Johanna Lidén
About me
My research field is in a broader sense Chinese religion. I am in particular interested in Neo-Confucian ideas and praxis and how it relates to Buddhism, Daoism and popular religion in 16th century China. During this period fundamental changes took place in Chinese society, which influenced philosophy as well as religious life. One such change was a printing boom, which resulted in increased literacy and publishing of religious and philosophical texts. The popular Taizhou movement spreading over China during this period was the focus of my dissertation “Being Mindful in 16th century China: the Taizhou Movement” defended in 2018. An important result of my thesis is that the Taizhou practitioners did not see a contradiction between meditation and social work, but instead tried to combine the “inner” and the “outer” way.
Currently, I work on a project on Neo-Confucianism as educational and religious praxis. The aim is to understand how the Neo-Confucians understood and defined essential concepts such as knowledge and learning as well as whether their understanding differed from the Buddhists and Daoists. Neo-Confucianism is closely linked to the civil examination system, which is fairly well studied before, but we know less about education of those not qualified for the examinations (women) or those who lacked financial means for studies (commoners). A hypothesis is that, since women were not allowed to take part in the examinations nor to position within the imperial administration, they searched for knowledge within the Buddhist and Daoist traditions. Although, there are some research done on the official agenda behind village schools, there is almost nothing written on the pedagogy and the teaching material used. The project is an international post doc financed by the Swedish Research Council in collaboration with Hamburg University.
Teaching
I have been teaching Chinese and Japanese religions and supervising students at the Department of Ethnology, History of Religions and Gender Studies. Earlier I have also been teaching Chinese at Uppsala University. I have a background as a teacher at Upper Secondary School level, and currently I am teaching Chinese, Religion and Swedish at Södra Latin Upper Secondary School. I also supervise students doing project works at this school.
Research
My research concerns Chinese religion and specifically religious movements in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). My thesis discusses and analysis a popular and religious movement. It is entitled: "The Taizhou Movement: Being Mindful in the Sixteent Century China". This movement is in generall regarded as Confucian, but has distinct Buddhist and Daoist traits. My research method is historical and filological and I am working with a broad range of genres from the Ming dynasty and the Qing dynasty (1644-1912), although I also make use of secondary literature in modern Chinese. My primary interest are the ideas and religious praxis of this movement. The ideas are Neo-Confucian and concerns ethical questions, such as how to give respect to oneself and others. As for the religious praxis, singing, recitation, individual and communal meditation, social works and retreats in the free academies are common examples. The ideas of the movement is heterogeneous and the members come from all kinds of social layers. Their outspokeness and unconventional ways of interpreting the Confucian Classics made them target of persecution.
Publications
A selection from Stockholm University publication database
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Buddhist and Daoist influences on Neo-Confucian thinkers and their claim of Orthodoxy
2011. Johanna Lidén. Orientalia Suecana LX (60), 163-184
ArticleRead more about Buddhist and Daoist influences on Neo-Confucian thinkers and their claim of OrthodoxyThis article aims to describe the Buddhist and Daoist influences on the formation of Neo-Confucianism in particular regarding its selection and exegesis of Confucian Classics and its view of the cosmos and the nature of man, as well as the quest for a certain mental state. The Buddhist and Daoist influences on Neo-Confucianism and the syncretistic tendencies during the Song and Ming dynasties made the question of heresy and orthodoxy acute. Thinkers who borrowed many alien elements are especially prone to strongly defend themselves with claims to orthodoxy, and at the same time are highly critical of the other traditions they often have forsaken at an earlier stage in their development. It is impossible to determine who was most influenced by Buddhism, Zhu Xi or Wang Yangming. The difference between them is not a difference in degree but that they adopted different parts of Buddhism, Zhu Xi more of its philosophy, whereas Wang Yangming more of its praxis.
Keywords: Neo-Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, Zhu Xi, Wang Yangming, syncretism, heterodoxy, orthodoxy, Song and Ming dynasties
Show all publications by Johanna Lidén at Stockholm University