Book Description

This engaging book on Chinese religion and culture by Judith Berling has been welcomed by longtime scholars of the same as a vital and fresh perspective. 'A Pilgrim in Chinese Culture' is a story of faith meeting faith that will enrich wisdom-seekers as well as provide a tool to introduce students to cross-cultural and interfaith issues. Berling tells how she became immersed in the issues of religious diversity, of her experiences living with religious neighbors, and of discovering how different from her own Midwestern Protestant milieu is the world of Chinese religion and culture. In China, one can be Buddhist, Confucianist, Taoist, and animist at a single moment. Exploring how this inclusivity can be achieved infuses 'A Pilgrim in Chinese Culture'. The multiplicity of deities, the notion of Truth as having many embodiments, even patterns of hospitality - Berling examines how these key aspects of Chinese culture shape and inform religion in China. Through the tales it tells, 'A Pilgrim in Chinese Culture' offers readers insights that no textbook can match, bringing home what religious diversity means in surprising and illuminating ways.