“Patterns of Engagement: Pluralism and Identity Creation in Chinese Religious History”

Mario Poceski (Religion Department, University of Florida) will delineate some of the key responses to religious diversity in traditional Chinese society, and suggest ways in which Chinese models of religious pluralism are applicable to understanding and dealing with current issues and tensions that occur in the religious and cultural spheres. Drawing mostly on examples from the Tang period, Mario Poceski will highlight how intellectual and religious life in pre-modern China was characterized by an ecumenical spirit and pluralistic outlook. The prevalent view was that the three traditions—Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daosim—were complimentary rather than antithetical, and personal and communal religious identities were typically not constructed in terms of exclusive identification with a particular tradition.