Lackner, Michael, and Zhao Lu, eds. Handbook of Divination and Prognostication in China, Part One: Introduction to the Field. Leiden: Brill, 2022. doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004514263
We are pleased to announce the release of the first part of the Handbook of Divination and Prognostication in China, edited by Michael Lackner and Zhao Lu, as part of the Brill Series of Handbook of Oriental Studies. This significant publication, titled “Handbook of Divination and Prognostication in China, Part One: Introduction to the Field,” is now accessible through open access on Brill’s platform, available at this link.
This inaugural volume serves as a comprehensive exploration of the diverse facets of divination and prognostication in both traditional and contemporary China. Spanning from the ancient era of oracle bones to the practices of present-day fortune-tellers, the Handbook offers a groundbreaking overview of the field. It not only introduces readers to the rich tapestry of Chinese divination but also provides insights into how different disciplines can further our understanding of this intriguing subject.
Renowned specialists contribute to the volume, addressing topics such as the classifications of divination, recently excavated texts, the dynamics between practitioners and clients, the role of “occult” arts in cosmology, literature, and religion, as well as the bureaucratic system. The collaboration between editors Michael Lackner, Senior Professor of Sinology at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, and Zhao Lu, Assistant Professor of Global China Studies at NYU Shanghai, ensures a rigorous and comprehensive exploration of the subject.
Contributors to this volume include Constance Cook, Richard J. Smith, Marc Kalinowski, Stephen R. Bokenkamp, Lü Lingfeng, Liao Hsien-huei, Philip Clart, Fabrizio Pregadio, Esther-Maria Guggenmos, Andrew Schonebaum, and Stéphanie Homola.
We invite scholars, researchers, and enthusiasts alike to delve into this pioneering work, which not only sheds light on the history and practices of Chinese divination but also sets the stage for further interdisciplinary exploration.
Book Review: “The volume successfully sketches the contours of divination and prognostication in China, provides overviews of divination in various historical periods (premodern, late imperial, modern, and contemporary) and religious traditions (popular religion, Daoism, and Buddhism), reviews previous scholarship, and suggests fruitful avenues for further research. For those in Chinese Studies, the handbook offers a useful introduction to Chinese mantic practices.” By McGuire, Beverley Foulks. Review of Handbook of Divination and Prognostication in China: Part I: Introduction to the Field ed. by Michael Lackner and Zhao Lu. Journal of Chinese Religions 50, no. 2 (2022): 289-292.
