Religions of Ancient China

"Religions of Ancient China" by Herbert Allen Giles is a historical account published in the early 20th century. This book delves into the intricate tapestry of religious beliefs and practices in ancient China, providing insights into cosmology, spirituality, and the evolution of various faiths throughout Chinese history. It examines the transitions and influences among different religious practices, particularly highlighting the early monotheistic traditions and the later prominence of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. In this comprehensive exploration, Giles outlines the original monotheistic beliefs in ancient China, characterized by reverence for a singular God and the natural world, leading to rituals such as sacrifices and ancestral worship. The narrative further details how Confucianism reshaped spiritual perspectives, advocating moral principles over supernatural concerns. The author also discusses the influence of Taoism and Buddhism and how these ideologies merged and interacted with traditional beliefs. Ultimately, Giles presents a nuanced understanding of how ancient Chinese religion evolved over centuries, integrating various philosophies while retaining core elements of its spiritual roots. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Herbert Allen Giles was a British diplomat and sinologist who was the professor of Chinese at the University of Cambridge for 35 years. Giles was educated at Charterhouse School before becoming a British diplomat in China. He modified a Mandarin Chinese romanization system established by Thomas Wade, resulting in the widely known Wade–Giles Chinese romanization system. Among his many works were translations of the Analects of Confucius, the Lao Tzu , the Chuang Tzu, and, in 1892, the widely published A Chinese–English Dictionary.