Celestial Masters: History and Ritual in Early Daoist Communities

by Terry F. Kleeman

Book Overview

In 142 CE, the divine Lord Lao descended to Mount Cranecall (Sichuan province) to establish a new covenant with humanity through a man named Zhang Ling, the first Celestial Master. Facing an impending apocalypse caused by centuries of sin, Zhang and his descendants forged a communal faith centering on a universal priesthood, strict codes of conduct, and healing through the confession of sins; this faith was based upon a new, bureaucratic relationship...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0674251229
• ISBN13: 9780674251229
• Release Date: April 2021
• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.9" x 8.9"