Bureaucratie et salut: Devenir un dieu en Chine

Bureaucratie et salut: Devenir un dieu en Chine examines the process of deification in Chinese religious and bureaucratic systems during the late imperial period. The book focuses on how mortals could achieve divine status through official recognition and popular worship. Vincent Goossaert analyzes historical documents and case studies to demonstrate the intersection between state administration and religious practices in China. His research covers the complex procedures through which individuals were elevated to godhood, including both formal bureaucratic channels and grassroots devotional movements. The work documents the practices of temple management, ritual performances, and written petitions that formed part of the deification process. It details the roles of various actors - from local officials to temple priests to worshippers - in creating and maintaining divine status. The book presents deification as a lens for understanding broader themes of power, legitimacy, and the relationship between state and religion in Chinese society. Through this analysis, it reveals how bureaucratic structures shaped spiritual beliefs and practices in imperial China.

There are not enough internet reviews to create a summary of this book. Instead, here is a summary of reviews of Vincent Goossaert's overall work: Readers consistently note Goossaert's clear writing style and thorough research in academic reviews. His works receive particular attention from scholars and graduate students studying Chinese religions and history. What readers liked: - Detailed archival research in "The Taoists of Peking" - Clear explanations of complex religious concepts - Integration of social history with religious analysis - Balanced treatment of state-religion relations What readers disliked: - Dense academic prose can be challenging for non-specialists - Limited accessibility for general readers - High costs of academic editions - Some readers note a need for more context on certain technical terms Review data is limited as his works are primarily academic: Goodreads: "The Religious Question in Modern China" - 4.5/5 (12 ratings) "The Taoists of Peking" - 4.0/5 (8 ratings) Academic citation counts and reviews in journals like The China Quarterly provide better metrics for his influence than consumer reviews.

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🏛️ Vincent Goossaert is a leading scholar in Chinese religious studies at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and has extensively studied the relationship between state bureaucracy and religion in China. 🔮 The book explores how Chinese religious practitioners could achieve divine status through bureaucratic means, reflecting a unique system where heavenly and earthly administration mirrored each other. 📜 In traditional Chinese belief, deities were often portrayed as celestial officials who could be promoted or demoted based on their performance, similar to how earthly bureaucrats advanced in their careers. ⚡ The concept of "becoming a god" in Chinese religion was often seen as a legitimate career path, complete with examinations, evaluations, and official appointments - much like the imperial civil service system. 🏮 The work builds upon the groundbreaking research of Max Weber, who studied bureaucracy in different cultures, but focuses specifically on the distinctive Chinese fusion of religious and administrative practices from the imperial period to modern times.