MEPX
Chapter 8 of 10All chapters
  1. 1Studying religion
  2. 2Judaism
  3. 3Christianity
  4. 4Islam
  5. 5Hinduism
  6. 6Buddhism
  7. 7Sikhism and Jainism
  8. 8East Asian traditions
  9. 9Indigenous and other traditions
  10. 10Religion today

Chapter 8 of 10

East Asian traditions

Practice and philosophy.

Confucianism and Daoism

Confucian thought concerns social relationships, ritual propriety and cultivation of character. Daoism emphasises harmony with the natural way and effortless action.

  • Both function as philosophy and as religious practice.
  • People commonly participate in several traditions at once.

Shinto and folk practice

Shinto centres on kami and shrine ritual in Japan, and folk religion across the region blends ancestor veneration with local deities and Buddhist practice.