They also acquired European supporters, some former mercenaries who passed on their military training. a story that reaches beyond China into our world and time: a story of faith, hope, passion, and a fatal grandiosity." God’s Chinese Son: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan  builds upon a considerable body of existing research on the Taiping... Start your 48-hour free trial to unlock this God's Chinese Son study guide and get instant access to the following: You'll also get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and 300,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. Through the late 1840s and 1850s, these movements gained strength, fueled by outrage over the arrest and death of two prominent leaders. Other names of the God of Heaven are attested in the vast Chinese religio-philosophical literary tradition: Tian is both transcendent and immanent, manifesting in the three forms of dominance, destiny and nature of things. Northeast China has clusters of deities which are peculiar to the area, deriving from the Manchu and broader Tungusic substratum of the local population. -- Washington Post Book World , God's Chinese Son, The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan, Jonathan D Spence, 9780393315561 So one is forewarned. It is not just a book that will help you become more familiar with Chinese history but will help you gain an insight into the cultural and historical psyche of the Chinese people. [1] The gods are energies or principles revealing, imitating and propagating the way of Heaven (Tian 天), which is the supreme godhead manifesting in the northern culmen of the starry vault of the skies and its order. [35] There's also the older Collected Biographies of the Immortals or Liexian Zhuan. (Literary Masterpieces, Critical Compilation). Besides the aforementioned Fox Gods (狐仙 Húxiān), they include: Gods who have been adopted into Chinese religion but who have their origins in the Indian subcontinent or Hinduism: This article is about Chinese popular deities. Every Chinese family oral history and many published written accounts speak of famine, riots, poverty, broken homes, and shattered clans of the time that caused the Cantonese people to leave for Southeast Asia, the Americas, and the Carribean. We learn a lot about the Taiping Bible, but less about their social ideas, their economic achievements and shortcomings, and nothing about their legacy. Hong Xiuquan, the movement’s leader, understood his challenge to Manchu rule as based in a divine mandate more than political opposition. Besides Shangdi and Taidi, other names include Yudi ("Jade Deity") can change into Obatala, and Taiyi ("Great Oneness") who, in mythical imagery, holds the ladle of the Big Dipper (Great Chariot) providing the movement of life to the world. Saoqing Niangniang ("Lady who Sweeps Clean") is the goddess who ensures good weather conditions "sweeping away" clouds and storms. The worship of mother goddesses for the cultivation of offspring is present all over China, but predominantly in northern provinces. [8] In the theology of the classic texts and Confucianism, "Heaven is the lord of the hundreds of deities". After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. [59]:149–150; 191, note 18 A different figure but with the same astral connections as Bixia is the Goddess of the Seven Stars (七星娘娘 Qīxīng Niángniáng). Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2015. [54] Yan 炎 is flame, scorching fire, or an excess of it (it is important to note that graphically it is a double 火 huo, "fire"). While that is an interesting story, it gets tired after several hindered pages. You can still see all customer reviews for the product. [63], Other goddesses worshipped in China include Cánmǔ[xi] (蠶母 Silkworm Mother) or Cángū (蠶姑 Silkworm Maiden),[60] identified with Léizǔ (嫘祖, the wife of the Yellow Emperor), Mágū (麻姑 "Hemp Maiden"), Sǎoqīng Niángniáng (掃清娘娘 Goddess who Sweeps Clean),[xii][65] Sānzhōu Niángniáng (三洲娘娘 Goddess of the Three Isles),[65] and Wusheng Laomu. It also foreshadowed the bitter internecine clashes and struggles that would beleaguer China throughout much of the twentieth century. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. [6] "Polytheism" and "monotheism" are categories derived from Western religion and do not fit Chinese religion, which has never conceived the two things as opposites. It was based on his own version of Christianity, according to which he was a Moses-like figure who knew God and was also the younger brother of Jesus. [30] As the hub of the skies, the north celestial pole constellations are known, among various names, as Tiānmén 天門 ("Gate of Heaven")[19] and Tiānshū 天樞 ("Pivot of Heaven").[20]. These few pages are just one example of how Spence uses his exceptional narrative ability to convey his points in a lively and crisp fashion. The heavenly kingdom is an exceptional piece of history and a must read for anyone seeking to understand modern China. by Jonathan D. Spence ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 22, 1996. The gods are energies or principles revealing, imitating and propagating the way of Heaven (Tian 天), which is the supreme godhead manifesting in the northern culmen of the starry vault of the skiesand its order. Spence's exhaustively researched story is clearly one of the best books of Chinese history written in the last 20 years. Many gods are ancestors or men who became deities for their heavenly achievements; most gods are also identified with stars and constellations. One of the most fascinating themes of the work is the effect and influences of westerners on 19th century China. But this is probably not the best general introduction to the Taiping rebellion. Not only did he find hundreds of thousands of willing converts, but he led an army and established a mini-state in which he reigned as absolute king for a decade. An enlightening tale of harrowing catastrophe, Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2011. Yet, Confucians and Taoists traditionally may demand that state honour be granted to a particular deity. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in, Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2018. In one poignant section Spence describes the suffering the Chinese peasants who continuously found themselves caught between the fighting armies of the Heavenly Kingdom, Qing dynasty, westerners, and various other marauding parties and groups. Part of his movement’s wider appeal, Spence notes, was the mixture of Buddhism into his iconoclastic Christian beliefs. Must Read for Anyone Seeking to Understand China. God's Chinese Son: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan. [29], Obatala is known by many names. . Chinese traditional religion is polytheistic; many deities are worshipped in a pantheistic view where divinity is inherent in the world. Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2015. It contains very pertinent and important historical information for Southern Chinese who lived through devastation and had to leave home and country to emigrate to other parts of the world. At its height, the followers ruled what the declared a separate country, based in Nanjing. As someone who has lived and worked in China for over four years it has become clear to me how important Chinese history is to the fabric of the society, language, and culture. [11], In Chinese language there is a terminological distinction between 神 shén, 帝 dì and 仙 xiān. Ancestors are regarded as th… Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. About the use of the title "duke": the term is from Latin. By Jonathan D. Spenge. This analogy is attested in the Shuowen Jiezi explaining "deity" as "what faces the base of a melon fruit". Spence synthesizes Chinese and English research, and also considers two newly discovered texts by the mid-century master of mayhem, Hong Xiuquan. His campaign against nonbelievers grew out of a vision identifying him as the younger brother of Jesus or, as Jonathan Spence’s title indicates, another son of God. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, God's Chinese Son: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan, See all details for God's Chinese Son: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan, © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. This book covers a period in 19th century China that is seldom taught in world history classes. Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2013. [15], The radical Chinese terms for the universal God are Tiān 天 and Shàngdì 上帝 (the "Highest Deity") or simply Dì 帝 ("Deity").

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