the late eleventh century the central government suddenly increased its awards of titles to popular deities. These titles were thought to be a method of honoring the gods and encouraging them to perform miracles; they also proved to be an effective means of ensuring the cooperation of local elites with country officials (Chapter III).; The Southern Song witnessed rapid but not uniform economic growth. In those areas most deeply drawn into commercial networks, the gods acquired the same entrepreneurial skills as their followers. A case study of one prefecture, Huzhou, Zhejiang, reveals that those living along waterways in lowland rice-growing areas no longer worshipped exclusively traditional gods; cults in the isolated mountain areas showed correspondingly less change (Chapter IV). The most striking development of this period was the rise of regional cults. Whereas in 1100 only a few branch temples to deities from other places existed, by 1275 these temples stretched across all of south China (Chapter V). The criticism raised by several contemporary commentators reflected both their stated opposition to new low-born, regional deities and their unvoiced misgivings about the changes taking place in human society (Chapter VI). |
