Unities and diversities in Chinese religion /

Weller (anthropology, Duke University) makes a significant contribution to the field of Chinese religion. He presents a detailed analysis of the ``ghost-feeding ceremony'' of Sanxia Township in Taiwan, a ceremony that is a major annual community ritual in traditional China involving participants of diverse beliefs and from all classes. Through this ritual Weller examines Chinese religion from the ideological and pragmatic levels of interpretation. It is here that he makes his greatest contribution, providing a valuable critique of previous studies of Chinese religion that deal with the organized or popular levels alone. This book includes useful maps, tables, figures, plates and an index of the major concepts, doctrines, persons, and places treated. Weller's endnotes are limited in number though not in content, while his references are comprehensive, including classical and current sources in English, French, and Chinese. This book, well organized and written in a lucid scholarly style, would be a worthwhile addition to any library and would have its greatest appeal to middle-and upper-level undergraduate students.-M.F. Nefsky, University of Lethbridge