{"title":"Thomas Wilson","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThomas Wilson\u003c\/strong\u003e explores profound themes within \u003cem\u003eReligion \u0026amp; Spirituality\u003c\/em\u003e, inviting readers to contemplate faith, tradition, and the divine. His works, such as \u003cem\u003eConfucian Gods\u003c\/em\u003e, offer thoughtful reflections on spiritual beliefs and cultural intersections, blending scholarly insight with accessible narrative.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWilson’s writing encourages a deeper understanding of spiritual practices and their significance across different societies. Readers seeking contemplative and enlightening perspectives on religion will find his books both enriching and thought-provoking.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"confucian-gods-by-thomas-wilson-9780197746974","title":"Confucian Gods","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eConfucian Gods\u003c\/em\u003e offers an intellectual history of Confucian conceptions of the gods found in the Classics and feasted by the imperial court until the early twentieth century. Thomas Wilson examines court debates surrounding these canonical gods and the devotional rites to feast them at imperial altars and temples during the Tang (618-907), Song (960-1279), and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRitual officers of the court exhaustively studied the Classics that recorded the rites performed by the ancient sages, debated details of the proper rites at the imperial court, composed the liturgies based on their understanding of the Classics, personally conducted the rites, and assisted their sovereign in conducting canonical rites at official temples and altar terraces. The rites devoted to these gods constituted an essential mode of governing, which imperial sources called \u003cem\u003eritual governance\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhile Confucians differed in numerous ways—many minor and some major—the rules governing their debates on gods, particularly at court, remained relatively consistent from the seventh to seventeenth century. Confucian officers and classically educated literati outside of government based their positions on the official canon—the Five Classics as well as the \u003cem\u003eClassic of Filial Piety\u003c\/em\u003e and the \u003cem\u003eAnalects\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis study focuses on two cults of the official pantheon, the cult of Heaven-High God and the cult of Confucius. Rather than reduce these rites to strategies to legitimate the status quo, Wilson poses the question: What do the sources tell us about how Confucians understood the gods they worshipped and the invisible forces that circulated in the cosmos?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47933933191404,"sku":"9780197746974","price":312.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780197746974-confucian-gods.jpg?v=1783885388"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/thomas-wilson.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}