Enroll Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/religious-transformation-early-china-the-period-of-division
If you’re interested in the complex interplay between religion, culture, and history in China, look no further than the Coursera course ‘Religious Transformation in Early China: the Period of Division.’ This course offers a multi-disciplinary approach to understanding Chinese cultural history during a significant transitional period (220-589 AD).
### Overview of the Course
The course is designed as a sequence of four comprehensive modules that delve into various aspects of religious changes and cultural shifts that occurred during the Period of Division, following the fall of the Han dynasty. It examines the rise of new modes of rationality and the social, political, and economic transformations that corresponded to them.
### What You’ll Learn
Each module focuses on essential topics:
– **Religious Transformation**: Understand the elite’s attack on shamanism while promoting a new cosmology that impacts medicine, self-cultivation, and the bureaucratic empire.
– **Religious Communities**: Discover the emergence of new religious communities, including those associated with Daoism and Buddhism, and their societal roles.
– **Rituals**: Explore the transformative power of Buddhist and Daoist rituals and their significance in society. You’ll learn how these practices shaped individuals’ lives and societal norms.
– **Scriptures**: Gain insight into the distinct scholarly traditions of Buddhism and Daoism, examining their scriptures’ roles and biases.
– **Literature**: Analyze how Buddhist scriptures influenced Chinese poetry and the literary landscape during this transformative era.
– **Sacred Geography**: Investigate the significance of sacred sites within the Daoist tradition and how they interplayed with Buddhism’s spread in China.
– **Popular Religion**: Learn why popular religion remained resilient despite elite attacks and how it adapted to changing spiritual environments.
### Why You Should Take This Course
This course is perfect for anyone interested in the intersection of religion and culture. The rich content is not only academically rigorous, but it also encourages critical thinking about how religious practices shape and are shaped by cultural contexts. The interdisciplinary approach makes it suitable for both scholars and casual learners alike. Furthermore, the course is structured to allow flexibility, making it easy to follow at your own pace.
Overall, ‘Religious Transformation in Early China: the Period of Division’ is an enlightening journey through a time of profound change, offering valuable perspectives for understanding modern Chinese culture. Whether you’re a student of history, religion, or culture, this course is a worthy addition to your educational pursuits.
Enroll Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/religious-transformation-early-china-the-period-of-division