Discovering God by Rodney Stark

Author:Rodney Stark
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9780061743337
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2007-03-10T05:00:00+00:00

By the end of the fourth century CE, elite Taoism had largely become a monastic faith, catering to both men and women seeking a withdrawn, celibate life of meditation and philosophizing. Entry was particularly attractive since monks were exempted from military service, mandatory labor (courvée), and most taxes.65 In contrast, Popular Taoism was served by a lay clergy who married and were supported by donations. Their role was (and is) more similar to that of sorcerers and exorcists than to that of a traditional priest. Moreover, there always have tended to be more clergy than can be supported, thus creating intense competition, which favors the more entrepreneurial divines whose energy and ambition have produced the proliferation of sects. As will be seen, it was by mobilizing popular support that Taoism periodically came into conflict with the faith that usually prevailed among the Chinese ruling classes: Confucianism.

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