The Recent Revival of Popular Confucianism in Mainland China: The Rediscovery of Confucian Classics, Academies, and Rites

Abstract

This article investigates the recent Confucian revival movements in mainland China by looking at three specific aspects: the campaign of reciting Confucian classics, the revival of Confucian academies, and the restoration of Confucian rites. It also examines the phenomenon of Jiang Qing, a so-called Confucian fundamentalist, who has been a central figure behind all the Confucian revival movements. By borrowing Anthony Wallace’s and Rodney Stark’s theories on religious fundamentalism, the article argues that the socio-political and cultural conditions of contemporary China have paved the way for the emergence of traditionalistic movements, with the Confucian revival being one example, and that the combination of Jiang Qing’s fundamentalist philosophy and his strict moral self-discipline has endowed the Confucian initiative with a touch of religious sincerity.