Religion of the Han empire: postmortem transformation, immortality, and the rise of Daoism

Abstract

"By examining the tomb images and artifacts from a religious perspective, combined with a cognitive approach that strives to uncover the essentials of the Han belief system, the author convincingly shows how Han belief represented the dimension of faith in the national power structure while reconstructing the history of religious Daoism at the time. This is the first historical study on the subject using this new methodology" -- Provided by publisher.

Contents

Introduction : the belief system of the Han Empire -- Time and space in Han tombs -- Gods of transformation -- The immortal pantheon -- Stages on the path -- Divine elixirs and celestial kitchens -- Ascension formalities -- Conclusion : the formation of the Han tradition.