modalities of doing religion (ADAM yuet chau)
This chapter presents a model for understanding religious practice in Chinese culture by means of five modalities: the discursive or scriptural, based on the composition and use of religious texts; the personal-cultivational, involving a long-term interest in cultivating and transforming oneself; the liturgical, which makes use of procedures conducted by priests, monks or other ritual specialists; the immediate-practical, aiming at quick results making use of using religious or magical techniques; and the relational, emphasizing the relationship between humans, deities, ghosts, and ancestors as well as among people in families, villages, and religious communities. These five modalities cut across different religious traditions and may be applied to the anthropological study of Buddhism, Daoism, folk religion, Islam, Christianity, or Confucianism.
what are the five modalities?
Interview - Adam Yuet Chau - The Five Modalities of Doing Religion
Adam Yuet Chau, the author of chapter 4 "Modalities of Doing Religion" in Chinese Religious Life, explains the five modalities of doing religion. Instead of dividing Chinese religions in discrete traditions of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism, Chau proposes a new framework of modalities which focuses on the "doing" and "practices" of believers. And he says, "But for most of the people who practice religion, they don't really care much about what affiliation they have with which religion."
discursive/scriptural modality
David Jordan's website on the "Tractate of the Most High One on Actions and Consequences"
A Buddhist monk at Fagushan lectures on Buddhist doctrine through a commentary on a scripture (the Lengyanjing).
A spirit-medium composes texts orally at a Hong Kong Daoist temple
Spirit-writing seance at a temple in Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong
Production of scripture through spirit-writing calligraphy at a temple in Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong
A Buddhist monk at Fagushan lectures on Buddhist doctrine through a commentary on a scripture (the Lengyanjing).
A spirit-medium composes texts orally at a Hong Kong Daoist temple
Spirit-writing seance at a temple in Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong
Production of scripture through spirit-writing calligraphy at a temple in Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong
Interview - Adam Yuet Chau - The Discursive/ Scriptual Modality
When it comes to the study of Chinese classical texts, people have an impression that Chinese literature has been dominated apparently by Confucian classics, namely the "Four Books, Five Classics". And yet, one can also easily discover the richness of Daoist canons and Buddhist sutras. Adam Yuet Chau says, "And often, even though the fundamentals were always the Confucian classics, but they were often also drawn to Buddhist, Daoist, and even sectarian textual traditions as well." If we really look into these Chinese texts, we can always discover more.
personal-cultivational modality
Video: Demonstration of a Daoist sitting qigong method.
Video: Chinese instruction on Meditation
Video: Chinese Buddhist scripture recitation
Video: Lingji spirit mediums at a temple in Taiwan
This website contains a contemporary "ledger of merits and demerits" to do an accounting of one's moral progress on a daily basis, based on the "Tractate of the Most High One on Actions and Consequences".
Video: Chinese instruction on Meditation
Video: Chinese Buddhist scripture recitation
Video: Lingji spirit mediums at a temple in Taiwan
This website contains a contemporary "ledger of merits and demerits" to do an accounting of one's moral progress on a daily basis, based on the "Tractate of the Most High One on Actions and Consequences".
liturgical modality
immediate-practical modality
Video: beating the mean person (da siu yan)
A description and explanation of the beating the mean person ritual.
A description and explanation of the beating the mean person ritual.
in non-chinese religion
The five modalities above is not an exhaustive list. They are useful in the study of Chinese religion, and yet, we can explore more possibilities in non-Chinese religion. For instance, as Adam Yuet Chau mentioned, we may construct a new modality of "proselytizing" for Christianity, in which the mission of spreading the gospel has always been important. Apart from the five, you may have six, seven, or even eight.
Interview - Adam Yuet Chau - The five modalities in non-Chinese religion
interviews of adam yuet chau
The author of chapter 4 "Modalities of Doing Religion" in Chinese Religious Life is Adam Yuet Chau. He is University Lecturer in the Anthropology of Modern China in the Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Cambridge. To learn more about Chau's intention of studying Chinese religion, please watch the clips below.
Interview - Adam Yuet Chau - Path to Anthropology and Religion
Interview - Adam Yuet Chau - Why study Chinese Religion