Daoist priests of the Li family
Book Description
This intimate ethnographic study opens a window into the living tradition of Daoist practice through the remarkable story of the Li family, hereditary priests serving rural communities in northern China. Stephen Jones weaves together the experiences of two generations: Li Qing, who navigated the dramatic social upheavals of twentieth-century China, and his son Li Manshan, who continues the family's spiritual calling in the modern era.
Rather than presenting Daoism as an abstract philosophy, this work reveals how ancient wisdom adapts and survives within the rhythms of everyday village life. The Li family's ritual practices emerge not as museum pieces, but as dynamic responses to their community's spiritual needs across decades of profound change. Jones captures the delicate dance between tradition and transformation, showing how these practitioners maintain their sacred responsibilities while adapting to new social realities.
The narrative illuminates the human dimension of spiritual service, exploring how religious specialists and their communities create meaning together through ceremony and custom. For readers seeking to understand how authentic spiritual traditions endure and evolve, this portrait offers valuable insights into the resilience of folk religious practice.
This work will resonate with anyone interested in lived spirituality, the intersection of tradition and modernity, or the ways communities preserve sacred knowledge across generations of change.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Long (> 400 pages) (~11 hours)
📄 Length: 406 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Religious life and customs
- ✓ Discover Taoist philosophy and way of life
- ✓ Create spiritual family harmony
- ✓ Explore Rituals
- ✓ Explore China, social life and customs
- ✓ Explore Li, Manshan, 1946-
- ✓ Explore China, religion
- ✓ Explore Yanggao Xian (China) -- Religious life and customs
