Soul Calling

Soulstealers: The Chinese Sorcery Scare of 1768

"Soul Calling: The Great Chinese Witchcraft Panic of 1768" tells the story of "witchcraft in a prosperous age." During China's millennial imperial era, Emperor Qianlong was unparalleled. The Qing Empire he established and consolidated reached the pinnacle of power and prestige. However, the entire political and social life of the Qing Dynasty was turbulently disrupted by a sorcery known as "soul-calling." For several months, from spring to autumn in 1768, this evil wind swept across half of China, terrifying the people, driving officials to their deaths, and even haunting Emperor Qianlong. Author Philip Kuhn's meticulous descriptions are thrilling, vividly depicting how the provincial panic evolved into a nationwide campaign to eradicate the demon. "Soul Calling: The Great Chinese Witchcraft Panic of 1768" also demonstrates a broader academic vision, combining social history, cultural history, political history, economic history, regional analysis, bureaucratic system analysis, and psychological analysis at the methodological level in constructing a "grand narrative" centered on the "soul-calling" case.

2014-06-01

生活·读书·新知三联书店 上海三联书店

368

9787542643216