Quotes
- "Most of the religious believers in China are actually followers of Chinese folk religion rather than Buddhism or Taoism. In other words, the number of ‘true’ Buddhists and Taoists in China is extremely low,” -Wai Yip Wong, "Defining Chinese Folk Religion: A Methodological Approach."
- We have come to expect of religions that they can be named like identities of nature or cultures or at least can be understood by doctrines. But in this case, these sensible questions must be given a disconcerting answer, because it has no name. This is not a religion of a book…In fact religion here is simply a category and not a singular thing," -Stephan Feuchtwang, Popular Religion in China: The Imperial Metaphor
- "The major dilemma of defining Chinese folk religion was that it could be defined neither by its belief contents nor characteristics, as these might also be found in other religious traditions,” -Wai Yip Wong
- “Buddhism-the other religion of the Chinese- while having a great effect on China did not in any basic way change the patterns of beliefs. It could only dig itself in by itself changing,” -Jonathan Chamberlain, CHINESE GODS An Introduction to Chinese Folk Religion
- “Traditional Chinese religious belief has important characteristics, which make it different from the western religions. First of all, it is a form of ‘diffused religion,’ which is different from the ‘institutional religion’ in the West… ‘Diffused religion is referred to the cultural religious belief that does not involve any systematical doctrine, authoritative scripture, or strictly organized institution. The belief contents of diffused religion are mixed with our everyday life with no significant differentiation. For example, the Chinese folk religion has contained traditional concepts such as ancestor worship, deities worship, seasonal ritual, cultural ceremony and etiquette, as well as certain incantation or even worldview. The beliefs of this religion are diffused into our culture and everyday life….Therefore, the Western concept of religion is inapplicable to this religion of the Chinese people,” - Jung Li (from Wai Yip Wong, "Defining Chinese Folk Religion: A Methodological Approach.")