Research
My research examines the production of Daoist scriptures in medieval and contemporary China. I see these two projects as solving a single puzzle: they simultaneously work towards a sociologics for studying Chinese revelatory literature. At the heart of these studies are close philological readings that direct our attention to the “collective representations” of sacred texts. I analyze the different structures of these texts to explore the ways that scriptures negotiate meaning between various social actors. Furthermore, I propose that texts describing the revelation of scriptures (rather than the scriptures themselves) are often a potent force in determining how scriptures are viewed and used. Both my studies of medieval and contemporary China underscore how these ideas of “scripture” make these books a technology that is friskier and therefore more elusive than the words “physical object” will allow. Mapping this data geospatially prepares us to compare the circuit and flow of information among religious communities in China.
Current Book Projects:
