計畫簡介

本計畫之目標係探討湘西地區的道教與其它宗教傳統對於當地文化與族群關係所發揮的影響力。所討論的族群包括苗族、漢族以及土家族。道教在湘西地區的宗教社會史中扮演了相當關鍵的角色，它不但代表者外來宗教傳統的傳入與流傳，同時也帶動了當地不同族群文化的互動以及多元認同的建構。
本人擬以還儺願儀式為第一階段的研究對象。還儺願原本似乎是漢民族的儀式，但反而被苗族人保留下來，而之所以苗族會接受這個宗教儀式，可能與他們的漢化程度有關。另一方面，因為還儺願中所用的唱詞題本都是以漢語漢字為主，反觀像苗族的椎牛，用的都是苗語，相較之下，漢文化對於苗族的還儺願影響相當大。此外，土家族也有還儺願，而土家族跟苗族都是與漢民族比較接近的民族。不過，值得注意的是，還儺願儀式中雖然有很多道教或是漢文化的成分，但是所祭祀的主神卻是苗族神話當中的儺公與儺母，因此還儺願儀式應該代表者漢民族跟苗族宗教文化微妙互動的合成品。
本計畫之第二階段擬以不同區域的同一種儀式進行比較研究，並且關注當地不同神職人員及其儀式傳統，包括苗老師、客老師、土老師、仙娘等，以達到對於湘西地區宗教文化較為全面、有系統之瞭解。
本人曾經研究過浙江與台灣的宗教史與族群關係史，要開始以湘西地區為研究範圍是一種新的嘗試，也有不少挑戰。因此，希望能夠透過跟王明珂、石建中、麻樹蘭以及吉首大學等學者專家的合作，一起推動湘西地區近代宗教社會史，並且以中文專書的形式發表相關研究成果。

This is a new research project on the historical development of Taoism and other religious traditions in western Hunan 湖南 (Xiangxi 湘西) during the modern era, including the ways in which they have changed over time and their role in processes of identity formation among of this region’s various ethnic groups, including the Miao 苗 (Hmong), Han, and Tujia 土家. During the past two decades, I have undertaken extensive research on the interaction between Taoism and local communities, but my previous work has focused on Zhejiang 浙江 and Taiwan. It would be a challenge to start a totally new project, but the results have the potential to be highly rewarding, especially in terms of elucidating the interaction between Han and non-Han religious cultures. Taoism played a crucial role in the formation of this area’s diverse ethnic identities, but not merely in the sense of the adoption of an exogenous religious culture. Instead, the religious history of western Hunan seems to have been marked by a form of reverberation between many different cultures.
My research will focus on two main questions. First, I will attempt to modify the analytical framework of Michel Strickmann, who in his classic article “The Tao among the Yao” (which serves as a basis for this project’s title), asked the question of whether non-Han peoples have preserved earlier forms of Taoism known to have been practiced by Han Chinese but not existing among them anymore. In contrast, this project places greater emphasis on the ways in which Taoism and other religious traditions of western Hunan have shaped the interaction between Han and non-Han cultures and contributed to the formation of various ethnic identities. At the same time, inasmuch as I am a social historian of modern China, my other interest would be in exploring the problem of change since the 1930s, including which religious traditions have been transformed and why, which have persisted relatively unchanged, and what all this reveals about the development of religion in modern China.
The first two years of my project will feature an interdisciplinary approach focusing on specific beliefs and rituals in a narrowly defined area of western Hunan. During the remaining three years, the project would expand to encompass similar rituals in nearby areas. The project will begin by focusing on a sequence of rituals collectively referred to as “Repaying a Nuo Vow” (Huan Nuoyuan 還儺願), which features the blending of Miao and Han traditions. The Huan Nuoyuan ritual provides an ideal opportunity to observe the ways in which Taoism has influenced the interaction between Han and Miao religious cultures. On the one hand, it is performed by religious specialists who use Taoist texts that are recited in Chinese; on the other hand, the objects of these rituals, Lord and Lady Nuo (Nuogong 儺公and Nuomu 儺母), are Miao deities.
I will attempt to publish the results of this research on two levels: individual and collaborative. In terms of individual results, inasmuch as this is a new project, I anticipate that it would take between one and two years before sufficient data could be collected to start writing, yet I am aiming for the completion of three articles and a book manuscript by the end of the grant period. Collaborative results would be in then form of a jointly edited volume containing the essays of local scholars and experts.