Animals and Chinese Religion

(4 Credits)

The history of Chinese religion cannot be complete without non-human animals (“animals” hereafter). By consulting sources of various genres, the course aims to reveal how major religious traditions in pre-modern China—Confucian rituals, Daoism, Buddhism, and popular religion—utilized, imagined, and interacted with animals. The investigation also will expand to the contemporary debates over religious modernism and animal welfare/environmental ethics. The main goal of the course is to reveal to students how religious traditions and values were created, transmitted, and modified in different historical contexts. Besides, the course will provide a lens for students to compare the role of animals in various religious traditions and understand how these traditions interact with each other. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Fulfillment: CORE HPC or IPC; GCS Elective Chinese History, Society, and Culture; Social Science Focus Environmental Studies 200 level.