Family Rituals in the Song Dynasty

Name: Family Rituals in the Song Dynasty
ISBN: 9787101157802

陆敏珍Zhonghua Book Company · ChinaSep 2022

4.0

Word count: 192K words
Chapters: 24
ISBN: 9787101157802

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Summary

Song Dynasty Family Rituals observes Song dynasty family rituals as a historical setting for collective writing norms, exploring how writers of the period positioned themselves within family ritual texts and their intentions and approaches in writing. It outlines the general state of family ritual text writing in the Song dynasty, analyzes the historical context in which the texts emerged, the continuation and updating of different family ritual texts, and changes in types of knowledge. Using Zhu Xi's Family Rituals as a case study, it traces the process by which family ritual texts were canonized and knowledge popularized after the Song dynasty, thereby illustrating how later generations tested and practiced the family ritual knowledge created by Song dynasty writers. The study combines methods from intellectual history, cultural history, and social history, offering both meticulous analysis of textual records and interpretation and explication of images, providing a new paradigm for the study of family rituals.

Editor's review

Lu Minzhen's Family Rituals in the Song Dynasty is a solid study that probes deeply into the fabric of Song society; it is far from a simple compilation of ritual provisions. The core value of the book lies in the author's use of "family rituals," an apparently private domain, as a lens to examine subtly how the Song literati class responded to the profound social changes of the Tang-Song transition by constructing a generalized set of norms for family life, and participated in shaping the mainstream cultural formation of early modern China. On the basis of detailed textual research, the author shows the process by which family ritual texts evolved from the personal practice of scholar-officials into normative knowledge widely accepted by society and even tacitly permitted by state power. This process was in essence a key link in Confucianism's penetration from court learning into the daily life of the common people, and it profoundly influenced Chinese family ethics and social structure for centuries thereafter. Reading this book, readers can not only learn about the evolution and fixation in the Song dynasty of specific ceremonies such as capping, marriage, mourning, and sacrifice, but also understand the concepts of order, identity, and cultural power embodied behind the rituals. For readers who wish to understand Chinese history from the perspective of cultural construction and social integration rather than merely the rise and fall of dynasties, this book provides a highly illuminating model.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Researchers and enthusiasts with a deep interest in ancient Chinese social history and cultural history
Readers concerned with the social spread of Confucianism, the evolution of rituals and customs, and the history of daily life
Students and scholars specializing in Song history, for whom it can serve as an important specialized reference
General readers curious about traditional family ethics and the process of ritual construction

Not a good fit for

Leisure readers seeking only popular stories or sensational historical gossip
Pragmatists hoping to quickly obtain step-by-step operational guides to Song dynasty rituals

Reading tips

It is recommended to first read the introduction to grasp the author's core problematic and the book's analytical framework.
While reading, compare it with primary texts such as Zhu Xi's Family Rituals to understand the dialogue between scholarly research and original texts.
Focus on how, in each chapter, family rituals interacted with political ideas, economic relations, and local practice, and appreciate the complexity of history.

About the publisher

Zhonghua Book Company China · Founded in 1912

Zhonghua Book Company is a publisher known for collating ancient texts and academic publishing, with its output centered on Eastern philosophy, culture, classic works, art, and historical reading. Its library contains 532 titles, including Chen Shou's Records of the Three Kingdoms, Guo Qingfan's Collected Commentaries on Zhuangzi, the four-volume Chinese Literature: Four Great Classical Novels, and the two-volume Table of Seal and Clerical Script Forms from Qin, Han, Wei, and Jin. These titles span historical classics, commentaries on the philosophers, classical novels, and philological reference works. Representative authors include Chen Shou, Guo Qingfan, Wu Cheng'en, Shi Nai'an, Cao Xueqin, Luo Guanzhong, Xu Wenwu, and the Hanyu Dazidian character-form group, reflecting a focus on primary sources and scholarly editors. Its publishing character lies in combining authoritative editions and annotated texts with both accessible classics and specialized research. Public information on its fuller catalog is limited; this note describes only the directions evident in the library's holdings.

版权信息
本书承蒙
绪论：宋代家礼的书写者
第一章文本生产：宋代家礼书写概况
第一节家礼的书箧：“私家注礼”与“注私家礼”
第二节书写者的选择：文本编纂的惯例
第三节过去的与现在的：文本编纂的理论
第二章文本之外的语境：抵制、限制与自省
第一节抵制：丧葬仪式中的异端
第二节限制：胡服、戎服与先王衣冠
第三节自省：关于礼之废失的讨论
第三章文本理据：家礼与《仪礼》
第一节废罢《仪礼》：叙事与历史
第二节 “《仪礼》为本”：旧题与新论
第四章文本竞争：《书仪》《家礼》与日用类书
第一节传承与断裂：从书仪到司马光《书仪》
第二节更新与有待：从《书仪》到《家礼》
第三节与时推移：从朱子《家礼》到日用类书
第五章文本实践：宋代以后的朱子《家礼》
第一节发现与发明：书的历史
第二节自下而上：《家礼》文本的经典化
第三节自上而下：《家礼》知识的通俗化
参考文献
后记

FAQ

How is this book different from other books on the market about ancient rituals?

This book is not a popular introduction to ritual knowledge but a rigorous academic monograph. Its focus is not on describing what the rituals "were" but on exploring why and how Song dynasty family rituals were created, promoted, and became social norms, emphasizing the historical dynamics and cultural significance behind them.

Can I understand this book without a professional background in history?

The book is clearly written and rigorously argued, and readers with some grounding in the humanities and social sciences can follow the author's reasoning. However, it involves many academic concepts and textual analyses, requiring patience and thought; it is not suitable as a completely zero-foundation introductory work.

What research methods does this book mainly use?

The author mainly employs the methods of historical textual analysis and the approach of social and cultural history. Through meticulous combing of a large number of Song dynasty collected writings, local gazetteers, notebooks, and other historical sources, and combining the perspectives of intellectual history and social history, the author analyzes the production and dissemination of family ritual texts and their interaction with social structure.

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About the author

陆敏珍 Author

Lu Minzhen is a Chinese author about whom relatively limited public information is available; the main clues currently traceable are her two works, Ink Plum and Family Rituals of the Song Dynasty. In terms of subject matter, her writing interest centers on traditional Chinese culture and classic works. The former revolves around the classic image of the plum blossom, while the latter concerns the family ritual system and ritual customs of the Song Dynasty, showing an attention to the history of ancient culture and the norms of daily life. These two works are classified under classic works and culture, indicating that her writing has a clear orientation toward cultural interpretation and the organization of knowledge rather than fictional creation. Because information such as her dates of birth and death, nationality, education, and personal experience has not been clearly recorded, her life remains unclear, and readers can still mainly understand her through her works themselves. Based on the available material, her writing is aimed at readers interested in traditional culture and focuses on specific cultural phenomena, presenting the appearance of ancient ritual customs and aesthetic ideas.