Text and ritual in early China /

Crossing the fields of Chinese history, literature, philology, and archaeology, this important collection examines understanding of the most fundamental aspects of the Chinese literary tradition and challenges established ideas about classical Han (206 BCE-220 CE) and pre-Han texts. Kern (Princeton) provides a stimulating introduction and then eight essays, one of his own and others by leading scholars of their fields. Michael Nylan and William Boltz provide anchor chapters, examining the role of public display in both ritual and the readings of texts (Nylan) and presenting a fascinating philological reevaluation of how the classical texts of the Chinese tradition were formed and thus how they should to be read and understood (Boltz). Topics of the remaining essays include the deep ritual structure of the Gongyang zhuan and the use of ritual objects (tallies and funerary stelae). Each chapter is a scholarly thrill, and the extensive bibliography is a valuable resource. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. C. D. Smith Grand Valley State University