Mark R E Meulenbeld (20 results)

HRD. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000.

Condition: New.

Hardback. Condition: New. Revealing the fundamental continuities that exist between vernacular fiction and exorcist, martial rituals in the vernacular language, Mark Meulenbeld argues that a specific type of Daoist exorcism helped shape vernacular novels in the late Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Focusing on the once famous novel Fengshen yanyi ("Canonization of the Gods"), the author maps out the general ritual structure and divine protagonists that it borrows from much older systems of Daoist exorcism.By exploring how the novel reflects the specific concerns of communities associated with Fengshen yanyi and its ideology, Meulenbeld is able to reconstruct the cultural sphere in which Daoist exorcist rituals informed late imperial "novels." He first looks at temple networks and their religious festivals. Organized by local communities forterritorial protection, these networks featured martial narratives about the powerful and heroic deeds of the gods. He then shows that it is by means of dramatic practiceslike ritual, theatre, and temple processions that divine acts were embodied and brought to life. Much attention is given to local militias who embodied "demon soldiers" aspart of their defensive strategies. Various Ming emperors actively sought the support of these local religious networks and even continued to invite Daoist ritualists so asto efficiently marshal the forces of local gods with their local demon soldiers into the official, imperial reserves of military power.This unusual book establishes once and for all the importance of understanding the idealized realities of literary texts within a larger context of cultural practice and socio-political history. Of particular importance is the ongoing dialog with religious ideology that informs these diff erent discourses. Meulenbeld's book makes a convincing case for the need to debunk the retrospective reading of China through the modern, secular Western categories of "literature," "society," and "politics." He shows that this disregard of religious dynamics has distorted our understanding of China and that "religion" cannot be conveniently isolated from scholarly analysis. …

hardcover. Condition: Fine. No dust jacket.

hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No dust jacket.

Condition: As New. Unread book in perfect condition.

Hardcover. Condition: new. Hardcover. The Presence of Peach Spring radically breaks with conventional interpretations of Tao Qian's "Record of Peach Blossom Spring" by connecting the tale to its stated geographical location in northern Hunan province (PRC) and focusing on the Daoist lore that surrounds it. Drawing on more than two decades of fieldwork, Mark Meulenbeld uncovers the presence of Peach Spring as a sacred site with a history of more than fifteen hundred years, locally embedded within a complex network of ritual referents. Rather than a primarily textual analysis, Meulenbeld offers a more historically grounded interpretation that engages with the religious manifestations of Peach Spring: on domestic altars, in sacrificial ballads, at Daoist institutions, and, ultimately, as a source of transcendence. Meulenbeld shows that the category of the sacred offers a crucial framework for understanding traditional texts, even if they do not immediately seem to belong to any religious sphere. When read in the context of its native region, the tale of Peach Spring affords readers access to a sacred site, sacred objects, and the enduring traditions of Daoist ritual that continue to maintain its presence today. Drawing on more than two decades of fieldwork, Mark Meulenbelds The Presence of Peach Spring reassesses Tao Qians classic Daoist story Record of Peach Blossom Spring through the category of the sacred and connects it to its geographic context and ritual referents in northern Hunan. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.…

Condition: New.

Hardback. Condition: New. New copy - Usually dispatched within 4 working days.

Condition: New. Num Pages: 352 pages, 20 illustrations. BIC Classification: DSK; HRKN5. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 229 x 152 x 23. Weight in Grams: 612. . 2015. Hardback. . . . .

Hardcover. Condition: Brand New. 273 pages. 9.25x6.25x1.00 inches. In Stock.

Condition: As New. Unread book in perfect condition.

Condition: New.

Condition: New. Num Pages: 352 pages, 20 illustrations. BIC Classification: DSK; HRKN5. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 229 x 152 x 23. Weight in Grams: 612. . 2015. Hardback. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland.

Condition: New.

Hardback. Condition: New. Revealing the fundamental continuities that exist between vernacular fiction and exorcist, martial rituals in the vernacular language, Mark Meulenbeld argues that a specific type of Daoist exorcism helped shape vernacular novels in the late Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Focusing on the once famous novel Fengshen yanyi ("Canonization of the Gods"), the author maps out the general ritual structure and divine protagonists that it borrows from much older systems of Daoist exorcism.By exploring how the novel reflects the specific concerns of communities associated with Fengshen yanyi and its ideology, Meulenbeld is able to reconstruct the cultural sphere in which Daoist exorcist rituals informed late imperial "novels." He first looks at temple networks and their religious festivals. Organized by local communities forterritorial protection, these networks featured martial narratives about the powerful and heroic deeds of the gods. He then shows that it is by means of dramatic practiceslike ritual, theatre, and temple processions that divine acts were embodied and brought to life. Much attention is given to local militias who embodied "demon soldiers" aspart of their defensive strategies. Various Ming emperors actively sought the support of these local religious networks and even continued to invite Daoist ritualists so asto efficiently marshal the forces of local gods with their local demon soldiers into the official, imperial reserves of military power.This unusual book establishes once and for all the importance of understanding the idealized realities of literary texts within a larger context of cultural practice and socio-political history. Of particular importance is the ongoing dialog with religious ideology that informs these diff erent discourses. Meulenbeld's book makes a convincing case for the need to debunk the retrospective reading of China through the modern, secular Western categories of "literature," "society," and "politics." He shows that this disregard of religious dynamics has distorted our understanding of China and that "religion" cannot be conveniently isolated from scholarly analysis. …

Hardcover. Condition: New. NEW. SHIPS FROM MULTIPLE LOCATIONS. book.

Condition: New. 2026. hardcover. . . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland.

Condition: New. 2026. hardcover. . . . . .

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware - The Presence of Peach Spring radically breaks with conventional interpretations of medieval luminary Tao Qian's famous 'Record of Peach Blossom Spring' by connecting the tale to its stated geographical location in northern Hunan Province (PRC) and focusing on the Daoist lore that surrounds it. Drawing on more than two decades of fieldwork, Mark R. E. Meulenbeld uncovers the presence of Peach Spring as a site with a history of more than fifteen hundred years, locally embedded within a complex network of ritual referents that define the landscape as inherently sacred. Rather than a primarily textual analysis, Meulenbeld offers a more historically grounded and environmentally situated interpretation that engages with the religious manifestations of Peach Spring: on domestic altars, through spirit-mediums, at Daoist institutions, and, ultimately, as a source of transcendence. Meulenbeld shows that the category of the sacred offers a crucial framework for understanding traditional texts, even if they do not immediately seem to belong to any religious sphere. When read in the context of its native region, the tale of Peach Spring affords readers access to a sacred site, sacred objects, and the enduring traditions of Daoist ritual that continue to maintain its presence within a sacred ecology.…