Institute of Religion, Science and Social Studies

“Research Methods of Daoist Studies” By Dr. Louis Komjathy

On 9th, November, 2005, at Classroom 339 of Building of Literature & History, Dr. Louis Komjathy, Associate Professor of IRSSS, SDU, PhD of Boston University, gave a lecture to introduce the survey and the research methods on Daoist studies for graduates of Grade 2005 of the School of History and Culture, Shandong University.

Doctor Komjathy narrated the brief history of Daoist studies. He points out, the earliest people engaged in oversea Daoism studies were British, Frenchmen and Japanese, and therefore, France and Japan cast strong influence on the Daoist studies in early stage. From then on many Chinese historians and American scholars begin to study Daoism. Along with the evolution of Chinese religious tradition for two thousand of years, Daoism has become a global phenomenon of religion and culture. In Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Vietnam etc., more and more people from various ethnics and beliefs were attracted into Daoist studies.

Then Dr. Komjathy introduced, in traditional method of Daoist studies, Chinese cultural and historical knowledge is basically important. A researcher of Daoism should have strong lingual ability to read some original materials, such as Daoist manuscripts, epigraphs and historical literatures. Furthermore, researchers ought to understand those Chinese cultural and historical phenomena concerning Daoism. He believes that Daoism being a global phenomenon of religion, we should not confine Daoist studies into Chinese culture and history, and ought to utilize those theories, methods and knowledge, which invented from multi-discipline religion researches, such as methods of anthropology, archaeology and sociology.

At last Dr. Komjathy insists that religious studies is composed of researches on religious doctrines, rituals, organization, history, practice, experience and holiness. In order to success in those studies, one should acquaint oneself with concerned languages, history and culture of East Asia. At the same time it is also necessary to have a comprehensive understanding of religious doctrines, anthropology, history, literature and philosophical ideas.