Xu Xun 許遜. Hong Zicheng, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Speaker: Isabelle Ang (College de France)
Date and time: Thursday, 13 March, 2025 – 14:00
Location: FAMES Room 8/9, University of Cambridge
Abstract: I have been studying the history of the cult of Xu Xun 許遜 and doing fieldwork in its main area, the Jiangxi province, for many years. It appears that the religious practices (the pilgrimage and the rituals) linked to the cult are closely related to the stories narrating the saint’s life and miracles, which can be found in sources such as hagiographies, plays, storytelling, epigraphy. Another important aspect, intermingled with the stories about Xu Xun, is the formation of the territory of his worship. I will take some examples to highlight the relationship between the sources, the religious practices I observed and attended during my fieldwork, and this territory.
Speaker: Isabelle Ang is a sinologist and anthropologist, lecturer at the Collège de France and full member of the East Asian Civilizations Research Centre (CRCAO). Her work focuses on history and current practices of local cults, combining research on primary sources and fieldwork. Her main study topics are: the history of the worship of Xu Xun 許遜 (239-374) in Jiangxi province, his revival during the annual pilgrimage, and the vitality of the rituals which take place within the framework of cult associations in the villages located on the territory of the cult; the history of the cult of the immortal Lü Dongbin 呂洞賓; the grotto-heavens and blissful lands (dongtian fudi 洞天福地) in Jiangxi province and the links between their territory and the local cults.
“Book Culture in Buddhism and Beyond” Lecture Series:
This new lecture series, launching in Michaelmas Term 2023, features talks on writing and publishing in the Buddhist tradition and in related religious and cultural spheres. Lectures in this series offer insights into the various ways in which writing and printing has been shaping Buddhism, as well as the multifaceted impact of Buddhism on book culture in East Asia, past, present, and future.
Registration is not required. The lectures are free and open to scholars, students, and the public.
Please note: all events take place in person at the University of Cambridge. Exact times and location will be circulated via email and posted on the webpage of Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies.
This lecture series is organised by Dr Noga Ganany (ng462@cam.ac.uk) in the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Cambridge with the generous support of the Glorisun Global Network.
