Return to search

Economics of the Tao : social and economic dimensions of a Taoist monastery

Most studies of monasticism have concentrated on the religious discourse of asceticism as a withdrawal from the secular world. Based on three months of field research in a Taoist monastery at a holy mountain in Wenzhou, China, however, this thesis describes the close relationship between the monastery and the local society and economy. Social and economic factors influence the decisions of individuals to become monks or nuns. Through networks of lay disciples, the monastery maintains close social links to society. Furthermore, the monastery is intricately tied to the economy as a provider of ritual and tourist services. It is hoped that this thesis will contribute to a better understanding of the place of religious institutions in rural Chinese society.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.68136
Date January 1994
CreatorsSimon, Scott, 1965-
ContributorsBossen, Laurel (advisor)
PublisherMcGill University
Source SetsLibrary and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
Formatapplication/pdf
CoverageMaster of Arts (Department of Anthropology.)
RightsAll items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.
Relationalephsysno: 001403621, proquestno: AAIMM94390, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest.

Page generated in 0.0015 seconds