Luo, Xuan
(2016)
Ritualising Names; The Construction of Order in Daoist Religious Rituals.
Master thesis, Master Research Master Theologie en Religiewetenschappen.
Abstract
This study addresses the paradoxical problem of the advocacy for ‘namelessness’
in Daoist philosophy and the myriad of name-empowered phenomena in Daoist
religion. Its particular focus is on the functions of names in three rituals from the
early Way of Celestial Masters (142–fourth century ce): the exorcism of demons,
the ordination of priests, and the summoning of divinities in healing rituals.
The study takes an analytical approach upon the above cases. It has been
found that the application of names in these rituals has an ordering effect upon
the Daoist community in three respects: religiously, name-empowered rituals
invoke effective channels of communication with the bureaucratic institutions
which govern the realms of the Celestial, Terrestrial, and Netherworld; socially,
they provide concrete means for Daoists to deal with real life problems that
are beyond the control of common people; and politically, they contribute to
the organisation of a hierarchical monastic system, which maintains the Daoist
values, beliefs, traditions, morality, and taboos. The efficacy of those rituals is
achieved by a trade-off between the commitment to Daoist belief and the divine
powers that provide ready solutions to human sufferings, such as disease or demon
possession. Thus, they serve as divine interventions in times of disrupted order.
This connotation of names provides a solution to the paradox which lies
at the heart of this thesis: the philosophical state of the namelessness can be
considered both the initial as well as the final stage of the religious ritual process,
while the need to reconstruct cosmological order facilitates the varied rituals
with the uses of names.
Keywords: Daoism, ritual, name, order
| Type: |
Thesis
(Master)
|
| Supervisors (RUG): |
| Supervisor | E-mail | Tutor organization | Tutor email |
|---|
| Travagnin, S. | S.Travagnin@rug.nl | | | | Berger, P. | P.Berger@rug.nl | | |
|
| Degree programme: |
Master Research Master Theologie en Religiewetenschappen |
| Academic year: |
2014- 2015 |
| Date of delivery: |
02 Dec 2016 |
| Last modified: |
02 Dec 2016 09:24 |
| URI: |
https://rcs.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/100 |
Actions (requires login)
 |
View Item |
