The Revitalization of Shamanism in Contemporary China

Abstract

This Special Issue focuses on the continuing phenomenon of shamanism in China and contextualizes the contemporary practice of Chinese shamanism in a comparative context. It aims to promote critical thinking and theoretically oriented approaches that further our understanding of the revitalization of shamanism in contemporary China. It provides various perspectives on ritualism, symbolism, psychological states, and cultural mentalities and attempts to answer following questions: What is the ontological nature of Chinese shamanism? How have Chinese shamans adapted to the politico-economic circumstances of the contemporary Chinese order? How do the practices of Chinese shamanism mirror social changes in local historical contexts? How are shamanistic systems reshaped and reconstructed in the larger global context? How do shamanistic eco-cosmologies interact with other human and naturalistic environmental perspectives in China?