Taoism and Chinese Religion

by Henri Maspero

English, French (translation)

Genres: Religion, Taoism

578 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Henri Paul Gaston Maspero (15 December 1883 – 17 March 1945) was a French sinologist and professor who contributed to a variety of topics relating to East Asia. Maspero is best known for his pioneering studies of Daoism. He was imprisoned by the Nazis during World War II and died in the Buchenwald concentration camp.

See also:
Gaston Maspero
Georges Maspero (1872–1942), French sinologist
Jean Maspero (1885–1915), French papyrologist
François Maspero (1932–2015), French author and journalist

Reviews

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henri Maspero was one of the early French sinologists who studied Taoism in great depth. This is a huge collection of essays that he published in a variety of journals in the 20s, 30s and 40s. It is interesting from a historical point of view to see how the religion was presented in the early 20th century. Quite a lot of what he discusses is still relevant, but as it was the foundation of Taoist studies it is at a much more basic level than more recent work. Still it does make for very enjoyable, and detailed reading. The topics covered include the pantheon of Taoism, early rituals, the development of the religion, and inner alchemy practices. It is interesting that he focused on the yellow turbans so much, and the Celestial masters so little, which is quite different to Taoist studies today. Likewise his choice of texts to use as sources was quite different. However, this just added to my interest as it was fascinating to see the way the discipline has grown over the years. I'm not sure I would recommend this book to someone who is just starting out in Taoist studies or wanting to know more. I think it is a decent overview, but I also think it is good to approach the material with a modern understanding to get the most out of it. Still I think a new reader who approached it with an open mind would find it interesting as it does cover a lot of the basics and the background. I'm really glad I was able to find a relatively cheap 2nd hand copy of this on sale in Paris.

[Arthur Rosenfeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed every page. Delicious detail and a fresh view of much I hold dear.

[Rob · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a highly regarded scholarly book, but unless you need an untarnished citation to back up some academic exercise I would look elsewhere. Too verbose, too many uninteresting details, but not enough detail to really be encyclopedic. Not to knock the author, but if it had been written a decade later IMHO it would not have the reputation it does.

There are more recent, more accessible books on Daoism. Even people who recommend this book admit it it thick and dry and best read in short bursts over a span of time.