Taoism & Religion

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Taoism has existed in China for centuries, but its importance is often overshadowed by Buddhism and Confucianism, despite the fact that most aspects of Chinese culture exhibit strong Taoist influences. This is unfortunate because Taoism can be found in a variety of forms: philosophical, religious, esoteric, and mystical. It exists in harmony alongside Buddhism and Confucianism, drawing from both and adding back as well. Taoism as a religion exhibits a remarkable combination of diversity and unity, helping to demonstrate just how interesting human religious traditions can be.

Sadly, Western understanding of Taoism is not all that great - and the fact that few copies of Taoist texts were widely available outside of monasteries until the early 20th century hasn't helped matters much. But scholarly attention to Taoism has been increasing, and as a result, the lay public is also benefiting from increased information as well. Nevertheless, while the great diversity of ideas and beliefs within Taoism has helped it to survive and thrive, it also makes it difficult for people to understand.

Fortunately, a recent book by Jennifer Oldstone-Moore should help somewhat with that. An Assistant Professor in the Department of Religion at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, her recently published Taoism is part of a series of texts by Oxford University Press that present short introductions to the beliefs, history, practices, and texts of different religions. Because they are short, well organized, and written for the average non-scholar, they are a great way for people to become familiar with a religion that they know nothing about.

On the other hand, the brevity of the text also means that much is left out - not only is depth sacrificed for breadth, but breadth is sacrificed for length. That, however, is only a serious problem if someone walks away from the book assuming that they know everything necessary and that their education on the topic is now complete. If, however, they treat the book as the short and non-exhaustive introduction that it is, they will be rewarded.

If Taoism's variety can be found in the forms it takes and content of people's beliefs, what unity is there that allows us to even speak of "Taoism" as a single system? Taoism is notoriously difficult to define and explain, a fact largely due to that very variety. If there is a central organizing principle to Taoism, it is the belief in the existence of a central organizing principle to the universe:

The principle focus of Taoism is the Tao (meaning "Way" or "path"), which refers to a nameless, formless, all-pervasive power which brings all things into being and reverts them back into non-being in an eternal cycle. The tradition stresses the importance of following the way of the Tao - that is, of taking no action that is contrary to nature, and of finding one's place in the natural order of things.

That's a simple formulation which, although accurate, belies a deeper complexity which the rest of Oldstone-Moore's book describes through explanations about Taoist beliefs, Taoist text, Taoist teachers, and the origins of Taoist practices. As with other books in the series, selections from original texts are included in order to give readers a better feel for what original Taoist authors have written about the particular subjects. This book would do very well for both interested lay readers and students in a course introducing Eastern religions.