T. C. Kline & Justin Tiwald 
Ritual and Religion in the Xunzi [EPUB ebook] 

Xunzi, a founding figure in the Confucian tradition, is one of the world’s great philosophers and theorists of religion. For much of the last century, his work has been seen largely as critical of religion, particularly the popular beliefs and invocations of supernatural forces that underpin so many religious rituals. Contributors to this volume challenge this view and offer a more sophisticated picture of Xunzi. He emerges not as critic, but rather as an adherent of religion who seeks to give religious practices meaning even though many religious beliefs are mistaken or self-serving. Each essay offers a powerful illustration of Xunzi as both a religious devotee and as a philosopher of religion, drawing on a wide array of disciplines and methodologies.

Table of Content

Acknowledgments

Notes on Conventions

Introduction




Religious Vision



1. Xunzi as a Religious Philosopher


Edward J. Machle



2. A Happy Symmetry: Xunzi’s Ecological Ethic


Philip J. Ivanhoe




Ritual Theory



3. Ritual and Religion: A Lesson from Xunzi for Today


Robert C. Neville



4. Xunzi: Ritualization as Humanization


Lee H. Yearly



5. Xunzi’s Reinterpretation of Ritual: A Hermeneutic Defense of the Confucian Way


Mark Berkson




Comparative Approaches



6. Ritual and Tradition in Xunzi and Dōgen


James Robson



7. Sheltering Under the Sacred Canopy: Peter Berger and Xunzi


T. C. Kline III



Selected Bibliography

About the Contributors

Index

About the author

T. C. Kline III is an independent scholar and the coeditor (with P. J. Ivanhoe) of
Virtue, Nature, and Moral Agency in the Xunzi.
Justin Tiwald is Associate Professor of Philosophy at San Francisco State University and the coeditor (with Chung-ying Cheng) of
Confucian Philosophy: Innovations and Transformations.