Astrology and Cosmology in Early China

Astrology and Cosmology in Early China
Title Astrology and Cosmology in Early China PDF eBook
Author David W. Pankenier
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Pages 617
Release 2013-10-10
Genre History
ISBN 1107006724

Download Astrology and Cosmology in Early China Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Drawing on a vast array of scholarship, this pioneering text illustrates how profoundly astronomical phenomena shaped ancient Chinese civilization.

Astrology and Cosmology in Early China

Astrology and Cosmology in Early China
Title Astrology and Cosmology in Early China PDF eBook
Author David W. Pankenier
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Pages 0
Release 2015-03-05
Genre History
ISBN 9781107539013

Download Astrology and Cosmology in Early China Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

The ancient Chinese were profoundly influenced by the Sun, Moon and stars, making persistent efforts to mirror astral phenomena in shaping their civilization. In this pioneering text, David W. Pankenier introduces readers to a seriously understudied field, illustrating how astronomy shaped the culture of China from the very beginning and how it influenced areas as disparate as art, architecture, calendrical science, myth, technology, and political and military decision-making. As elsewhere in the ancient world, there was no positive distinction between astronomy and astrology in ancient China, and so astrology, or more precisely, astral omenology, is a principal focus of the book. Drawing on a broad range of sources, including archaeological discoveries, classical texts, inscriptions and paleography, this thought-provoking book documents the role of astronomical phenomena in the development of the 'Celestial Empire' from the late Neolithic through the late imperial period.

Astrology and Cosmology in the World’s Religions

Astrology and Cosmology in the World’s Religions
Title Astrology and Cosmology in the World’s Religions PDF eBook
Author Nicholas Campion
Publisher NYU Press
Pages 285
Release 2012-06-11
Genre Religion
ISBN 0814708420

Download Astrology and Cosmology in the World’s Religions Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

When you think of astrology, you may think of the horoscope section in your local paper, or of Nancy Reagan's consultations with an astrologer in the White House in the 1980s. Yet almost every religion uses some form of astrology: some way of thinking about the sun, moon, stars, and planets and how they hold significance for human lives on earth. Astrology and Cosmology in the World’s Religions offers an accessible overview of the astrologies of the world's religions, placing them into context within theories of how the wider universe came into being and operates. Campion traces beliefs about the heavens among peoples ranging from ancient Egypt and China, to Australia and Polynesia, and India and the Islamic world. Addressing each religion in a separate chapter, Campion outlines how, by observing the celestial bodies, people have engaged with the divine, managed the future, and attempted to understand events here on earth. This fascinating text offers a unique way to delve into comparative religions and will also appeal to those intrigued by New Age topics.

East-Asian Archaeoastronomy

East-Asian Archaeoastronomy
Title East-Asian Archaeoastronomy PDF eBook
Author Zhenoao Xu
Publisher CRC Press
Pages 452
Release 2000-11-17
Genre Science
ISBN 9789056993023

Download East-Asian Archaeoastronomy Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Historical astronomical records can play an important role in modern research, especially in the case of ancient Chinese observational data: sunspot and aurora records are important for the study of solar variability; solar and lunar eclipse records for the study of the Earth's rotation; records of Comet Hally for the study of orbital evolution; "guest star" records for the study of supernova remnants; planetary conjunction records for research in astronomical chronology. In the past, Western scientists have not been able to exploit these valuable data fully because the original records were difficult to gather and interpret, and complete English translations have not been available. East-Asian Archaeoastronomy is the first comprehensive translation into English of such historical records for modern research. The book also features an introduction to East Asian astronomy and offers guidance on how to use the records effectively. It will not only be a valuable research tool for astronomers but should also be of great interest to historians of China and Chinese science.

Overlapping Cosmologies In Asia

Overlapping Cosmologies In Asia
Title Overlapping Cosmologies In Asia PDF eBook
Author Bill M. Mak
Publisher BRILL
Pages 315
Release 2022-02-28
Genre History
ISBN 9004511679

Download Overlapping Cosmologies In Asia Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

A new, transnational, and interdisciplinary understanding of cosmology in Asian history. Cosmologies were not coherent systems belonging to separate cultures but rather complex bodies of knowledge and practice that regularly coexisted and co-mingled in extraordinarily diverse ways.

Divination and Prediction in Early China and Ancient Greece

Divination and Prediction in Early China and Ancient Greece
Title Divination and Prediction in Early China and Ancient Greece PDF eBook
Author Lisa Raphals
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Pages 499
Release 2013-10-17
Genre History
ISBN 1107010756

Download Divination and Prediction in Early China and Ancient Greece Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

This book compares the intellectual and social history and past and present contexts of mantic practices (divination) in Chinese and Greek antiquity.

Cosmology and Political Culture in Early China

Cosmology and Political Culture in Early China
Title Cosmology and Political Culture in Early China PDF eBook
Author Aihe Wang
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Pages 256
Release 2000-05-08
Genre History
ISBN 9780521624206

Download Cosmology and Political Culture in Early China Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

This book offers a radical reinterpretation of the formative stages of Chinese culture and history, tracing the central role played by cosmology in the formation of China's early empires. It crosses the disciplines of history, social anthropology, archaeology, and philosophy to illustrate how cosmological systems, particularly the Five Elements, shaped political culture. By focusing on dynamic change in early cosmology, the book undermines the notion that Chinese cosmology was homogenous and unchanging. By arguing that cosmology was intrinsic to power relations, it also challenges prevailing theories of political and intellectual history.